WE WILL FIND OUR SUPPORT IN FRIENDSHIP AND IN FRATERNAL LIFE

Whatever Eugene’s occupation was, he was always first and foremost an Oblate. It was in his bonds with the Oblate community that he found the strength to persevere in difficult situations. In Marseille it was the presence of Henri Tempier that helped him to cope with the demands of being Vicar General. Tempier also had other responsibilities to the Oblate communities, and so when he was going to be away for 15 days in Laus, Eugene turned to other Oblates for the support he needed.

We see this in his letter to the young Jean-Baptiste Honorat, who was preaching a mission in Vitrolles and was experiencing some challenges:

unite your thoughts to mine and let us sustain each other mutually,

Letter to Jean Baptiste Honorat, 28 May 1824, EO VI n 139

and to the superior of Aix, Courtès, he writes about the difficulties in Marseille:

for I bear the burden with excessive boredom and distaste. So much so that I need all my reason and also a little help from God, not to say: that is enough and: goodbye to you!
You understand that in this state I need someone of the family at my side to ease the burden. As soon as Father Suzanne returns, send him to Marseilles.

Letter to Hippolyte Courtès, 28 May b1824, EO VI n 138

 “We will find our support in friendship and in fraternal life, in apostolic commitment to all, in self-denial and in prayer.”       CC&RR, Constitution 18

 

“Spiritual relationship is far more precious than physical. Physical relationship divorced from spiritual is body without soul.”    Mahatma Gandhi

This entry was posted in LETTERS and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink.

1 Response to WE WILL FIND OUR SUPPORT IN FRIENDSHIP AND IN FRATERNAL LIFE

  1. Eleanor Rabnett, Oblate Associate says:

    I must admit to going back and forth this morning, two postings and I guess that I was silently hoping one would be ‘easier’ than the other. Nope. So I am here – it spoke out to me, the title alone resonating.

    “Eugene turned to other Oblates for the support he needed.” I sometimes tend to forget that because Eugene was ‘larger than life’, because he was such a holy man, a great human being, that he was human like you and I and so therefore did not always suffer the same needs and struggles as we do. On a pedestal maybe. But here today I see plain old human need. And I am so glad to see it. Eugene is someone that I look up, who I listen to, who inspires me, who teaches and guides me.

    I look at Eugene and am secretly happy that he needed to turn to otherS for support, because I for one sometimes turn to more than one for support. I find myself often asking those around me to pray for me, knowing that they do, but needing/wanting more. Needing/wanting them to be with me in prayer. And as I write this I realise what I am asking for.

    I look at what Frank has written: ““We will find our support in friendship and in fraternal life, in apostolic commitment to all, in self-denial and in prayer.” CC&RR, Constitution 18” and what Mahatama Gandhi said “Spiritual relationship is far more precious than physical. Physical relationship divorced from spiritual is body without soul.” For a long time in my life the spiritual part of me was well hidden (at least from me) and the physical part of me was the dominant side “I looked for happiness outside ….” and that all has been changing, reversing with the interior becoming more evident, more the leader, the cause, the lifespring. It comes exteriorly too, but even that is seen through the lens, the focus of being filled interiorly. My “being” causing, feeding my “doing”.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *