I HAVE BEEN AGAIN TODAY TO SEEK NEW STRENGTH AND INVOKE ABUNDANT HELP ON THE TOMB OF THE HOLY APOSTLES

What gave Eugene the inner strength to keep him going?

January 16. – I am utterly wearied by the delay which our affair is suffering. I have been again today to seek new strength and invoke abundant help on the tomb of the holy Apostles; I have said Mass for the third time on the altar of confession of Saint Peter and I declare that the good God compensated me by his grace for the troubles that hell is provoking against us.
I invoked St. Peter with all my heart and he proved that he knew how to be a good patron.

Prayerful communion with God together with the saints – and with his Oblate brothers, with whom he was always united.

I profited from the opportunity to recommend you all most earnestly to God. I prayed for an ample share for all of you in the virtues and rewards of this great Apostle.

Letter to Henri Tempier, 17 January 1826, EO VII n 218

In his Diary. he repeats the same sentiment:

This time I certainly did not overlook to recommend by name everyone whose salvation is of special concern to me; they will surely repay me by their prayers and the share they give me in all their merits.

Roman Diary, 16 January 1826, EO XVII

Our Rule of Life today:

“It is as missionaries that we worship, in the various ways the Spirit suggests to us. We come before him bearing with us the daily pressures of our anxiety for those to whom he sends us. Our life in all its dimensions is a prayer that, in us and through us, God’s kingdom come.” CC&RR, Constitution 32

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

1 Response to I HAVE BEEN AGAIN TODAY TO SEEK NEW STRENGTH AND INVOKE ABUNDANT HELP ON THE TOMB OF THE HOLY APOSTLES

  1. Eleanor Rabnett, Oblate Associate says:

    “Our life in all its dimensions is a prayer that, in us and through us, God’s kingdom come.”

    Dare I think like that, use those words? Long have I wanted prayer to be a total part of my entire life, of my whole being and not just some words that I repeat from time to time. “Lord, let me become, let me be a living prayer.” Asking for that connectedness that I seem to crave, a certain oneness that my whole being yearns for. It is more than feelings, more than petitions and asking. Sometimes it is so deep and hidden that I can only trust and believe that it is there. Like the breath of God it is not always evident, not always conscious.

    I read this line from the Constitution and Rules over and over. A little bit scary for I am not used to thinking of myself in the terms of “God’s kingdom coming through me”. I want to say that would be for others – you know – religious. Repeating the line is not easy, there are no warm and fuzzy feelings at this moment. More like a sense of dread (that I know will pass but I cannot deny that it is with me right now). It definitely moves me away from myself, for the reign of God, the kingdom of God is much bigger than my little life. But if I want my prayer to be who I am, how I live, an integral intimate part of who I am, then it is all about God in every way.

    My consciousness has grown a little this morning and I am grateful. I suspect it will look no different, I will look no different than I did yesterday or the day before. Perhaps tomorrow I will even welcome those words if I dare to repeat them.

Leave a Reply

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