Arriving in Turin, Eugene found mail from Marseille, containing news of the serious illness of Jacques Marcou. He had been one of the first members of Eugene’s youth congregation in Aix in 1813 and had joined the Oblates in 1821. Eugene had a fatherly affection for this young man, whom he had known since childhood (cf https://www.eugenedemazenod.net/?p=1763)
The first thing to which I reply, because it affects me to the depths of my soul, is the sad news of the dangerous illness of our good Fr. Marcou. I am desolate because so rare is recovery in such cases that I cannot cajole myself into believing I shall see him cured. However some I have met here and there who, even advanced in age, have spit and vomited blood; so you must not lose courage and especially do not fail to give hope to the sick man.
I need not tell you with what care and charity you must treat him. Even if we have to sell everything down to our shoes, let nothing be spared to look after him;
if his relatives were to propose that they take him home, do not consent; it is amongst his brothers that he ought to find all the services his condition demands, day and night, spiritual as well as temporal.
The only thing I recommend to you is to take all suitable precautions lest, if sadly it happens to this dear Father to fall into consumption, that our other young Fathers may not be thus exposed to some unfortunate contagion; you must mark all that he uses, etc. After that, or better say, above all, we must pray every day that the good God may preserve this good Father, if such be his holy will. I will say Mass for him for I have taken the resolution to reserve my Masses for the Society. Write something on my behalf to Fr. Marcou, to show him my very sincere and very lively affection.
Letter to Henri Tempier, 24 May 1826, EO VII n 242
“Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community.” Anthony J. D’Angelo
“…it is amongst his brothers that he ought to find all the services his condition demands, day and night, spiritual as well as temporal.” My mind seems to have traveled hundreds of miles this morning but I keep coming back to the idea of community and love. They have received the approbation of the Church and can no longer be considered as men on loan to one group or to one bishop from another. They are no longer just a ‘rag-tag’ group who have loosely bonded together. They belong to each other, to care for, love, support, receive and give joy, struggle, etc. It is like a marriage. I dare say that it is only with their community that they will grow as God has designed and created them to grow ( the “I” coming from and with the “we”) and they will have to do all that they can to foster and continue to grow that reality. Is this how it is with me? Is this how I live my love of my parish community? Of my growing community of Oblates and Associates, of the Mazenodian Family?
And “…for I have taken the resolution to reserve my Masses for the Society.” I see this as a perfectly natural thing for Eugene to do. I kind of wonder when he made that resolution, what led him to make this decision … Perhaps it happened rather suddenly. I remember several years ago coming to the ‘decision’ that I needed to pray for those who are without love, those who do not know what love is, and more those who have been and are despised and hated by others with no one to pray for them. It all seems to have started with a single pinpoint of inspiration from God and over time they have become in my words ‘my most beloved’. It is not limited to just that and I doubt that Eugene limited his celebrating Mass for just his sons, his brothers – he was not a limiting kind of man. In what ways do I try to limit my love? Is it in time, or in giving?
I am not surprised to be finding ‘community’ as the focus today – for it seems to be a theme that keeps coming into focus in my life. Not surprising – but isn’t it amazing how God speaks to us, through whom God comes and shows us the way?
This is an important letter of the founder in regards to how we care for our sick brothers. We also ought to know that we are following Eugene’s dictate to care for each other in ways that show for charity, charity, charity.