En route back to France Eugene shares the blessings of what has happened in Rome with Fr. Honorat – and points out the responsibilities which the papal approbation places on the Oblates.
Oh! how many things we will not have to tell each other! I have written much that they have no doubt communicated to you, but who could have done justice to so many marvelous things? In the name of God, let us correspond to the favors which God has, in recent times, accorded only to us.
On my side, not knowing what to do to thank God worthily, I have taken the resolution of offering holy Mass every day, either to render thanksgiving to God for his blessings, or to obtain that each of us becomes more and more worthy of his vocation. It seemed to me that it was indispensable that there be in the Society a daily Mass offered to this intention which includes many others besides, always in the same spirit.
Letter to Jean Baptiste Honorat, 28 May 1826, EO VII n 244
“When you focus on being a blessing, God makes sure that you are always blessed in abundance.” Joel Osteen
I began this day thanking God that there might be someone who prays for me every day. What kind of a blessing is that! And I began to look at how I pray for others, to pray for the many that I love – those that I readily know and those that it seems my heart knows. Usually I begin my day (after being here in this place) with the Rosary where I start with prayers for all of the members of this great Oblate family.
There might be images that come to mind, sometimes special names but I am praying for all – and although my mind cannot fathom or present images of all of you I believe that my heart, or a place in my heart can – it is that place where I am able to love so greatly. And so my heart prays for each one, specifically and intentionally, just as I do in this place here – every day and indeed right now. It strikes me as I reflect and begin to share, as I write – here in this special place of prayer – that indeed as I write to you and am with you in some way that even though my mind cannot conjure up a name or an image my heart is able to connect. It must be that place, that part of me that is where God is, where we all connect, in the heart of Jesus. This is a very real blessing that I have received this day and I share it with you for you are so much a part of it. I thank God for this small great gift. Eugene said “…to thank God worthily, I have taken the resolution of offering holy Mass every day, either to render thanksgiving to God for his blessings, or to obtain that each of us becomes more and more worthy of his vocation.”