Eugene, writing to Fr. Courtès, the superior of the community in Aix en Provence, speaks of the new Oblate he has sent to the community: Jean Francois Allard. We will be hearing a lot more about him in the future as a missionary in Canada and Southern Africa.
There is no doubt, my dear Father Courtès, that in sending you the excellent Father Allard, I thought I was making you a gift. I remained firm in this resolution despite all the requests addressed to me from the various houses where they wanted him. He is a precious person. I recommend him to you.
Then he sounds a note of caution which points to the danger of overburdening people with work demands and exposing them to burnout.
However, do not demand anything beyond his strength. He will do anything out of obedience but you must be careful not to put men at risk by burdening them with what they cannot do.
Letter to Hippolyte Courtès, 8 January 1841, EO IX n 722
Are we tempted at times to make unrealistic demands on others which cause stress?
I came here this morning feeling a little tired, knowing that today will be full with a couple of ZOOM meetings and these surrounded with the ongoing tasks and assignments, with little fears of ever-increasing COVID numbers and the possibilities, good and bad, of the elections to the south of us.
Oh! In beginning to read Eugene’s words I idly wondered how much I demand of others and even more what I demand of myself. Not an entirely comfortable thought.
Returning to Frank’s offering for the day I looked at how Eugene simply did not have enough men to respond to all the needs and requests put to him. So how did he decide? Eugene looked at his sons with love, seeing the weaknesses as well as the strengths and then trying to work with them. Isn’t that what he does today? “…Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” He didn’t do it on his own but rather with – God, other members of his growing society. Always in prayer and listening. And not just for others but for himself as well.
Eugene never forgot how he could not ‘go it alone’; after almost having died at the beginning of his ministry he founded a community, a family to walk with him. He did not dream up what that would entail but rather looked to God, to Jesus and to other saints. He modelled Jesus, our crucified Saviour, becoming like him and carried that over to the very best of his ability.
Jesus never asked us walk for him, but rather to walk with him. This morning reminds me of how easy it is to be tempted to make unrealistic demands on others and on ourselves.