THERE WILL COME A TIME WHEN THE IMAGINATION WILL GROW COLD AND THEN HE WILL BE HAPPY TO FIND IN HIS TEXTS THE SPIRIT OF HIS EARLY YEARS

The Oblates were primarily preachers of the Gospel, a reality that necessitated well-prepared texts. Writing to the superior of the first Oblate community in Canada, Eugene underlined the importance of good preparation.

Let the youngest amongst you be put to composing a certain number of sermons. I insist that this be stipulated.

Father Telmon was a talented and creative preacher and would be a good mentor for the younger ones.

Father Telmon will be good enough to direct and correct these compositions, this being a duty of charity as much as obedience. He will do well for his own sake to increase his own repertoire. Let him be mindful that there will come a time when the imagination will grow cold and then he will be happy to find in his texts the spirit of his early years. I have long been imploring him to do this work.

Eugene’s realistic warning applies to the whole group.

I shall not rest until I see all of our missionaries who have to announce the Word of God in possession of a complete course of sermons and instructions for retreats and missions. Hold strongly to this point which is essential to the success of your ministry.

Letter to Fr. Jean Baptiste Honorat, 26 March 1842, EO I n 10

Each member of the Mazenodian Family has her or his particular God-given talents which enrich the community.

What is the spirit with which we develop and share these for the good of all?

This entry was posted in WRITINGS. Bookmark the permalink.

2 Responses to THERE WILL COME A TIME WHEN THE IMAGINATION WILL GROW COLD AND THEN HE WILL BE HAPPY TO FIND IN HIS TEXTS THE SPIRIT OF HIS EARLY YEARS

  1. Greg N omi says:

    That’s a great question father Frank! We need to take care of the proper spirit of sharing where there are, first of all, a desire to expose what we have lived out in the light of the Gospel and an yearning for improvement in terms of living and of transmitting the Good News.
    That question makes room for the spirit of evangelization and for a constant and untiring improvement in regards to the quality of the transmission of the Gospel. It is so oblate! “Like the Apostle, to preach Jesus Christ, and Him crucified…not in loftiness of speech, but in the showing of the Spirit…”

  2. Eleanor Rabnett, Oblate Associate says:

    Last night in our Fratelli Tutti discussion group we were looking at Chapter 7 – Paths of Renewed Encounter. We each shared how the ideas and thoughts of the encyclical touched us and what that meant in our lives today. It is that deliberate sharing that enriches the rest of us and causes us to look again at what we thought, how we lived and where we come from all with a view to becoming aware of who we are now. I close each session with a moment of reflection on how we have given and received, usually recalling how we are a Lenten people. Last night I changed that to what we had shared and discussed as an Easter people. Renewed Encounter.

    My own experience has shown me that I need to look back on what I have written and prepared, perhaps prayed for and only then will I be able to let go of some pieces so that I can then focus on the here and now. Renewal.

    I think of Jesus – who knew scriptures backwards and forward and how he did not rest on that and hold them just for himself; he came to give us a new covenant and then sent us out to share that with the world. Trusting that we would be renewed, transformed and given new life.

    More and more I realise how we are on a journey, it is not static, but rather dynamic, alive, and vital. And so, we share that in a spirit of love, service and oblation. Jesus gave everything, not relying simply on scriptures; for he had come to fulfill them.
    I am reminded of the Oblate motto: “we are sent to evangelize and share the Good News with the poor: the poor are evangelized”. That is not just for someone ‘out there’ but for ourselves. We must ensure that it is relevant and share the food of our lives.

Leave a Reply

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