When Eugene wrote in his diary at the end of the day, he recorded not only the happenings, but also his personal reactions. The Diary reveals a wry sense of humor in the way in which he expresses himself privately. The Diary was not intended for others to read.
In this entry he comments about one of the Oblates who had a clique of somewhat disturbed nuns around him with whom he conducted correspondence on esoteric spiritual topics. Eugene had no time for this.
Here are some religious, some men who claim to alone have the secret of perfection, who perform high spirituality with some bigots whom they call earthly angels and who are only fanatics who mimic in the most ridiculous manner the souls of the elite, whose language they do not even understand which they take into their heads to use, to even exaggerate in their farcical correspondence. What a pity!
Eugene wanted to send this “spiritual” Oblate to Corsica as a missionary.
It is unimaginable to what degree this good Father deludes himself. His letter inspires pity. He claims that his mother would die if he were to go to Corsica, that he is compelled under pain of sin to not kill his mother, therefore, he is not able in conscience to comply with my obedience to go to this country. There are some proud religious!
Eugene de Mazenod’s Diary, 1 October 1842, EO XXI
This morning I sat looking out my window as the dawn took hold over the waning darkness. Very quickly buildings’ windows become brilliant with light; as if fires were being lit behind each window, casting off an ever deepening colour as those invisible invisible flames danced with this new day’s life. But these sentinels of dawn are not lit from within; their light is merely a pale reflection of the sun rising before them. Their only life during these brief moments seemed to be as witnesses of the glory of God, and I found myself unable to do little else than give thanks to God for another day. These sentinels will stand silently all day, with no outward signs of life within them but will appear with tomorrow’s dawn to stand as witnesses of light. This morning they were accompanied by a rainbow which seemed almost to frame the city before me.
What does this have to do with our reflection this morning? Perhaps little, but it puts everything in a different light and fills the senses with seemingly small gasps of awe. God’s own displays of greatness and wonder that transform the small and the ordinary into exquisite works of art.
Perhaps that is what happened with the Oblate in question over the succeeding 30 years he lived out his oblation. I am reminded of how diamonds are formed over time deep within the earth. They are brought to the surface and into the light only after a long time of being formed.
Eugene did not cast out that particular “proud religious” but rather allowed God to continue to form the heart of that Oblate.