The all-important first day of community life for the Missionaries was obviously a story often repeated in all its details over the past 206 years. In his Memoires, Father Tempier, described it as: “This memorable day that I will never forget for as long as I live.”
Here Eugene is writing to the novices and scholastics who were in Billens, Switzerland, to escape the dangers of the anti-religious persecution by the government of Louis Philippe. He narrates the story of the beginning of their religious family, and draws a conclusion linked with the vow of poverty and the call to simplicity.
… I celebrate the anniversary of the day, sixteen years ago, I left my mother’s house to go and set up house at the Mission. Father Tempier had taken possession of it some days before. Our lodging had none of the splendour of the mansion at Billens, and whatever deprivations you may be subject to, ours were greater still. My camp-bed was placed in the small passageway which leads to the library: it was then a large room used as a bedroom for Father Tempier and for one other whose name we no longer mention amongst us. It was also our community room. One lamp was all our lighting and, when it was time for bed, it was placed in the doorway to give light to all three of us.
The Foundation Room today
Without question, it was a foreshadowing of the state of perfection that we now live so imperfectly. [] It is through experiencing them that we learnt their value. These words almost leapt off of the screen this morning. I have read this account of Eugenes first days in the small community that he brought together, and that would grow into the world-wide family that it is today.
But today it seems to me that these words shed light on the transformative experiences of Jesus that are given to us. Gifts that are not hidden away and just brought out once a year for review and celebration. Rather, they are gifts that inspire and invoke an ever-deepening way of live, an ever-growing of our hearts as. They are the gifts that evoke our acts and words of oblation and how we live them out in the years that follow.
Let it be done unto me according to your word was the response of Mary, of her fiat. Of the apostles who when called by Jesus left their nets to follow him. And most certainly of men and women down through the ages as they said yes to God. I am reminded of Peter who witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus, the very same Peter who was to deny Jesus three times, and yet who was named as the cornerstone of our Church.
At Eugene, who once spoke of his life and how he looked for happiness outside of God. And I look at my own life, which was anything but goodness and light, and yet upon meeting Jesus I spoke of giving all my love to Jesus, to God and through God so that I would be able to love the world. Most certainly a foreshadowing of the life that I live now, though imperfectly.
Gifts inspired and given life by the Holy Spirit.
My response to Eugene this morning is to simply echo his words back to him and to all who are a part of this glorious family. I owed this tribute to the memory of our first day of common life. How happy I would be to live it now with you!