THE LORD, TO WHOM THE OBLATE CONGREGATION BELONGS, AND HIS SAINTLY MOTHER, TO WHOM IT IS CONSECRATED, WILL SOOTHE OUR GRIEF

Posted on October 25, 2022 by franksantucci

” Grief is the price we pay for love.” Queen Elizabeth II

Continuing to reminisce about the death of Father Moreau in Corsica, Eugene expresses the warmth of his affection for him.

He was a deacon in 1816, when the Lord called him to us. Faithful, among so many recalcitrants, to the voice of God, he came to find me when we were giving the mission at Grans. I prepared him for ordination during the stopover he made with me in St-Laurent du Verdon where I had withdrawn to work on coordinating our holy rules. I accompanied him to Digne in order to present him to Bishop Miollis,  who ordained him priest at the ordination of September 1818. He made several missions with me, notably those of Barjois and of Lorgues.  He was, in the fullest sense of the term, my spiritual son and my pupil, always good, always zealous, always a fervent religious and also always very fond of me, whom he regarded as his father…

While mourning his loss, and the irreparable vacuum his passing left for the Congregation, Eugene’s faith turns to God and Mary in whom he has absolute trust.

He is in heaven; but we, while glorifying God for the glorification of his elect, how are we going to replace him on earth? His loss is heartrending for us. It is truly irreparable in the current state of the congregation. The Lord, to whom it belongs, and his saintly Mother, to whom it is consecrated, will soothe our grief in penetrating us with supernatural thoughts and considerations and will come to our assistance. We must live in this trust, without which there would be something about which to be disheartened.

Eugene de Mazenod’s Diary, 2 February 1846, EO XXI

May St Eugene inspire us to focus on God and Mary during our moments of darkness and loss.

This entry was posted in WRITINGS. Bookmark the permalink.

One Response to THE LORD, TO WHOM THE OBLATE CONGREGATION BELONGS, AND HIS SAINTLY MOTHER, TO WHOM IT IS CONSECRATED, WILL SOOTHE OUR GRIEF

  1. Eleanor Rabnett, Lay Oblate says:
    October 25, 2022 at 12:36

    The night before last I looked out my window towards the small Grotto to Our Lady of Lourdes which is across the street. There are a lot of trees there but with the falling leaves I found that I could actually see the statue of Our Lady – she is lit up by a small spotlight once the sun goes down. I don’t recall noticing her in the same way last year at this time. Again last night, I looked out and thanked God for her and then I told her how glad I am that she is watching over me. I prefer praying with icons and so am not usually really big on statues, but last night I was so glad that she is watching over me. There is somehow a deeper reality here and while I cannot claim to understand it, I actively refuse to turn away from it.

    This morning I stopped to greet her before beginning my morning prayer and coming to this place. As I read St. Eugene’s and Franks words I idly wonder what my moments of darkness and loss are. How I live continues to change along with the knowledge of what I can and cannot do, and how to do things in a new and different way. There is a greater sense of being. Eugene is once again leading, and yes inspiring and teaching me. He helps me to see and move forward in new ways everyday. I find a certain sweetness that comes with these thoughts. Neither God nor Eugene is finished with me yet.

    It strikes me that surrender’s next step is oblation; the giving over, once again, of my life to the Beloved. The only defeat in this is to my ego. Recognizing this I find myself once again being filled with a certain contentment rather than the bitterness that accompanies defeat.

    “We must live in this trust, without which there would be something about which to be disheartened.”

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Eleanor Rabnett, Lay Oblate Cancel reply

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