PLACE THEN THIS GREAT AFFAIR AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS

Posted on July 21, 2023 by franksantucci

In his concern for the welfare of his Oblates in North America and their fear of losing the highly effective leadership of Bruno Guigues, Eugene pleads with the Bishop of Montreal to reconsider the situation of requesting the Pope to nominate Guigues as Bishop of Bytown.

Place then this great affair at the foot of the Cross, weigh against it the destiny of the Congregation of which you are the second Father. Regard, if so you must, as non-existent the authorization I gave almost under duress. No longer can I be reassured in the face of so much insistence that I envisage the deadly consequences, the irreparable misfortunes which would follow in the wake of the action it is wished should be taken.

Once again, think it over once more before God and do not put your hand to the destruction of a great good which you have only obtained with much trouble and many cares.

Letter to Bishop Bourget of Montreal, 23 December 1846, EO I n 72

REFLECTION

“Place then this great affair at the foot of the Cross” was the immediate go-to reaction of Eugene ever since his conversion at the foot of the Cross some 40 years earlier. Seeing the world through the eyes of the Crucified Christ became his automatic view.

As we follow his charism and the spirituality he left us, may we always put our affairs at the foot of the Cross with the same confidence.

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One Response to PLACE THEN THIS GREAT AFFAIR AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS

  1. Eleanor Rabnett, Lay Oblate says:
    July 21, 2023 at 12:50

    At first, I wondered if Eugene was trying to ‘guilt’ Bishop Bourget with his statement of “…weigh against it the destiny of the Congregation of which you are the second Father…” until I remembered that it is the Bishop who is responsible for any and all he calls to his diocese for his flock which is the priests and all those he cares for. This only serves to remind us to trust in God, in God’s immense and unending love, in the Spirit’s working through each one of us…

    Eugene’s love and ownership for the welfare of his sons and the congregation is so very evident here. I say ownership but perhaps stewardship would be more appropriate as this is something given/handed to him by God, to nourish and care for. It is the kind of love that Blessed Joseph Gerard had for the Basotho people. The word shepherding comes to mind.

    As does the image of Dali’s painting of Jesus on the Cross looking down upon all of us throughout time, and I am reminded of his first words to Henri Tempier: “My dear friend, read this letter at the foot of your crucifix with a mind to heed only God…” Not so much of a command as it is an ongoing invitation to our ‘being’ which then gives birth and life to our ‘doing’.

    This is the kind of call that God invites every one of us to respond to, no matter our state of life, the role that we play… This is the grace of the moment as we say “…let it be done unto me, according to your will” and place all of our trust in God…

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