I AM ASTONISHED AT WHAT HE PERMITS HIMSELF TO DO WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE

Posted on March 1, 2024 by franksantucci

The missionaries were human and, as zealous as they may have been sometimes their human foibles got in the way of their ministry. Father Daly, the founder of the Oblate mission in England had a very poor sense of judgement when it came to finance and acted without consulting people who had experience. Eugene wrote in his diary:

Letter to Fr. Daly. I am astonished at what he permits himself to do without my knowledge. He purchased a house, accepted a new establishment, etc.

Eugene de Mazenod’s Diary, 30 April 1848, EO XXI

Fr. Daly purchased, without permission of the Superior General, an important property in Ashbourne in the county of Derby in the center of England.

REFLECTION

Eugene immediately sent the experienced Fr. Casimir Aubert  to England to take the situation in hand.

“Consult your friend on all things, especially on those which respect yourself. His counsel may then be useful where your own self-love might impair your judgment.” (Lucius Annaeus Seneca)

This entry was posted in WRITINGS. Bookmark the permalink.

One Response to I AM ASTONISHED AT WHAT HE PERMITS HIMSELF TO DO WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE

  1. Eleanor Rabnett, Lay Oblate says:
    March 1, 2024 at 13:09

    Coresponsibility – “All of us are coresponsible for the community’s life and apostolate apostolate. As a body, therefore, we discern the Spirit’s call and seek to achieve consensus in important matters, loyally supporting the decisions taken. Such shared decision-making can best take place in a collegial and trust-filled atmosphere.” (C 73)

    There is a “bringing to order of the chaos” within ourselves and others: we who are called and invited to live this particular way of being we can look to the OMI Rule of Life, the CC&RR.

    Charism, gift of the Spirit, radiates, community, reciprocity… These are some of the words that we find in R37a of the OMI Rule of Life.

    It can be very easy to allow ourselves to listen to our own voices, rather than the whispers of the Spirit. This OMI way of being can become incarnated within each of us if and when we allow it to be. Just as we are invited to break open the Word of God, we are invited by St. Eugene to open the treasured Rule of Life so as to break it open, chew, swallow, and then to savour it and allowing it to become incarnated within our very way of being.

    It is then that we can begin to find ourselves in our community, in all of our communities. This is God’s realm, which we are invited into with a particular bias.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

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