Eugene continues to show the direction of the decisions made regarding their choice of ministry. Forbin Janson had invited them to assist him in the preaching of two city missions. Eugene and the Missionaries refuse, seeing their calling towards the abandoned people in the villages of Provence.
It is interesting to note how many invitations the Missionaries were already receiving for parish missions within weeks of their coming into existence. The spiritual soil of France was arid, and the people longed for a sense of direction and nourishment.
I resume my letter for the hundredth time. Had I begun it six months ago, it would have been finished before you could complain. But enough said about that. You ask if we could do the missions of Arles and Toulon with you. I have proposed this to our little community but they do not think it possible.
First, because we have refused to put on a mission for two parish priests at Marseilles for the reason that we are determined to begin with the villages;
2’ because, after promising to go to Martigues, we drew back, partly on the same grounds and partly because of our fewness in number;
3’ because we have also put off to a remote date the mission they asked us to do at Brignoles;
finally, because we are engaged to work in villages for the whole mission season.
Letter to Forbin Janson, July-August, 1816, O.W. VI n. 13
Yesterday I saw a cartoon from the NakedPastor.com which showed a small church with open doors. In the doorway were 5 sheep with white, white wool and to the left, just short of entering was one sheep who’s wool was the colours of the rainbow. One of the snow-white sheep held out a hanger with a white wool garment on it. The cartoon read: “Welcome! Now just put this on before coming in.” In other words cover up your own beauty and look and be just like us – then you can join us…
My life is good. I doubt that I stand out any kind of a crowd – I simply look like the others and could fit in anywhere. I have great cause to say the Jesus Prayer over and over: “Jesus have mercy on me a sinner.” Jesus who preached to those who were deemed to be sinners and so excluded from entering the temple; those who were deemed unworthy of the sacraments, proper health care, as being not fit for dignity and respect. This is the Jesus that Eugene himself knew and that he shared with all that he met, be they rich or poor… this is the Jesus who as he hung on the cross, near to death said to one of the criminals crucified with him that ‘‘today you will be with me in paradise’.
Eugene modelled himself and his founding community on Jesus and his disciples and followers: in loving the poorest of the poor, healing and walking with them. I think of the words from Isaiah 54:2 which have become alive with me – as I change one small word “Enlarge the space of your HEART.”
Oh Eugene – little did I know what I was getting into when you invited me to walk with you, to walk in your footsteps. I think of how you loved the prisoners, especially those rejected and condemned to death; also the youth, the old, the sick and all those around the world. Pray for us all.