Here Eugene touches the heart of the vocation of the Missionary – the unique purpose of the Mazenodian family exists to co-operate with Jesus Christ in his work of redemption. A year later, Eugene would describe the Oblates as “co-operators of the Saviour.”
Our Lord Jesus Christ has left to us the task of continuing the great work of the redemption of mankind.
It is towards this unique end that all our efforts must tend;
as long as we will not have spent our whole life and given all our blood to achieve this, we having nothing to say;
especially when as yet we have given only a few drops of sweat and a few spells of fatigue.
Letter to Henri Tempier, 22 August 1817, O.W. VI n. 21
Well, as I read these words I have to step back a bit and then also reflect upon the Spiritual Direction that I just came back on and a comment earlier in the day by a lay staff member “I heard Oblate life expectancy is lower than other religious and priest?” I don’t have the numbers, but often we may not take care of ourselves and then latter on in life we come down with illness or imbalance mentally/emotionally. And who Eugene have said the same thing after the death of Suzanne?
And could it be that this missionary drive that is often seen in “our family” is a double edge sword? I would love to hear from you and from your experience. Jack,omi
“Co-operators of the Saviour”. I remember some years ago when a friend said that of me, to me…
I treasured hearing that, because it meant a kind of recognition that I was on the right path, with the right people and taking part in that to which I felt called. For so many years I had dared to stand at the foot of the cross, even though I felt quite unworthy of doing that in the company of the two Marys, and secretly wanting to be there along side of Him who is my Saviour, so that he was not alone… never dreaming that one day I would be invited to join him in “the great work of the redemption of mankind”.
Of course it is the Lord who redeems, but we work for and with Him, as we our called. “…we give ourselves to the Father in obedience even unto death and dedicate ourselves to God’s people in unselfish love. Our apostolic zeal is sustained by the unreserved gift we make of ourselves in our oblation, an offering constantly renewed by the challenges of our mission.” (C 2)
It is God who redeems and saves: but we are invited to join him in this effort, just as were the disciples of Jesus. And just as Eugene spoke of our spending “our whole life and given all our blood to achieve this”, we too are invited to join in this immense endeavor, this adventure that we call life.
We walk together, as pilgrims of hope in communion.