Eugene de Mazenod speaks to us

Louis de Boisgelin, son of Eugene’s sister had been training to become a Jesuit for four years. In 1841, at the age of 26, he became seriously ill. When Eugene learnt about this, he wrote in his diary:

I resign myself to and embrace the plans of God, who calls to himself a young soul ready for heaven

Eugene de Mazenod’s Diary, 21 November 1841, EO XX

Three months later, Eugene travelled to the Jesuit community to bid farewell to his nephew.

Stopovers in Avignon at the bedside of my holy nephew. The sacraments had been administered to him when I arrived, and the peace in his soul certainly had not been changed by the announcement of his approaching end. His gentleness, his resignation, the perfect calm which he maintained in the midst of his suffering, called forth the admiration of the entire community and of the physicians who were caring for him with a fervor worthy of their piety.

I judged that his state would permit his mother to arrive on time to see him again one last time. This is a consolation for which I would have blamed myself for not having fulfilled for this good mother, so strong, so miserable, so resigned. Her presence made it possible; the Fathers did not stint themselves.

Every day I celebrated Holy Mass in the bedroom of my nephew, for whom this brought a great happiness in his deplorable condition. Poor, dear child! He was aware of the entire peril, and, far from complaining, he thanks the good Lord and accepts his suffering with the most perfect resignation.

Eugene de Mazenod’s Diary, 8 February 1842, EO XXI

Dealing with some of the Oblates as their superior, was sometimes tricky for Eugene de Mazenod, especially if the person was difficult and sensitive. He confides in his diary:

Who could foretell the sensitivities of this Father?  He complains practically always that people lack esteem for him.

As for myself, I protest that, far from not attaching any importance to him, I have always loved him very much and very often have used too much tact to avoid displeasing him. With all due respect for his talents, my paternal heart would have liked something else to complete his good qualities;

Being forthright in expressing himself, Eugene had obviously hurt the man in trying to help him:

 whatever would have been my discretion in this matter, I have alienated his heart.

It was not a new experience for Eugene, nor for anyone in leadership, to suffer alienation as a result of something that has to be said or corrected. Painfully aware of this, Eugene always looked to the Crucified Savior and offered it to him.

I offer this pain to the Lord with many others of this type…

Eugene de Mazenod’s Diary, 19 January 1842, EO XXI

It is difficult, and often painful, to journey with others who need to modify their behavior or attitude – St Eugene teaches us to do so in the presence of the Cross, especially in the face of hurt and rejection.

The father of the missionary family’s deepest wish was that the members would live in a spirit of unity. We recall our Founder’s dying words: “Among yourselves, charity, charity, charity” as we read about his delight at the spirit of the Oblate community in Vico, Corsica:

Live happily, my dear children, in your precious community. You would not imagine the happiness I experience when I hear about the unity and cordiality that exists among you. Ah! how I am in spirit in the midst of this dear portion of the family! You are my consolation and my joy. May the Lord fill you with his blessings. I press all of you to my heart.

Letter to Fr. Etienne Semeria, 27 December 1841, EO IX n 755

Eugene wrote to the Novice Master:

I see a great disadvantage in not having the Blessed Sacrament within easy access of the novices. It is to Jesus Christ that they should go to be filled with fervour. It is not enough to drink from this fountain during the time of the common prayers; each should be able to go often according to his inspiration and present himself before the Saviour and converse with him for a few moments in silent meditation.

The novices did not have their own chapel in the building, so Eugene made a suggestion.

I am aware that in the present situation, there are serious difficulties, and even inconveniences, to go to the Blessed Sacrament where it is kept. Consider yourself deprived of a powerful means of making your novices fervent. Substitute for it at least by a quiet chapel of the Blessed Virgin, where a person can go and recollect himself. Have no fear in setting aside a room for this purpose.

Letter to Father Vincens, 3 December 1841 EO IX n 752

Most of us don’t have a chapel nearby to go and pray in, but each of us can set aside a prayer space in a special corner of a room we use all the time.

It is important to have a “God-space” in which I can spend some “God-time” each day where I can “present myself before the Saviour and converse with him for a few moments in silent meditation.”

Writing to the Novice Master, Eugene says that each novice must:

yield cheerfully to the indispensable observances of the Rule. He must make it a point to delve deeply into the spirit of the Institute he wishes to join and be convinced that he can attain it only by his fidelity and exact observance of all the prescriptions of the Rule…

I don’t need to recommend that you insist chiefly on religious fervour. I cannot imagine a vocation without it. All our young men should be moulded according to this way. If fervour is lacking in a novitiate, we are not forming men of God.

Letter to Father Joseph Vincens, 3 December 1841 EO IX n 752

Eugene’s advice applies not only to Oblate novices. All of us are disciples of Jesus Christ who want to walk fervently in following Him. This is the reason for the existence of the Mazenodian Family: to help one another to live our discipleship according to the spirit of St Eugene. In other words, to be fervent in our love for God and for one another.

“So with yourselves; since you are eager for spiritual gifts, strive to excel in them for building up the church.” 1 Corinthians 14:12

“Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11

The question raised by Eugene, as Oblate Superior General, continues to be very relevant in the formation process of Oblates and Associates today.

Three men had come from Ireland to do the novitiate in France – in a new country and a language that they were not fully familiar with. By the end of the novitiate they were expected to make their commitment of oblation. Eugene reflects:

We must proceed with prudence. Before establishing the Congregation in that distant land, it is necessary that the men be trained. It took severalyears to bring Fr. Daly to where he is; it will take more than one year of novitiate, made by young people who do not know our language and who therefore will not have benefited much from the instructions provided there, so that we can count on these subjects.

Can we send them back to Ireland after such a short testing, before they know well and appreciate the Congregation, before they have been able to attach themselves to it? This is not possible.

Eugene de Mazenod’s Diary, 28 November 1841, EO XX

Today our houses of formation are international and the superiors and formators carry the same heavy responsibility: do the candidates know well the Mazenodian charism and spirituality?

The same question is posed regarding the formation of the lay members of the Mazenodian Family: have they been sufficiently steeped in the Mazenodian charism and spirituality for it to be the guiding light of their way of being disciples of Jesus the Savior?

Father Vincens, the new novice-master was about to receive a new group of novices, for whose formation he was responsible. Eugene reminds him that the purpose of the novitiate is to make their oblation for life as religious and as missionaries.

Stress very much the importance of the obligation undertaken by oblation. They are free not to advance that far, but this consecration cannot be revoked. It is perpetual. It is not without reason that this social commitment is made in the presence of Jesus Christ, the divine Master, who approves it by his holy Body and his precious Blood.

Eugene refers to the custom, at that time, to profess one’s vows kneeling before the Eucharist, and receiving Communion as soon as the words have been pronounced. He continues on the seriousness of this step:

Woe to him, a thousand times woe to him who might break ties that should never be broken by the will of him who has taken them upon himself.

Those who do not attach themselves wholeheartedly to the Congregation are not made for it.

It is the responsibility of the formators to ensure that the novices have fully understood the gravity of the step they undertake through oblation.

It is up to you to elaborate on all these points and on others in the explanations that you are greatly obliged to give

Letter to Fr. Joseph Vincens, 23 November 1841, EO IX n 751

Writing to Father Vincens, the new novice-master, Eugene give him advice as he begins to work with a new group of novices. He advises that they start their novitiate with a good retreat.

I recommend that you organize a good retreat in preparation for the novitiate, eight days of exercises according to Saint Ignatius.

Then he insist that these new novices be men who sincerely want to put relationship with Jesus above all family relationships.

It is important that we admit only men who are devoted, generous, detached so as to do everything that is required by obedience, especially detached from relatives whom they must love in God and for God, without the affection we continue to have for them ever influencing our course, activities, will, not even our thoughts.

Letter to Fr. Joseph Vincens, 23 November 1841, EO IX n 751

It did not mean severing all family bonds, but moving to a deeper level, that of loving their family IN God and FOR God. This is what Jesus demanded of all who wished to follow him.

“If anyone comes to me and does not have much more love for me than for his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my follower.”   Luke 14:26

Eugene wrote in his diary:

It is necessary to collect the documents to be able to compose a summary of the life and ministry of Fr. Albini. We venerate on the altars somesaints who were not as favored as this servant of God.

Each of us knows how heroic his virtues were and we can attest to events that qualify as miraculous in all the lives of the saints. The general opinion of the clergy of Marseilles considers him a blessed. In Corsica everyone has always regarded him as a saint.

Works speak louder than words for all those who have known him or who have only heard about him.

The faithful flock to his grave to ask for his intercession, and a good number attribute graces and miracles to him.

Eugene de Mazenod’s Diary, 1 August 1841, EO XX

Venerable Albini and the Convent in Vico where he worked and is buried

Today the Mazenodian Family are united with this wish of St Eugene:

Prayer for his intercession:

O God,

who by Your Holy Spirit inspired Your servant Charles Albini

to dwell in intimate union of mind and heart with You,

and to be guided in his apostolic labors by You alone,

grant us to abide in You always,

so that all our thoughts, our desires and our dealings with others

be truly inspired by Your charity.

Humbly confident that You wish the merits of Your servant

to shine before all people,

we implore You to bestow upon us, through his intercession,

the special grace of …. which we seek from Your bounty

in the name of Jesus Christ Your Son.

Amen.

Our Father – Hail Mary – Glory be

Kindly notify the Postulator General directly, about any favor obtained. We will be pleased to receive any observation or suggestion. Please, send your messages to:  postulatore.generale@omigen.org.

Father Charles Albini had died in Corsica two years earlier. Eugene was convinced of his holiness – which had been shown in his way of life, his preaching and pastoral care of the most abandoned and of the seminarians. During his lifetime some miracles were attributed to him.

Eugene speaks of this as he writes to Fr Semeria, the superior of the Oblates in Corsica.

I request you to collect everything that relates to the blessed life of our Father Albini. When you meet people who have experienced the effects of his charity or who attribute the healing of their troubles to his intercession, draw up a written statement on all these; I intend to introduce his cause, were it only to have him declared venerable.

I think it will be easy to achieve this; at least that is the opinion of the advocate who is promoting Father de la Salle’s cause.

Speak often of this saintly missionary. Arouse the confidence of people who have experienced the effects of his zeal; in a word, let us do everything to have him honoured as much as he himself wanted to be humble.

Letter to Fr. Etienne Semeria, 10 November 1841, EO IX n 748

The cause was indeed introduced, and he was declared “Venerable” in 1968 after his life and writings were studied and the devotion of the people was noted.

See: https://www.omiworld.org/our-charism/our-saints/oblate-causes/venerable-charles-dominique-albini-1790-1839/biography/