Eugene de Mazenod speaks to us

Continuing to refect on his grief at Dauphin’s death by cholera, Eugene reveals the role of the love of Jesus, represented in the Sacred Heart, in his own life and ministry:

People will understand from this that I am far from wanting to deny or merely hide the sentiments that animate me. Let the one who would blame me, know that I have little regard for his judgment and that I would make every effort to prove to him that I have every reason to thank God, for having given me a heart capable of better understanding that of Jesus Christ our master, who has formed, animates and inspires mine, than all those cold and egotistical intellectuals, who apparently place the heart in the brain, and do not know how to love anyone since, in the final analysis, they love only themselves.

Eugene de Mazenod’s Diary, 4 September 1837, EO XVIII

Eugene’s outpouring of his personal grief, in his private journal, at the suffering and death of Dauphin who had been a domestic servant at the Bishop’s house in Marseilles. Although he had stopped working there for a number of years, he had remained in contact with Eugene.

I said Mass for poor Dauphin. In this way I can show him my gratitude for his attachment to me. I would have been willing to go to any expense to save his life. Now, through my prayers, I would like to introduce him into glory as soon as possible.

Barri, whom I saw today, confirmed what I already knew of this dear Dauphin’s dedication, more than anyone could imagine. He told me every time we met, that he would go through fire for me, that he loved me more than anyone else. It was a pure effect of his gratitude, for sometimes we would not have contact for a whole year. I ease my sorrow at the loss of that faithful and dear servant by writing down these things. I write them only for myself. If someone else happens to read them, let him not accuse me of weakness.

Eugene’s explanation of his sentiments is a powerful affirmation of God’s love.

I accept every suffering, but do not blush at very deeply feeling the loss of those who truly love me, and whom I so rightly love on my part, as my so-loving heart knows well how to do. This is not at all a scandal. I declare that I do not understand how someone can love God, if they do not know how to love people worthy of being loved.

Eugene de Mazenod’s Diary, 4 September 1837, EO XVIII

Eugene’s personal journal continues to give us glimpses into how he handled suffering. The occasion was his former servant, Dauphin, dying of cholera.

Dauphin is still alive, but is steadily becoming worse, I just said Mass for him. Father Tempier was called to receive the last breath of Lamberte, an excellent woman, devoted to the interests of the house, and entirely at the service of the Calvaire. She took care of our dear Father Marcou in his last illness, we are suffering a great loss.

I am not afraid to express what I feel; why should people not know that we are not ungrateful? Did Our Divine Saviour not weep over Lazarus, is not his heart a prototype of our own? Oh! Yes, I love with a true, sincere and tender affection, everyone who loves me; I am saddened, I weep over the loss of all those devoted to me, to our members or our holy endeavour!

I am horrified at egotistical people, insensible hearts, who take everything to themselves and give nothing in return for what people give them. The more I study the heart of Jesus Christ, the more I meditate on the actions of his precious life, the more am I convinced that I am right and they are wrong, and the more I thank the Lord for giving me this light, and a soul capable of understanding and appreciating these things.

Eugene de Mazenod’s Diary, 2 September 1837, EO XVIII

What an inspiration for us to “study the heart of Jesus Christ”!

God’s protection for the ministers of mercy was evident:

 The priests are doing their duty well, none of our priests has had the slightest sickness to date. I hope the good Lord will preserve them as he has done at other times.

Letter to Jean Baptiste Mille, 26 August 1837, EO IX n 637

Meanwhile, Father Courtès, in Aix en Provence, was frightened at the prospects of the epidemic reaching them in Aix.

Courage, my good Courtès, there is nothing more reassuring than to be where the good Lord places you. You and I, and all of us, are assured of doing the Master’s will, to whom eternity as well as time belong.

 Let us fear nothing; my only concern or rather my greatest concern for you is that I am far from you. The confidence the good Lord gives me will reassure you; those who surround me share it very simply.

This condition is necessary for morale; consider that there is not one priest in Marseilles, whatever his constitution may be, who has experienced the least attack, even though several among them are, so to speak. breathing only the air of the cholera patients day and night.

Letter to Hippolyte Courtès, 1 September 1837, EO IX n 640

An encouragement to us when we are frightened by seemingly-hopeless situations.

Fr. Mille, who was from Marseilles, had expressed concern about the Oblates and his family to Eugene. This gave him the opportunity to describe the heroic actions of the Oblates during the misery caused by the epidemic.

My dear Father Mille, I understand your concern for us and your family. We are, in fact, under the most terrible onslaught of cholera. It has attacked cruelly this time. A few hours are enough to dispatch even the strongest person struck without any warning. The number who survive are so rare that it may be said that to be struck is the same as dying.

Of all those whom our Fathers of Calvaire have assisted, and they get up every night to come to the aid of someone, there is not one who did not die; I think it is no exaggeration to say that out of a hundred more than ninety die…

We had two days of respite, so much so that in the two much-populated parishes of La Major and St-Laurent. which together number more than twenty-five thousand souls, there was not even one case, but two days later the sickness resumed with full force, and in both of these parishes, Holy Viaticum had to be taken five times in one afternoon alone. Even the poorer people are leaving in great numbers, I shall find out today if your mother has left, but before that I want to ease your anxiety by assuring you that none of the people close to you has been affected.

Letter to Jean Baptiste Mille, 26 August 1837, EO IX n 637

Since cholera was daily more ravaging, I thought that religion had to take the initiative as regards some relief that it would be fitting to procure for the poor sick people. So, I called a meeting at the Bishop’s house of the heads of our religious institutions…

They decided to establish five field hospitals throughout the city run by the women and men religious. The political interests of the Mayor interfered and he did not allow the idea to come to fruition.

The diocesan priests and the Oblates continued to serve the sick day and night.

The dedication of the diocesan priests has not failed this third time, any more than in the other two. Our Fathers at the Calvaire are continually being called to the bedside of cholera victims. They lend themselves day and night to this ministry of charity as their duty calls, but they do so wholeheartedly and with as much zeal as they and their brother religious at Aix have shown in other invasions of this plague. We have prescribed public prayers to conclude with the general procession of Saint Lazarus that will take place at the church of the saint.

Eugene de Mazenod’s Diary, 30 August 1837, EO XVIII

The Oblate General Chapter was cut short:

During this interval, cholera, which was winding its way around the city for some time, broke out with much greater intensity. I hurriedly sent home all of our fathers, keeping here only those of the two houses which must brave the danger since they are at their posts.

Eugene de Mazenod’s Diary, undated entry August 1837, EO XVIII

Eugene had written to Fr Tempier, who had been alarmed by the arrival of the first signs of the illness in Marseilles

Your cholera and your epidemic do not frighten me at all. I have always regretted that I did not die in 1814, when I had contacted typhoid in the prisons. I would ask for nothing better than to succumb to another attack especially if it is while fulfilling a duty of charity or of justice.

Letter to Henri Tempier, 26 July 1837, EO IX n 632

Despite his private spiritual desire for martyrdom, Eugene was realistic about his responsibilities to the people of Marseilles:

On the feast of the Assumption, I officiated pontifically at the cathedral both in the morning and in the evening. I took part in the general procession and gave Benediction in the evening. On Sunday in the octave, I went to say Holy Mass at Notre-Dame de la Garde to place myself, all of our men, and the whole diocese, under the protection of the Blessed Virgin.

Eugene de Mazenod’s Diary, undated entry August 1837, EO XVIII

Eugene’s travels ended with his returning to Marseilles for the General Chapter of the Missionary Oblates, an important decision-making gathering that takes place every six years.

This reunion is rather touching for a father, surrounded by his sons.

Eugene de Mazenod’s Diary, 3 August 1837, EO XVIII

 This representative gathering was amost exclusively focused on renewal of the internal life of the Congregation and it echoed the exhortation of the Preface: “They must renew themselves constantly in the spirit of their vocation”

The Chapter Acts will bear witness to what has taken place in this memorable assembly through the good spirit which animated all its members. Everyone was very happy to be gathered together in such circumstances.

Actually, the Chapter gave the image of a family, united around its head, in which all the members are making great efforts to become worthy of their mission. The most fraternal cordiality reigned throughout. The greatest zeal to attain the perfection of their vocation and attachment to my person and to the Congregation were manifested effusively. We left with the firm intention of profiting greatly from the lights that God had showered on the assembly and to work efficaciously for our own perfection and the advancement of the holy work confided to us.

Eugene de Mazenod’s Diary, undated August 1837, EO XVIII

Today Saint Eugene continues to rejoice as his missionary family, made up of many vocations, grows in unity of spirituality and mission as the different vocations of its members express and live his missionary charism.

Throughout his life, Eugene always considered the day of his baptism the most important day of his life. (cf https://www.eugenedemazenod.net/?p=160 )

The anniversary of my baptism. Before leaving St-Martin to go to Marseilles, I said, at the Mass, with a profound sense of gratitude, repentance and confidence, joined to what I dare to believe, sincere good will, these beautiful prayers from the Vienna missal:

Blessed may you be Lord, you who in your great mercy have given us new birth to a living hope of an incorruptible inheritance, grant us always to desire, as new-born infants, pure rational milk so that through it we may advance to salvation. (Cf. IP 1,34 and 2,2), God, thanks to your inestimable love, we are called to be your children and such we are (Cf.: 1 In. 3, 1), grant that, through the power of this sacrifice, we, who have received the Spirit of adoption as children in baptism, may obtain the promised blessing as our inheritance.

Lord, this faith, that you have given us at our baptism, we now renew at your altar, renouncing Satan and choosing to fulfill the law of Christ; grant that we, who have received a pledge of the eternal life promised to us, may gain continual growth in the sinless life to which we have dedicated ourselves.

Eugene de Mazenod’s Diary, 2 August 1837, EO XVIII

A good invitation for us to reflect on the meaning of our own baptism for us. Can we make Eugene’s prayer our own?

On his birthday Eugene looked back on 56 years of life, and focused on 26 years of priestly service, seeing them as part of a journey which he began at a sprint but was now reduced to little steps.

At the beginning of my ministry I galloped along. My rate of speed very likely hindered me from seeing dangers scattered on the way, if I remember rightly. At least, I scarcely thought about them; whether through recklessness or preoccupation, I had little fear of them.

Now that I take little steps, it is really different and I count every stumbling block one by one, briars clutch at me from every direction, thorns pierce me to the heart, cold freezes me, heat stifles me, illness weakens me, infirmities weigh me down, morally speaking I mean,

for whereas my body has suffered from excessive work in the diverse ministries, that I have fulfilled for the 26 years of my priesthood, the strength of my temperament has furnished me with vital resources, which can still sustain me even though I am very aware that today I have entered my fifty-sixth year.

Eugene de Mazenod’s Diary, 1 August 1837, EO XVIII

A pessimistic thought, perhaps caused by his carriage accident, but which hardly reflected the galloping pace with would be the characteristic of the following 24 years of his energy-filled ministry as Bishop of Marseilles.