Eugene de Mazenod speaks to us

Once Eugene had been named as Bishop of Marseilles it was necessary to conclude a number of lengthy formalities with the Vatican and with the Franch Government before being formally installed. The last of these to go to Paris to take his oath of allegiance to the King.

I took my oath standing, the minister of worship read the short formula. The king said very courteous things about it; he made me sit beside him.

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

A few days later he met with the King again. Together with the Queen, whom Eugene had known when he was a young man in exile in Sicily some thirty years earlier. He made good use of this opportunity.

In that same audience, I spoke to the king about our need of a cathedral at Marseilles, proportionate to the grandeur and importance of the city. The king agreed and was not at all startled by my proposal that he provide us with a million francs over a period of ten years; I intend to ask the Chambers for triple that amount, but of that I said nothing.

Eugene de Mazenod’s Diary, 8 December 1837, EO XVIII

Marseilles was the second largest city of France, and had a tiny cathedral, so Bishop Eugene wanted to ensure having an appropriate building to honor the presence of God in his city. It took several decades to build, and Eugene never lived to see the completion of his project.

Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the Jerusalem Temple:  “Is God indeed to dwell on earth? If the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain you, how much less this house which I have built!” (I Kings 8:27)

For Eugene even more important than a building were the words of Paul:  “Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:6)

“Yes, I will live my life in relationship with God and according to God’s commandments” is a commitment that has to be renewed regularly.

Twenty-one years into the preaching of parish missions, Eugene reexamined the importance of some of the ceremonies which were an integral part of Oblate mission preaching.

The renewal of the baptismal promises is obligatory. Great prominence should be given to this ritual. Our custom is to expose solemnly the Blessed Sacrament on this occasion.

Remembering that this was still a period of reconstruction of the faith that the Revolution and some subsequent governments had tried to downplay and destroy. God’s “law” for doing this is contained in the commandments given through Moses and through Jesus.

The new proclamation and acceptance of the law amidst a people who had, in some way, given up God’s commandments and who again want to be under the loving yoke of the Lord must be done in a way that leaves a deep impression.

The people were to participate actively in the proceedings.

That is why it is very important to lead everyone in solemnly affirming each one’s fidelity, in a loud voice, at the missionary’s invitation, who repeats from the pulpit, with the people, each commandment promulgated by the officiating priest at the altar, in a clear and intelligible voice, and then explains it.

Letter to Bruno Guigues, 5 November 1837, EO IX n 652

(For more details see: https://www.eugenedemazenod.net/?p=510)

“A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances.” (Ezekiel 36: 26-27)

“I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, 20 by loving the Lord, your God, obeying his voice, and holding fast to him. For that will mean life for you” (Deuteronomy 30: 19-20)

One of the powerful ceremonies of each mission was the penitential procession carried out very dramatically in order to convey an unforgettable life-changing message: “by his wounds you have been healed.”

I repeat, it is the norm that the superior carry the cross during the penitential procession, after he has given a short exhortation from the pulpit to prepare the people for this public act of reparation.

This is no entertainment, but an act very much in conformity with the spirit of the Church and perfectly suited to the occasion. The superior has just preached to a people that has gone astray. He gives them the hope of pardon.

Reparation, however, is necessary. He takes on himself the sins of the people, in imitation of Jesus Christ whom he represents in their midst, …  he offers himself to God as a victim.

Letter to Bruno Guigues, 5 November 1877, EO IX n 652

The Oblate invited the people to load their sins on him and to see him carrying them away – reenacting the message of Jesus.

I Peter 2: 24-25:“He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.”

(See also the entry https://www.eugenedemazenod.net/?p=492 and the following few entries)

The central mission of each Oblate community was the preaching of missions in the Provençal language. Since 1816, the format of these missions had been unchanged.

Eugene  reminds the Oblates of the highlights of each mission. Every ceremony was meant to have a dramatic attention-grabbing quality through which a Gospel message could be proclaimed, understood and become a moment of encounter with God. These tangible signs and actions show the continuity between the approach and preaching of Jesus continued by his disciples over the centuries.

What is prescribed in the Rule as for example:

• • •  the entry of missionaries into a place they are going to evangelize…
    •  consecration to the Blessed Virgin,
    • renewal of baptismal promises,
    • tpromulgation of the commadments,
    • procession of the Blessed Sacrament,
    • funeral service and the instruction after the Gospel of the Requiem High Mass
    • procession and absolution at the cemetery,  
• the penitential procession,
  • •  the act of contrition…
    • the general Communion

are obligatory in all the missions.

Letter to Bruno Guigues, 5 November 1877, EO IX n 652

For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished  through me to win obedience from the Gentiles, by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God… as it is written,“Those who have never been told of him shall see, and those who have never heard of him shall understand.” (Romans 15: 18-21)

I have dealt with these in detail in earlier entries, from https://www.eugenedemazenod.net/?p=591  to  https://www.eugenedemazenod.net/?p=836

“Confirmation at the La Charité home. A great number of children were presented to me to receive this sacrament”

La Vieille Charité, Marseille

Always close to the people, especially the poor in this almshouse of Marseilles “for the vagrants and the homeless,” Eugene narrates that he preached in the Provençal language for an hour and-a-half!

 

 

I would have stopped sooner, if I had noticed that the listeners were not attentive, but old and young were inhaling my words, so to say, that is why I continued. That is what happens wherever I go.

Oh! how much do I thank the Lord for knowing how to speak the language of those I must instruct, and who listen to me because they understand me. I would not change my approach for all the gold in the world; my conviction has no need of the witness that I perceive every day as to the excellence of that method.

Eugene de Mazenod’s Diary, 26 September 1837, EO XVIII

“As Jesus went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.” (Mark 6:34)

Eugene recalls the death of a 28-year old Missionary Oblate as a result of typhus

 We just held the anniversary service for our Father Pons… Here we put feeling into what we were doing, and it was easy to recognize that it was heartfelt. That is how we should pray, especially as we should for the brothers whom we have so many reasons to remember, and to whom we want to witness that the memory of their virtues is still alive in the Congregation, which they have edified so much and served so well during their too-short lives.

This dear Father Pons was only 28 years old when he was taken from us, or rather, when God called him to himself. How much good had he already done in so few years.

Eugene de Mazenod’s Diary, 18 September 1837, EO XVIII

“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.  Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.”  (Hebrews 13:7-17)

This adventure of exploring Eugene’s writings in chronological order began 10 years ago on 1 May 2010. Since then, 2295 entries have been published. I just cannot believe that this has all happened! And, Eleanor Rabnett has faithfully written her own much-appreciated daily response to most of them!!

Its aim has been to accompany people to get to know the wealth of the life and teachings of St Eugene de Mazenod through direct contact with his writings. He dedicated his life to loving the Savior, and to making him known – it is my hope for these daily reflections too.

The second purpose of this service is to make the writings available online. The homepage has a search engine (https://www.eugenedemazenod.net), where you can insert a word or a concept for research and find all the relevant texts connected with that.

There are 2295 entries which are filled with the various themes of Mazenodian family history, spiritualty, and mission. Many themes have been explored at length:

• • • “Who is St Eugene for us?” (https://www.eugenedemazenod.net/?p=708 and the entries that follow)
    • “The history and spirit of our foundation” (https://www.eugenedemazenod.net/?p=2960 and the entries that follow)
    • “Youth ministry” ( https://www.eugenedemazenod.net/?p=121 and the entries that follow)
    • “Parish missions” (https://www.eugenedemazenod.net/?p=358 and the entries that follow)

among many others.

So the invitation continues to use the search facility on the homepage (https://www.eugenedemazenod.net) to explore all this wealth of the Mazenodian Family.

We paused our journey with St Eugene in 1837 to meditate on a more focused response with Eugene to the Covid pandemic, especially at the beginning where there was not much spiritual support material available online. That aim has been accomplished, so tomorrow we pick up the chronological journey with St Eugene again.

“Do you love me?” (John 21:16

“After Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples and eaten breakfast with them” is the beginning of today’s Gospel (John 21:15-19). Throughout Lent and the Easter season Jesus has been “eating breakfast” with us and nourishing us through the long days of isolation and learning to cope with a new reality. Each day he has asked us “Do you love me?” and has reminded us to care for his sheep.

Today in the universal Church we celebrate the feast of Pope Saint Paul VI who beatified Eugene de Mazenod and summed him up as:

“Eugene de Mazenod was a man passionately in love with Jesus Christ and unconditionally committed to the Church.”

Eugene was able to be this only because of his intimate love for Jesus his Savior, with whom he “ate breakfast” every day as he cared for his sheep.

In the Mazenodian world we celebrate today the feast of Blessed Joseph Gerard OMI.

Surrounded by hardship and failure, he too continued to care for the sheep in Southern Africa because he “ate breakfast” every day with Jesus whom he loved and whose love he shared.

“Do you love me?” is the question Jesus asks me today as he “eats breakfast” with me – and then he says “look after my sheep who are all around you.”

(For further details on Blessed Joseph Gerard see https://www.eugenedemazenod.net/?p=3699)

“I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them.” (John 17:26)

With today’s Gospel (John 17:20-26) we conclude the prayer of Jesus at the last Supper in which he prayed for his disciples who were present and for all his future disciples – us. It is a comforting promise that with Jesus in us we share in the love of the Trinity.

As we continue to cope with the effects of the pandemic and our steps to re-adjust, we have the assurance that we are never alone.

For the Mazenodian Family, tomorrow is the feast of Blessed Joseph Gerard OMI. In his long and difficult missionary life in Southern Africa he was constantly sustained by God’s enduring love for him. The love with which he was loved is the love with which he loved all those he encountered each day. At the end of his long life he testified:

There is a secret to be loved, it is to love. Also, for the Basotho, the Matebele, even the unbelievers, in seeing them we can ask ourselves what to do to convert them?

The answer is on every page of the Gospel: we must love them, love them in spite of everything, love them always. The good God has wanted that we do good to a person in loving that person. The world belongs to the person who loves it most and proves it.” (Blessed Joseph Gerard)

In the past months we have seen and experienced countless heroic examples of this love being expressed throughout the world.

“As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth.”(John 17:18-19)

Jesus concluded his Last Supper discourse with a beautiful prayer showing the level of his unity with his Father. In today’s Gospel (John 17:11b-19) he prays for all his disciples – for each of us – that we might experience this unity too because we are his presence and his instruments in our world. we are this because we have been consecrated in baptism, sealed in confirmation, nourished in the Word and Eucharist, and healed every time we have failed. We are the presence and the instruments of Jesus our Savior in today’s world

During this week the Mazenodian Family is praying for vocations. A good place to begin is by becoming more aware of how we were transformed at our baptism and its ongoing consequences in our daily lives.

St Eugene calls out to us:

“Christians, know then your dignity, with St. Leo I will call you sharers in the divine nature”

and the words he addressed to the poor of Aix apply equally to each of us whether we are covered in rags or not:

Lift yourselves towards heaven where your minds should be set, conversatio vestra in caelo (Phil. 3:20), let your eyes see for once beneath the rags that cover you, there is within you an immortal soul made in the image of God whom it is destined to possess one day, a soul ransomed at the price of the blood of Jesus Christ, more precious in the eyes of God than all earth’s riches, than all the kingdoms of the earth, a soul of which he is more jealous than of the government of the entire universe.