Eugene de Mazenod speaks to us

An idea of the uncertain and dangerous situation in France is given in this letter that Eugene wrote to Fr. Mille, the superior of the scholasticate in Billens, about some indiscretions on the part of the students in their letters.

...One well sees that you have not yet acquired a right idea of the circumspection with which one must write in times of revolution. It would be impossible to let pass a certain number of expressions apt to compromise those who write to me and those who receive the letters. So, my dear children, I beg you to content yourselves henceforth to give news of yourselves to your parents through Fr. Tempier. The matter is too important to leave it to your inexperience.

Mazet, for example, did not realize that he committed an extreme imprudence by relating that the Bishop of Nancy [ed. Charles  Forbin Janson] had come to visit you as soon as he arrived in Fribourg. He did not know apparently that this holy Bishop is banned, that a price has been put on his head by the brigands of his diocese, that they spy on all his movements and that all those who have too close relations with him become suspect.

When necessary, one ought to fear nothing but, without necessity, one ought not to. Others, in addressing some of our Fathers, call them by their real names, others express themselves unconcernedly about what goes on at Billens; in short, in spite of my recommendations, you have all more or less committed some imprudence.

Letter to Jean-Baptiste Mille and the scholastics, 17 November 1830, EO VII n 371

Troubled times indeed. A reminder today of the many members of the Mazenodian Family who find themselves in dangerous situations in their countries at this very moment – ad an invitation to pray for them.

In the joy of the day of renewal of commitment by the Oblate students, Eugene remained mindful of the Oblates in France who were in danger as a result of the July Revolution.

However we have kept to the fore our situation and have spoken to our Lord of our absent brothers for whom, by my order, prayers are said every day in the litanies which follow the examen. No matter, this very remembrance rendered the ceremony more touching, and all there remains for me to desire is that everyone be as well prepared everywhere and facing the present with hearts as ready…

In whatever danger they found themselves, he wanted them to be spiritually well-prepared and strengthened by the graces of their own vocation and oblation.

He then refers to the destruction of mission crosses in France and the requests of the civil authorities to hide them:

… I have let you know long ago my attitude about the crosses; better to die than take part in this apostasy.

Letter to Henri Tempier, 1 November 1830, EO VII n 370

Good advice for us today, too, in the uncertain circumstances. May our Mazenodian spirituality be our beacon and strength.

Since 1818, the custom of the Oblates was to have their annual retreat at the end of October and to conclude with the symbolic renewal of their oblation on November 1. This is exactly what Eugene did in Billens with the young students, except that here the scholastics would have renewed their temporary vows, making Eugene refer to them as angels on this important day. On the occasion of their renewing their “yes” to God’s call, Eugene declares how tangibly they experienced the presence of the Savior in their midst.

As this was a day of celebration for all the Oblates, wherever they were, Eugene paused to write to Henri Tempier to share the blessings of the feast with him.

I will not get much done on my letter today, my very dear friend, for I can only employ the time of the family supper which is even somewhat advanced, but it would cost me too much not to converse a few moments with you on such a beautiful day when our angels have been so fervent and have crowned their holy retreat in the most touching manner, especially in present circumstances.

I kept you present in this charming little chapel where, from six o’clock in the morning, after our hour of oraison, we have begun this delightful exercise which transports us heavenward, or at least brings Heaven so close to us that we could believe we were there, so tangible is the presence of God our Saviour to all our hearts. The tears which flowed from all eyes witness the sentiments which animated them and the supernatural happiness that was experienced….

Letter to Henri Tempier, 1 November 1830, EO VII n 370

Many members of the Mazenodian family renew our commitments each year, may it always be an occasion to experience the tangible loving presence of the Savior in living them out.

We have followed the misery of Eugene for many months of serious illness and mourning, slow convalescence, concern over the anti-religious political upheaval, and his frustration at being far away from his Oblate family and those close to him in the Marseilles diocese. Now the sun was shining again with the arrival of the young Oblates, and Eugene enjoyed every minute of his time with his family.

I am still in ecstasy, my very dear friend, with the happiness which I have enjoyed during the nine days that I have spent with the family at Billens. I was deprived for such a long time of living thus with all these angels, whose worth I have experienced to the full. My presence was very agreeable to them and they never tired of assuring me thereof. I think also that it was useful to them for several reasons, if only to accustom them by my example to some indispensable privations, which are for that matter well worth it in exchange for all the advantages which are to be obtained in this agreeable dwelling.

Then, as a real Provencal from France where bread and wine were the staple diet, he comments on the difficulties of getting used to the food in Switzerland!

The bread is of wheat and rye but very good; the quantity they eat is enormous. The people here, who eat little of it because it is dear and because their potatoes are excellent and make up for it, are astonished. Imagine that I have been obliged to have dough mixed twice in the same day. The wine is very bad in this country and very expensive; the peasants likewise drink very little of it; they find themselves better off for this. The privation is not felt; besides it is too much in keeping with poverty for anyone to allow himself to regret it. When all the people of the area where one lives do not have a given thing, it would be unpardonable to regret not having it. At Billens, the water is of the best quality; everybody finds it good and is content with it; they take every day a copious and very good soup at lunch; it is the custom of the country; they have it likewise in the evening.

Letter to Henri Tempier, 24 October 1830, EO VII n 367

We share in the joy of the father of the family at the safe and unharmed arrival of the fourteen young scholastics in Billens.

I had gone to Billens the day before yesterday to prepare the beds of our students. Despite any precautions we might have taken, it was necessary for them yesterday on arrival to sleep on the floor on mattresses I had had made to be placed on beds which had not yet been fabricated, for workmen in this country take things easily. Yet this did not prevent them from having a good sleep.

The young men had come to the safety of Switzerland to continue their studies and formation to become Missionary Oblates. Their first formal act in their new home was to place Jesus, their Good Master at the center of everything. They confidently surrendered their lives to their Savior.

This morning I blessed the house and chapel where I enshrined the Blessed Sacrament. Devotion seemed to me at its best and we gave Our Lord a welcome from the depths of our hearts. I have reason to believe that this good Master has well accepted our humble homage and has been pleased with our surrender and our confidence. For my part, I have been filled with consolation, and as I acknowledged myself to be the most unworthy of all, I conclude that they must have fully shared in the happiness of this memorable day.

We placed ourselves under the special protection of our good Mother, of Saint Joseph, of Saint Cannat and Saint Theresa. After a short instruction fitting the occasion, I said Holy Mass; all took communion with great piety. We then had the benediction of the Most Holy Sacrament.

Letter to Henri Tempier, 15 October 1830, EO VII n 366

The sale of the large house in Billens, Switzerland, was concluded.

It is today that I take possession of Billens. I went there the day before yesterday with my mother who remained to arrange a thousand details. I would wish we could settle in on the 15th, the feast of Saint Theresa and St. Cannat. Having signed the contract on the feast of Saint Defendant, patron or at least saint of the diocese of Marseilles, I would be happy to enter the house on the day we celebrate the feast of another patron of Marseilles. There are many things to do but, for the moment, we will sleep on mattresses; the bed boards of pine only cost ten francs; they are small but very pretty ….

Letter to Henri Tempier, 10 October 1830, EO VII n 365

Eugene, fearful for the safety of the younger members of the Oblate community, made sure to invoke the protection of many saints that he was associated with.

Rey describes the precautions taken in France to ensure the safety of the young religious:

“Before signing the purchase agreement, Father de Mazenod, assisted by Fr. Tempier had arranged how the scholastics would leave Marseille and come to Fribourg: the Superior of the Major Seminary had offered them generous hospitality while they waited for the sale of the house of Billens to be completed. The first group left Marseilles on the 8th of September, the day of the Nativity of the Most Holy Virgin. Two others followed them two days apart. All passed by N.D. du Laus, where Fr. Guibert awaited them. Then they went by different routes to their destination. Prudence required these precautions so as not to attract the attention of the towns through which the travelers had to cross. It was a moment of profound happiness for Fr. de Mazenod when he was surrounded by the fourteen young scholastics who represented future of his religious family.”    REY I p. 493

Félicité de Lamennais was a priest much admired by Eugene for his ideals and his writings. During the anti-religious upheavals, however, he began to express the notion that the long-standing bond between the Church and the State should be separated. Eugene, seeing the Church through the eyes of royalist principles, strongly disagreed. (Cf. http://www.omiworld.org/en/dictionary/historical-dictionary_vol-1_l/778/lamennais-f-licit-de/ )

… If the doctrines of M. de Lamennais are the same as those stated by his disciples, I renounce him completely. I am revolted by the trends of the “Memorial” and the “Revue.” Into what sort of principles do they want to drag the Catholics? As soon as our subscription is finished, cease to renew it…

Great God! Into what deviations the human spirit sinks by wishing to assimilate the most contrary theories! They finish by losing all reason.

Letter to Henri Tempier, 13 September 1830, EO VII n 363

Several of the younger Oblates belonged to the same school of thought as Lamennais

…When our subscriptions to the “Memorial” and to “L’Avenir” are expired, I do not wish them to be renewed. Write this to Notre Dame du Laus and to Aix. I am not in a mood to pay so dearly for the extravagances of the school of M. de Lamennais and I would be inconsolable should anyone amongst us be taken by these crazy notions.

While disagreeing with his ideas, Eugene admires the talents of the man.

It is a great pity to see a man of his genius waste time writing newspaper articles in order to establish a ridiculous system which presumes that Catholics are in power in France while not even having a party… Much more could be said about this. Let him rather busy himself bringing to completion the writings which Europe awaits with rightful impatience. Therein lies the vocation of this great man, and he is not responding to it.

Letter to Henri Tempier, 26 October 1830, EO VII n 368

“A dictatorship of relativism is being constituted that recognizes nothing as absolute and which only leaves the ‘I’ and its whims as the ultimate measure. We have another measure: the Son of God, true man.”     Pope Benedict

The anti-religious sentiment that had exploded in the July Revolution, had incited certain hotheads to destroy the public crosses in the towns where missions had been preached in previous years. These missions always concluded with the erection of a Cross in a prominent place as a reminder of the mission. (Cf. https://www.eugenedemazenod.net/?p=568 and https://www.eugenedemazenod.net/?p=570 ).

Some of these crosses also contained symbols of the Bourbon kings – and in many cases, it was this cooperation between “throne and altar” that the protesters were objecting to.

Oh! how concerned I was at Mass this morning with all these profanations which have been done to the cross of our divine Savior. The hairs on my head bristled on hearing of these infamies. It is worse than in the other revolution. Be it God’s will that this may not draw down in response a comparable malediction on our unfortunate country!

Some of the civil authorities, including in Marseilles, had asked the priests to remove the crosses and hide them so as to avoid them being destroyed by angry protesters. Eugene had strong feelings about this:

As for me, I would consider myself an accomplice of this sort of apostasy if I consented, as they have done in several places, to the removal of the lovable sign of our redemption. The Catholics by virtue of their beliefs have the right to raise up this cross, the worthy object of their adoration and no one can lawfully take it away from them.

In my opinion, there is a greater scandal in the benevolent compromise between the civil and religious authorities whereby the image of Jesus Christ is clandestinely made to disappear from the midst of his people, than in the profanation perpetrated by a horde of evildoers who smash it to pieces. I doubt that they have had the courage to propose this odious confiscation at Marseilles, but I would not swear that it was the same at Aix.

Letter to Henri Tempier, 13 September 1830, EO VII n 363

In fact, the city authorities had made this request to Bishop Fortuné in Marseilles. He had refused to give in, and the local population of fishermen and harbor workers protected the huge mission cross when attempts were made to destroy it. It remained safe and continues to hang at the Calvaire to this day.

I often speak of Eugene’s ministry as being one of leading others to his same experience of the Savior. Here we have yet another example. He shares with Henri Tempier, the spiritual strength and consolation that his relationship with the Savior gives him.

Before speaking to you about business, I will encourage you in your trials and all the perplexities into which you are plunged by present events and by all those with whom you have dealings. It is precisely in such circumstances that one ought to make one’s soul fly as high as it can go, sustaining its constancy and energy, multiplying all the resources of our intellectual faculties so as never to allow ourselves to be cast down by adversity, or overcome by the obstacles and difficulties.

I know that our ministry of peace often presents painful difficulties because it is attached to all the duties of conscience, but God will communicate to us the light of his spirit if we invoke him with confidence.

From all the difficulties that Eugene had suffered in the past, and from his present sufferings, he is able to encourage Henri Tempier by pointing him to his same source of strength:

After all, tribulations are envisaged by Providence as a means of sanctification for the elect. Far from giving in to the tiresomeness of life mingled with the bitterness of adversity, it is then that one must resolve to live in greater conformity with our divine model and serve his Church with the most perfect absence of self-interest.

A day spent in this disposition gains more merit for us in heaven than years in happiness and prosperity.

I simply communicate to you the thoughts that are most familiar to me in the sorry position in which I find myself. They are true, let us not be convinced otherwise.

Letter to Henri Tempier, 2 September 1830, EO VII n 362

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”  2 Corinthians 1:3-4

After describing what clearly is a mystical experience, Eugene continues:

I concluded from this that our good Savior had wished to give me proof that he accepted the sentiments that I had just expressed to him in the simplicity of my heart.

I share with the same simplicity what has happened with you, for your own consolation and for your encouragement.

Do not bring it up again to me, and continue to pray for me.

Letter to Henri Tempier, 23 August 1830, EO VII n 359

This beautiful short text is an indication of Eugene’s ongoing relationship with “his good Savior.” Significant is his injunction not to speak about it again. Eugene was always very private about his consolations and personal spiritual experiences. While being very private about his religious experiences, their fruits were abundantly obvious in the quality of his life, leadership and ministry.