Tag Archives: God’s love

PARISH MISSIONS: SUCCESS OF THE CONFESSION MINISTRY BECAUSE THE PRIESTS WERE CONVINCED OF GOD’S MERCY

Perhaps the greatest reason for the success of their confession ministry came because they followed the moral theology of St. Alphonsus Liguori that was founded on the loving and healing mercy of God. In a society imbued with Jansenism, the … Continue reading

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HE KNOWS MY NEEDS, HE IS MY FATHER, AND AN ALL-POWERFUL FATHER

Eugene’s meditation continues to focus on God as a loving Father – no other Father like Him exists. As an older man, Eugene spoke of his own fatherly love for his Oblate sons as a reflection of God’s fatherly love. … Continue reading

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OUR FATHER: THIS WORD WE HAVE SO OFTEN ON OUR LIPS AND SO RARELY IN OUR HEART

Meditating on the Gospel of the Flight to Egypt, leads Eugene to reflect on his relationship with God the Father. The words come easily to him because of his own excellent relationship with his father, Charles Antoine. Eugene’s sense of … Continue reading

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NOT FOCUSSED ON SIN, BUT ON THE SAVIOUR

Eugene’s focus, in fact, is not on sin but on the Saviour. Ina retreat meditation of three years’ earlier, before his ordination, he wrote a beautiful text on himself as the prodigal son, basking the Father’s embrace and loving forgiveness. … Continue reading

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I HAVE NEVER NEEDED THE IDEA OF HELL TO BRING ME TO GOD

When looking at Eugene’s retreat meditations, one is tempted to think that he has an morbid preoccupation with sin and punishment. In these retreats he is following the meditations suggested by Ignatius, the first week of which is focused on … Continue reading

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ONCE YOU ARE FREED FROM SIN, LIGHT WILL TAKE THE PLACE OF THE DEEP SHADOWS THAT REIGNED IN YOUR SOULS

This is the conclusion of the sermon: a moving invitation to experience God’s love in the sacrament of confession. Having thundered at his listeners to make them aware of the seriousness of sin and provoke them to conversion, he now … Continue reading

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CALLED TO DEVOTE MYSELF TO THE SERVICE AND TO THE HAPPINESS OF MY NEIGHBOUR WHOM I LOVED WITH THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST FOR MEN

Twenty eight years after his priestly ordination, Eugene reflects on the event and on the spirit with which he began to live his priestly vocation. He reads it always in the light of his conversion experience when he became aware … Continue reading

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MY CHIEF OCCUPATION WILL BE TO LOVE HIM, MY CHIEF CONCERN TO MAKE HIM LOVED

After his return to Aix as a young priest, Eugene lived in his mother’s house, together with Brother Maur (Trappist monk whose monastery the revolution had detroyed). A couple of months after his arrival, he did his annual retreat. As … Continue reading

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THE UNCHANGING FOUNDATION OF EUGENE’S LIFE AND MISSION: “I WISH TO LIVE ONLY FOR YOU”

In these words, written a few hours before his priestly ordination, Eugene expresses what will be the central infallible foundation of his life and ministry as a priest. It is this ideal that led him to found a missionary congregation … Continue reading

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MY GOD, DOUBLE, TRIPLE, INCREASE MY STRENGTH A HUNDREDFOLD THAT I MAY LOVE YOU

Continuing his pre-ordination retreat, Eugene meditates on his sinfulness in vivid terms (I have delivered myself over to the devil as his slave), Eugene turns to the love of God which has overwhelmed him and which he wants to spend … Continue reading

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