Eugene de Mazenod speaks to us

22 year-old, Scholastic Brother Charles Baret, was brilliant person. Yvon Beaudoin wrote about him: “A musician and poet with a great gift for languages, he then learned English and Italian from his Irish and Italian confreres, not to mention Hebrew and Greek. Nonetheless, during his three years of theology, he struggled with the monotony of the regimented life of pious exercises. He subsequently wrote …“classes in the morning, classes at night, always class matter to learn, texts to recite by heart. This fixed and unchanging systemic uniformity stultifies and disgusts one’s imagination…” 

He taught philosophy to his fellow-Oblate scholastics, and was chided by Father Tempier ” in which he urges professor Baret to follow the manual written by Bouvier and to not to disparage it before his students, the first year scholastic brothers: “It is a main blunder,” he explained,” I have seen many professors make with regard to an author they were using. It seems as if they thought that by criticizing the author, they enhanced their own personal worth by making themselves disdainful and stupid critics of a work the tenth of which they themselves could never have authored.” (https://www.omiworld.org/lemma/baret-charles/)

Eugene supported the advice of Fr Tempier:

Limit yourself, my dear child, to what Father Tempier has just told you in my name. Do not work for your own personal satisfaction. but do everything for the Lord who will hold you to account for it; I bless you and embrace you tenderly.

Letter to Scholastic Charles Baret, 16 October 1847, EO X n 947

REFLECTION

Experience had taught Eugene that focus on “doing everything for the Lord” was the key to missionary success – not personal interest. The young Charles was frustrated because he believed that his talents and abilities were not being properly used. In 1861 he was capable of writing: ” Great lives were always made up of a monotonous existence. Genius, like holiness, will always be found on the beaten barren paths…”

Eugene’s only sister, Eugénie and her husband Armand had five children: Nathalie, Caroline, Louis, Césarie and Eugène. The first three had died in their teens and Césarie had married in Italy in July 1847. Eugène was the Founder’s only surviving nephew. The biographer Rey mentions his marriage on 25 November 1847:

“On the 25th, Bp de Mazenod had the consolation of blessing the marriage of his nephew, Marquis Eugène de Boisgelin, in his chapel, in the presence of a select congregation.

His address, filled with family memories and accompanied by a subdued but very strong emotion, made a deep impression.”

Rey II p 261

“From 1841 to 1847, Armand and Bishop de Mazenod sought a marriage partner for him. Several projects of this nature failed because the young ladies involved were not rich enough or because Eugene was hard to please. He only wanted to marry a girl he already knew, a girl who was a musician, etc. Finally, Bishop de Mazenod blessed Eugène’s marriage to Angélique Sallony in his episcopal palace on November 25, 1848. As a wedding gift, the Bishop gave him the Boisgelin mansion which he had bought a few years previously. Eugène and Angélique had seven children.” (https://www.omiworld.org/lemma/boisgelin-armand-natal-de-and-family/)

Today their descendants continue to revere the saint in their family whom they still affectionately refer to as their “Oncle Eugène.” Over 200 Boisgelin descendants were present in Rome for his canonization in 1995.

Following our chronological exploration of the life and writings of St Eugene, we see that in July 1847, two reasons called him to Rome. The biographer, Rey narrates:

“On July 11, Mgr de Mazenod embarked from Marseille on the steamship Sésostris. The main reason for his trip was the insisence of his entire family to bless the marriage of his only niece, Mlle Césarie de Boisgelin, to Mr. Marquis de Damas, who lived with his mother in Albano. Mgr d’Isoard, nephew of Cardinal d’Isoard, who died in Paris in October 1839 and a great friend of both families, had been the gifted and devoted intermediary in this marriage. Mgr de Mazenod could not refuse everyone’s wishes, and his absolute devotion to the interests of the Church added a powerful attraction to those of his paternal affection for his niece. Fr. Jeancard accompanied him, and he left ‘in the care of God and our good Mother’.“

After the wedding, Rey recounts: “Returning to Rome, he requested an audience with the Pope, which was granted the same day. The Holy Father detained him for an hour and a half, and treated him with extraordinary affection, even embracing him affectionately.”

Eugene, who had a number of topics to discuss with Pope Pius IX, wrote:

I confess that I was singularly touched by this truly pontifical consideration, and I couldn’t help expressing my admiration for the Pope. I was touched to the depths of my soul, so I asked the Holy Father for permission to make known this truly remarkable circumstance in the history of this controversy. I won’t repeat all that was said in that memorable audience. I feel I did my duty as a bishop in the presence of the head of the Church, who treated me as a brother from the outset, when he prevented me from kneeling before him, and throughout the session, when he embraced me affectionately, pressing me to his heart and expressing his desire to see me again before I left Rome, where I had told him I had come to bless the marriage of my niece…

The Holy Father was delighted to meet a French bishop with whom he could speak at ease in Italian.

Rey II pages 212-214

During the few days spent in Rome after the marriage, Eugene met with a number of Cardinals to discuss controversies concerning the Church in France.

REFLECTION

Eugene was described as having a heart as big as the world: a heart that was open to God, and in God in response to every aspect of the world and its needs.

“God does not begin by asking our ability, only our availability, and if we prove our dependability, God will increase our capability.” (Neal A. Maxwell)

In his speech on the occasion of the blessing and opening of the canal in Marseilles, Eugene could not resist reminding everyone of the project, so close to his heart, of building a new cathedral. From the moment of his appointment as Bishop of Marseilles, Eugene had constantly worked for “a new cathedral worthy of a great city.”

Finally, in the presence of the great things that are being accomplished on our soil with a view to material utility, may we be allowed to hope that soon, in this city its Bishop and its civic officials will be able  to solemnly consecrate to the heart of Jesus, an imposing temple which will rise in honor of this adorable heart, worthy of being the most beautiful ornament of our city. This cathedral will fulfil the most ardent wishes so highly expressed and so generously supported by its representatives, and will be like the necessary crowning of all the works that human art has produced.

Eugene de Mazenod quoted in Rey (Volume 2 pages 255-256)

See: https://www.omiworld.org/lemma/marseilles-cathedral/

REFLECTION

“Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. For now I have chosen and consecrated this house so that my name may be there forever; my eyes and my heart will be there for all time.”   (2 Chronicles 7:15-16)

May these benefits of the natural order remind us of those even greater in the supernatural order

Rey concludes his narrative by recalling how much Bishop Eugene’s speech was acclaimed.

This speech earned the Prelate many eloquent congratulations. We will quote just one letter, from Cardinal de la Tour d’Auvergne, Bishop of Arras: “Monseigneur, I read with admiration and keen interest the speech you gave at the inauguration of the Marseille canal. This gigantic undertaking could not have been more magnificently celebrated than by you, Monseigneur. The eloquence and dignity of your words have made this ceremony unforgettable, and the part you played in it, by doing the episcopate such great honor, proved to our century that the Church knows how to understand great things and associate itself with truly useful inventions. I thank you, Monseigneur, and I congratulate the city of Marseille for the benefit it has received from the canal, just as I praise it for having called upon religion to magnify this extraordinary work”.

Rey Volume 2 pages 255-256

REFLECTION

The Second Vatican Council stressed the role of the church in the modern world:

“Since the Church is in Christ like a sacrament or as a sign and instrument both of a very closely knit union with God and of the unity of the whole human race, it desires now to unfold more fully to the faithful of the Church and to the whole world its own inner nature and universal mission. This it intends to do following faithfully the teaching of previous councils. The present-day conditions of the world add greater urgency to this work of the Church so that all men, joined more closely today by various social, technical and cultural ties, might also attain fuller unity in Christ.”

Lumen Gentium 1

Rey continues to describe Bishop Eugene’s words at the blessing of the canal which brought life-giving water from the mountains to the city of Marseilles.

After having shown the intervention of Providence in all human works, and the purpose of these works which can only be the triumph of religion, after having paid homage to the skilful engineer, M. de Montricher, and to all those who had contributed to the realization of such a great and beautiful work, the Prelate concluded:

“Above all, honor and praise, glory and eternal gratitude to God, from whom all good guidance proceeds! May these benefits of the natural order remind us of those even greater in the supernatural order, and teach us to appreciate them with dignity; may these beneficial waters, flowing among us, be to our eyes like those of Jacob’s well, an image of the living waters of grace, alone capable of quenching the ardent thirst of the soul, and may they make us more eager to draw for eternal life from the springs of the Savior.”

Eugene de Mazenod quoted by Rey (Volume 2 pages 255-256)

REFLECTION

“For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.”   (Hebrews 3:4)

While we are focusing on Eugene’s writings to his Oblate missionaries, we need to keep in mind that he was also Bishop of the second largest city in France at the same time. In this position he was very involved in all that was happening in the city of Marseilles. His contemporary and biographer, Rey, described one of these moments (in the flowery language of that time)

“In the early days of July, a work of a very different kind received its religious crowning from the hands of the venerable bishop. He was invited by the municipality of Marseilles to bless the canal that was to bring the waters of the Durance River to the city’s surrounding area and to the city itself. Anyone who knew Marseilles and its suburbs before this inauguration can understand what wealth, fertility, freshness and beauty this canal made possible. The city was transformed. Mgr de Mazenod had been an enthusiastic supporter of the creation of this great work, had backed its execution with all his influence, and was happy to exercise his ministry for the benefit of all those who had taken part, but above all for the promotion of religion.

The inauguration was set for Thursday July 8. It was a day of solemn celebration, with magnificent weather and a huge turnout. All the civil, military and administrative authorities were present, in the village of La Gavotte, near Saint-Antoine, at the magnificent canal downstream from the Notre-Dame underground passage: the waters were to enter Marseille from this point. At around 7 o’clock in the evening, the waters began to appear. The Bishop took the podium and, in a powerful voice, delivered a speech that was followed by thunderous applause. We will quote only the beginning and the end of his speech:

“Gentlemen, it was worthy of the men called to represent the spirit of an eminently Christian city, to ask for the support of religion to solemnize one of the most memorable days in Marseille’s history. They have followed a happy and praiseworthy thought in wishing to invoke with us the name of the Lord on the magnificent work of their foresight and solicitude over so many years.

This homage to heaven of a great project already almost entirely realized, this consecration of human labor to the protection of Him to whom everything must be related, gives to their beautiful undertaking the character of a religious homage, the noblest, the purest, the best sustained, the only one that is always well inspired.”

Eugene de Mazenod quoted by Rey Volume 2 pages 255-256

REFLECTION

Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord guards the city,
the guard keeps watch in vain.

Psalm 127:1

Our daily reflection will be paused until Monday November 6.

Eugene has been speaking to us since May 2010 and the 2993 entries are available on the website: https://www.eugenedemazenod.net/

Please note that there is a “Search” function on that page, making it easier for you to look up themes etc.

With gratitude for your support and interests

Frank Santucci OMI

Kusenberger Chair of Oblate Studies
Oblate School of Theology, San Antonio

For more information on this prayer, visit: https://sites.google.com/…/mazenodianfa…/monthly-oraison

In refuting the accusations against him by listing all the times that he refused honors and positions, Eugene now reveals something in his diary, intended for his eyes only, that he had kept a secret for many years:

I forgot a fact very pertinent to strengthening my argument. It is what happened in Rome when I went to see Pope Leo XII to have the rules and constitutions of our congregation approved. This great pope set his eyes upon me, for whom he had taken a very special liking, and wanted to keep me in Rome in order to admit me to the Roman prelature and lead me to the cardinalate. Such was his definite intention and not more than two years ago Cardinal Orioli divulged this secret, which I had always kept hidden.

Did I let myself be seduced by this prospect, which might well have dazzled someone else? No, thank God, I only insisted more strongly with the Holy Father granting me what I had come to ask for: the approval of our institute, and it is perhaps to this selflessness that I owe the unexpected favor of having obtained what cardinals and secretariat officers had assured me was impossible.

Did I let myself be attracted to this viewpoint which might well have been able to dazzle someone else? No, thanks be to God, I insisted only more strongly with the Holy Father that he grant me that for which I had come to ask him: the approbation of our institute, and it is perhaps to this indifference that is owed the unexpected favor of having obtained what the cardinals and the officials of the secretariats had assured me to be impossible.

Eugene concludes his reflections on how he had always avoided personal honors:

After all these actions, will people be persuaded that those who have ascribed an ambitious outlook to me are slanderers? I insist on noting it because my reputation belongs to the Church and also belongs to the congregation of which I am the father more than the head.

Eugene de Mazenod’s Diary, 31 August 1847, EO XXI

REFLECTION

“True humility is not an abject, groveling, self-despising spirit; it is but a right estimate of ourselves as God sees us.” (Tryon Edwards)