I usually focus on the more spiritual extracts of the writings of St. Eugene. Apart from running a huge diocese, a missionary Congregation and its activities, he also gave his opinion on mundane activities!

My dear son, Father Tempier has not yet returned from a short trip he had to take. I will therefore answer the letter you have just written to him. I am perfectly in agreement that you should get rid of your horses. I do not see why you should deprive yourselves of 600 francs of income that would result from renting out your meadow for the pleasure of pasturing two nearly useless animals…

I see some difficulty in the purchase of a cow. This animal would eat up your hay, and you would be deprived of the income from your meadow. Truly your land needs enriching; but besides doing this by having a few pigs whose sale pays back for the expenses they cause. I think it would be easy to buy manure in the countryside. However, it would be a good thing to have a goat to furnish milk for those Fathers who might need it.

Letter to Father Etienne Semeria in Vico, Corsica, 24 August 1843, EO X n 813

Reminds me of the great mystic, St Teresa of Avila, who said that she found God among the pots and pans in the kitchen.

Eugene’s diary entry notes:

It is appropriate to recount here the privilege granted to our congregation by our Holy Father Pope Gregory XVI, in regard to the scapular or little habit of the Holy Virgin, decreed by the general chapter of 1837.

Eugene de Mazenod’s Diary, 20 August 1843, EO XXI

The 1837 General Chapter had asked that a cloth scapular of the Virgin Mary be given to every Oblate on the day of his perpetual oblation. This custom continues today, except that the cloth scapular has been replaced by a medal of Mary Immaculate.

I have had a copy made of the rescript which authorizes superiors to bless the scapulars of the Immaculate Conception which the Chapter of 1837 adopted… This hidden apparel, which will be your own, must be dear to all the members of the Congregation. It will serve as the uniform which distinguishes us from the simple servants of Mary and which constitutes us exteriorly as her elite troops. On the day of oblation, it will be blessed solemnly just like the cross and placed momentarily on the soutane of the new Oblate. After the ceremony, he will hide it under the soutane, taking care to let the two pendants fall one on the chest and the other on the shoulders.

Letter to Father Jean Baptiste Honorat, 18 August 1843, EO I n 24

The meaning of the scapular continues to be expressed today:

We shall always look on her as our mother. In the joys and sorrows of our missionary life, we feel close to her who is the Mother of Mercy. Wherever our ministry takes us, we will strive to instil genuine devotion to the Immaculate Virgin who prefigures God’s final victory over all evil. CC&RR Constitution 10

Eugene continues to reflect on the meaning of the oblation of Brother Charles Baret, who has just professed his perpetual vows.

Accustom yourself, my dear son, to have confidence in the Lord, without reservation whatsoever. We must become entirely generous toward our Father who is so good and, at the same time, both so great and so powerful. There must be no reservations in the gift of ourselves to him. He knows your needs, he knows the lawful desires of your heart: that’s all that is needed. Rightfully he wants us to consider ourselves so honored, so happy to be admitted into the intimacy of his privileged disciples, that in exchange and in gratitude we give ourselves to him without reserve and without conditions… You consecrated yourself to God, to his Church, to the Congregation.

Goodbye, my dear son. In giving you my blessing for the first time, I embrace you with all my heart.

Letter to Brother Charles Baret, at Notre Dame de L’Osier, 18 August 1843

Before making his perpetual oblation, the 18-year-old Charles Baret had written to Eugene, who responded:

You were just a novice, my dear son, when you wrote me on August 5. Today you are a child in the Congregation which justly glorifies itself in having the Most Holy Virgin Mary Immaculate as a mother.

Now you are consecrated to God for life and beyond by your oblation; and I must add in all humility but with great consolation, that thereby I have become your father. I do not know you personally; but since the affection that unites me with my children is essentially supernatural, it is enough for me to know that the Saviour Jesus Christ, our common Master, has received your vows, has adopted you and has marked you with the seal that makes us what we are, so that we are united in the most intimate bonds of charity and that I am bound to you forever as you are to me.

Letter to Brother Charles Baret, at Notre Dame de L’Osier, 18 August 1843

What a beautiful meditation on the relationship between every member of the Mazenodian Family and our Founder and Father, Saint Eugene!

It is impossible to have more generous sentiments, more perfect dedication, more thoughts that are supernatural. They are sacrificing their most natural and legitimate affections with a true joy arising from their faithfulness to and love for their holy vocation. They are convinced that they will never again see their homeland, and they would reproach themselves for any regrets they might have about it.

The Lord has given us our marching orders, they said to me; nothing else should come to mind. Truly I have a bit of difficulty to hide my emotion and admiration. These are truly disciples who honor their Master.

This is what Eugene had written admiringly about the three Oblate scholastics who were preparing themselves to go to Canada. Now he invited Father Vincens, who had been responsible for their formation, to rejoice in the fruits of his formation ministry.

Let good Father Vincens rejoice and turn his thoughts on them when he encounters some difficulty. The Lord, our divine model had many griefs from his well-loved apostles, who were so often intolerable and bothersome.

Letter to Father Bruno Guigues, 18 August 1843, EO X n 812

Those involved in Oblate formation ministry recognize that there are many difficulties that are encountered and we tend to remember the difficult times. Eugene counsels Father Vincens to remember his successes whenever he feels overwhelmed by difficulties and failures.

Ten years before, Eugene had encouraged Father Mille in similar circumstances:

They will repay what you have done for them when, come to the end of their studies, they begin to work in our Father’s vineyard; it is then you will harvest what you are now sowing. You will have a double portion in all their works and it will amply repay you for the sacrifice you are making for them.

Letter to Jean-Baptiste Mille, 21 April 1832, EO VIII n 420

Daring to Listen to God’s Call

Four twenty minute videos, beginning on October 4 and you can watch at any convenient time.

Find out more »

A technical glitch regarding translations has forced us to take a break until October 4.

I invite you to revisit some of the older entries (there are 2565 to choose from)

In the previous entry we saw how Eugene committed the three young Oblates destined to be missionaries in Canada, Brothers Brunet, Garin and Laverlochère, to Mary’s protection. He wrote about them to Father Guigues, the superior of the community where they received their first formation. Father Vincens had been the one responsible for their formation.

Last Sunday they were ordained subdeacons together with Brother Nicolas. The day after tomorrow, I will ordain them deacons… tell Father Vincens that I am very happy with these young men.

It is impossible to have more generous sentiments, more perfect dedication, more thoughts that are supernatural. They are sacrificing their most natural and legitimate affections with a true joy arising from their faithfulness to and love for their holy vocation. They are convinced that they will never again see their homeland, and they would reproach themselves for any regrets they might have about it.

These young men knew that they would probably never see their families or their country of origin again. They understood and accepted that this heavy sacrifice was the consequence of their oblation.

The Lord has given us our marching orders, they said to me; nothing else should come to mind. Truly I have a bit of difficulty to hide my emotion and admiration. These are truly disciples who honor their Master.

Letter to Father Bruno Guigues, 18 August 1843, EO X n 812

They had understood and taken to heart Eugene’s words, spoken 25 years before:

Our Lord Jesus Christ has left to us the task of continuing the great work of the redemption of mankind. It is towards this unique end that all our efforts must tend; as long as we will not have spent our whole life and given all our blood to achieve this, we having nothing to say; especially when as yet we have given only a few drops of sweat and a few spells of fatigue.

Letter to Henri Tempier, 22 August 1817, EO VI n. 21

Our Founder, as a result of being an Oblate of Mary Immaculate, had a special love for the Marseilles shrine of Notre Dame de la Garde – Our Lady the Guardian of the city and of those who travel by sea from the port.

Mass at Notre Dame de la Garde according to my custom, which is to go up to the sanctuary on Thursday during the octave of the feast….

In a special way Eugene was accompanied by three young Oblate scholastics who were to leave for Canada, and who would be ordained to the priesthood in that country where they would be missionaries.

I made our young Oblates accompany me there, Brothers Brunet, Garin and Laverlochère, who came to place themselves and their missions under the protection of our good Mother. Brother Nicolas was detained in bed by a passing illness. En route, the confirmation of a sick person. I come back to these excellent young people; a person cannot have more worthy sentiments about their vocation. They are going to leave for Canada.

Eugene de Mazenod’s Diary, 17 August 1843, EO XXI

Eugene was to build a magnificent basilica for Notre Dame de la Garde, to whose maternal care he entrusted all his Oblate missionaries who were to leave France.