Eugene\u2019s joyful pride in the generosity of the young students and novices is tempered by the<\/p>\n
\ndreadful apostasy of the wretch who could not be brought back to his duty by the example of conduct as edifying as yours<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Yvon Beaudoin explains: \u201cHe apparently refers to F. M. Dalmas who made his profession on November 1, 1819\u2026 The Founder wrote, under this name, in the Register of entries to the Novitiate: \u201cThe first to give us the example of the most shameful apostasy<\/strong><\/em>.\u201d Father de Mazenod habitually designated as an apostate any Oblate who left, without sufficient motives, after having pronounced his vows.\u201d (Footnote 2 in O.W. VI n. 56)<\/p>\n
Eugene, always dazzled by the beauty of the vocation of the oblate and of the total generosity of his act of oblation to God, could not understand how anyone could possibly turn away from it. He thundered against it and feared for the eternal salvation of the person involved who had gone against his solemn promise to God by turning back (“No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”<\/em> Luke 9:62). In encouraging his family, we see the pride of the father of the family and also his deep pain when one of his sons becomes a \u201cprodigal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nI say nothing of the son of perdition. The Spirit of God has spoken to you better than I could do so and you have understood his language too well for me to add anything of mine. Happy community! Holy family! Keep as precious the gifts that the Lord has shared with you so abundantly, walk in the path into which you have been thrust, so to speak, at the sight of the precipice which has claimed the infidel.<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Letter to the students and novices at Notre Dame du Laus, 29 November 1820,<\/em>
\nO.W. VI n. 56<\/p>\n“Sometimes we don’t need another chance to express how we feel or to ask someone to understand our situation. Sometimes we just need a firm kick in the pants. An unsmiling expectation that if we mean all these wonderful things we talk about and sing about, then let\u2019s see something to prove it.”<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dietrich Bonhoeffer<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Eugene\u2019s joyful pride in the generosity of the young students and novices is tempered by the dreadful apostasy of the wretch who could not be brought back to his duty by the example of conduct as edifying as yours Yvon … Continue reading