The theme of Mary\u2019s being united with Jesus, and thus being a model for his own unity with Jesus, returns often throughout the years that Eugene was at the seminary. On Christmas morning he wrote to his mother:<\/p>\n
\nDearest Mother, do you really think that I was not beside you last night? How could I fail, meditating as I was on the holy Mother of God, who had just been filled with consolation on giving the world its Saviour, and at the same time had to experience so vividly the poverty, weakness and misery to which she saw her Divine Master reduced for love of men, how could these tender sentiments fail to draw me close to you? Indeed yes, darling mother, we spent the night together at the foot of the altar, which for me represented the crib in Bethlehem; together we offered our gifts to our\u00a0Savior\u00a0and asked him to come to birth in our hearts and strengthen us in all that is weak, etc. <\/strong><\/h5>\n
You know my heart all too well, since it was formed from your own, so you will have a very clear understanding that it is as active and goes through the same feelings as your own.<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Letter to his mother, 25 December 1809, EO XIV n 37<\/em><\/p>\n
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\u201cMary became the Christian people’s teacher of prayer, of encounter with God, a central and indispensable element, so that the work of the Pastors and the faithful would always have its beginning and its inner motivation in the Lord.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0 Pope John Paul II<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The theme of Mary\u2019s being united with Jesus, and thus being a model for his own unity with Jesus, returns often throughout the years that Eugene was at the seminary. On Christmas morning he wrote to his mother: Dearest Mother, … Continue reading