Eugene had lived a very difficult couple of years due to his illness, which necessitated a long recovery. As he was recovering, he was then battered by the political events and persecution caused by the July 1830 Revolution and the anti-religious stance of the new government. At the end of 1831 there was now the danger of a cholera epidemic about to reach the port of Marseilles. He was willing to endanger his life, if necessary, to work for the salvation of the victims \u2013 just as he had done in 1814. In order to have the courage to imitate the oblation of Jesus for the salvation of others, he went on a retreat to pray for the graces he needed to be an Oblate for the sake of those most in need.<\/p>\n
\n\u2026 today I started a retreat, impelled by the need for recollection and the desire to prepare myself for death in case the cholera requires me to devote myself to the salvation of those of my brothers who will be struck down by it. I take the liberty to recommend myself to your prayers to gain from God the graces I need\u2026<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Letter to Count de Montalembert, 24 October 1831, EO XIII n 78<\/em><\/p>\n
We have the notes of this retreat, and I will be using them for our daily reflections in these coming days.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Eugene had lived a very difficult couple of years due to his illness, which necessitated a long recovery. As he was recovering, he was then battered by the political events and persecution caused by the July 1830 Revolution and the … Continue reading