{"id":4368,"date":"2020-05-22T05:00:18","date_gmt":"2020-05-22T03:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.eugenedemazenod.net\/?p=4368"},"modified":"2020-05-22T00:32:37","modified_gmt":"2020-05-21T22:32:37","slug":"take-him-into-your-heart-and-be-not-troubled-about-anything","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eugenedemazenod.net\/?p=4368","title":{"rendered":"TAKE HIM INTO YOUR HEART AND BE NOT TROUBLED ABOUT ANYTHING"},"content":{"rendered":"

So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you<\/strong>. (John 16:22)<\/p>\n

A commentator on today\u2019s Gospel (John 16:20-23) <\/strong>reflects on several possible meanings of this anguish, and writes: \u201cis Jesus speaking of his seeming absence in the prayer of his faithful ones, the \u2018dark night of the soul\u2019 when all satisfaction is denied, and God seems simply absent and hidden? Or are they all metaphors and for the difficulties of life?\u201d(Universalis)<\/em><\/p>\n

In the Mazenodian world, the nine days between the feasts of St Eugene and Blessed Joseph Gerard (21-29 May) are dedicated to praying for vocations to the family of St Eugene: Missionary Oblates, Associates, Cooperators, Partners, youth etc. It is an opportunity to recall all those in the Mazenodian Family who have accompanied us in our moments of darkness, who have helped us to find light and meaning and hope and strength.<\/p>\n

St Eugene regarded himself as the father of a missionary family, and he cared for and accompanied people to discover light in the darkness of their lives. Writing to an Oblate suffering from severe depression in 1823:<\/p>\n

Courage, my dear friend. Very great saints have been tried like you, but they became saints in spite of these circumstances because they did not cease to obey; courage, once more, my dear friend, we are all down on the floor praying for you so that you will bear this hard trial like a valiant soldier of Jesus Christ. This so amiable Master, our model, did not yield to despair in the garden of Olives; into what an agony he was plunged nevertheless! Hold on to him and fear nothing, drink the cup of his bitterness since he allows to let you share in his passion, but do not doubt that he will soon fill you with his sweetest joys. Until then you must keep your peace and obey\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

At the moment of communion, tell him lovingly about all your sorrows: \u201cO Lord I am oppressed be my security!\u201d [Is. 38, 14]. Embrace his feet in spirit, protest that you will never separate yourself from him, that you wish to love him for ever, then take him into your heart and be not troubled about anything.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/a>Today, whatever anguish we experience, let us hear Jesus and St Eugene say:\u00a0 your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. (John 16:22) A commentator on today\u2019s Gospel (John 16:20-23) reflects on several … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4368","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-writings"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eugenedemazenod.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4368","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eugenedemazenod.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eugenedemazenod.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eugenedemazenod.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eugenedemazenod.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4368"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.eugenedemazenod.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4368\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eugenedemazenod.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4368"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eugenedemazenod.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4368"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eugenedemazenod.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}