Writing to a member of the Youth Congregation, Eugene shared with him something of the family joy experienced at Hippolyte Courtès’ first Mass.
I have just come down from the altar where I assisted our good Courtès who offered the Holy Sacrifice for the first time. O friend, if only you had been there! You would have shared in the happiness, the delightful joy, a kind of ecstasy on the part of all those whom devotion had attracted to our shrine.
Rambert wrote in this regard: “It was a great event in the humble Society of the Missionaries of Provence, the ordination and first Mass of a new priest. The family was so few in numbers, vocations so rare, formation of men so slow and difficult! Furthermore, we were so united in this little family; so well we are only one body and one spirit, that one’s joy was everyone’s joy, and the grace received by the new priest was a grace received by all his brothers…”
I will certainly not undertake to repeat what has taken place among us, such things cannot be described. All I want to say is that I regret that you were not there, because I am sure that at least in this moment when heaven opened to us to lavish on our souls a superabundance of unutterable external consolations, your soul would have been lifted up to God, absorbed in him as ours were, and you would have loved, yes, dear Adrien, you would have loved the infinitely lovable.
Letter to Adrien Chappuis, 31 July 1820, O.W. XIII n. 31
“A tongue filled with laughter and praise is a reflection of a heart filled to overflowing with the joy of the Lord. What a joy it is just to be with someone whose heart is full.” Mike Hoskins
I have read this a couple of times now and find myself filled with a small drawn-out ‘oh’ and a smile comes to my entire being (perhaps my face simply reflects the interior) and I find myself, my being responding with simple joy to the truth in Eugene’s and Rambert’s shared memories. Am thinking that it is perhaps because we/I all have hidden within us moments such as this and so we respond with a collective joy and thanksgiving.
“…at least in this moment when heaven opened to us to lavish on our souls a superabundance of unutterable external consolations, your soul would have been lifted up to God, absorbed in him as ours were, and you would have loved, yes, dear Adrien, you would have loved the infinitely lovable.” Eugene did not need to describe the event (what prayers took place, how many flowers were at the altar, etc.) his words cover everything that needs to be said. Even simply to reflect on “you would have loved the infinitely lovable” is to enter into a space that is love. I am reminded of how we are all connected and in communion with God and each other. I remember growing up and hearing of how “the heavens rejoiced”. We somehow get to share in all of love and joy even as they did 200 years ago, as Eugene so well described.
As you quoted from Mike Hoskins: “…a heart filled to overflowing with the joy of the Lord. What a joy it is just to be with someone whose heart is full.” Such truth in this. As I reflect on this a a number of images passing before me – so many whose hearts are full. And I find myself being able to express only great gratitude for this early morning gift.