On the anniversary of Father Marcou’s death, Eugene’s reminiscences led him to recall his dedication and zeal in spite of his illness
Fr. Marcou still had the strength to come back to Marseilles where I found him on my return from Rome. His condition was desperate; his chest was so affected that there was no hope of recovery. He was convinced, however, that he could still work for the salvation of souls and he was certainly not the one who was least pleased about the success of my journey to Rome where I had just obtained approval for the Congregation of the Missionary Oblates of Mary to be recognized in the Church on an equal footing with other Congregations. Fr. Marcou, although quite weak, wanted to be present at the general assembly which I had called to give an account of my mission and of all the good God had done for us. This good priest could scarcely contain his joy because he always expressed the feelings of his beautiful soul in a lively way. He even came down to the church to renew his vows with all the other members of the new Congregation which had been canonically established. His name is inscribed in the register where we all signed the minutes of this memorable meeting. That was the last important act of this life in which he sealed his consecration to God and the offering of his whole being which he had made throughout many years.
Diary of 20 August 1838, E.O. XIX
“It is not the end of the physical body that should worry us. Rather, our concern must be to live while we’re alive – to release our inner selves from the spiritual death that comes with living behind a facade designed to conform to external definitions of who and what we are.” Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
This morning I think of Jacques Marcou and how he was ‘being’. He did not stop being who he was because he was sick and dying. “That was the last important act of this life in which he sealed his consecration to God and the offering of his whole being which he had made throughout many years.” May we all have the opportunity to do just that, to not give up and to live our lives to the very moment of our deaths. His commitment was an ongoing, living thing, not happening just once but every day of his life. I love the image that arises out of “sealed his consecration to God and the offering of his whole being”. At some point in our journey we seem to start to quieten and the journey, the path we are on deepens and grows more intense even as life itself seems to speed up.
I am thinking of the chicken and the pig and giving a part of myself, who I am just as Jacques did by attending that ‘General Assembly’, inscribing his name in the register and most importantly renewing his vows. His “being” ordering the “doing”. How do I give of myself? Right now it is all tied up in the anticipation of being a part of the upcoming Days of Reflection and the Renewing our Mission process that will take place in the fall, tied up in my hopefully making a public and ritual commitment as an Associate of OMI Lacombe. The journey continuing and deepening, bringing with it incredible grace and joy right there along side of and integrated with the Cross and all the glory that brings.
…sealing my own consecration to God which began many years ago and offering my whole being… Dear Fr. Jacques, who I have never met until this past week, but who I have identified with somehow for a few short minutes this morning, pray for me.