The year 1826 ended with Eugene and the Oblates participating in the special jubilee year renewal missions throughout the city of Marseille. We find him in full swing doing what he enjoyed most: preaching a mission and bringing people to conversion and renewal. The biographer, Rey, describes:
“Once the missionaries had returned to Marseille from Digne, the preaching of the Jubilee mission throughout the diocese began. A general procession inaugurated it on December 3, first Sunday of Advent, in which the Oblates of Mary, in accordance with instructions of their rule, did not participate. The same evening the Founder celebrated the opening exercises in the Calvary Chapel, which was too small to accommodate the crowd that had assembled to participate.
Despite his overwhelming preoccupations in the the administration of the diocese and the Congregation, he preached twice a day. In the mornings he explained the “Our Father” in the Provençal language. In the evenings he preached in French on the principal articles of Christian doctrine on dogma and the sacraments. He did this with touching simplicity and constantly maintained the interest of the congregation. They admired his capacity to simplify the loftiest doctrine to the needs of his listeners, so that it would be milk for children and the weak while at the same time being bread for the strong.
The success was extraordinary; in the morning the crowd inundated the church to hear the Word of God and then kneel in the confessional where the missionaries spent most of the day. Father de Mazenod never refused the good will of those who wanted to be reconciled to God.”
REY, Volume 1
“When you discover your mission, you will feel its demand. It will fill you with enthusiasm and a burning desire to get to work on it.” W. Clement Stone
This morning has given thought to the man, Eugene, who in giving his all to God opened himself up to doing much more than he had bargained for. There he was, Vicar General of a huge diocese, founder and Superior General of a growing congregation, and preacher – being able to once again spend time doing what he loved most. The fact that he could move and do this with total ease with the wealthy and well educated as well as with the poor and those who had so little, in both languages with ease and authority – what a gift.
I am reminded a little bit of what I am being asked to do within my community – nothing so great as being a Vicar General for a bishop and certainly not founding anything. My gifts seem to run more along the lines of being able to organize and coordinate, pulling things together for others – the unseen and the administration. I will most likely be one of those who sets up for and supports those who are recognized and celebrated for doing great things – those who will change the world. But there are the quiet hidden times when I am able to share my passion and love of God and life with a few others. Indeed this would not have been the life I would have chosen and yet it is most perfect and what brings me the truest and deepest of joy.
Eugene gave his all, as I suspect do many of us as we are able. He did not measure – I need to remember that.