Eugene was living at the Calvaire Oblate community in Marseille, and was its superior during the months that Fr. Marius Suzanne was away. Despite his diocesan responsibilities, he continued to be involved in the pastoral activities of the Oblate community in this center of mission. Writing to Hippolyte Courtès in Aix, he explained:
My confiding this to you is by way of explaining why our correspondence has somewhat diminished. Time is materially lacking to me. The overseeing of the house, independently of confessing people in it, keeps me busy also and episcopal affairs finish me off, now you will understand.
Always a missionary with every cell of his body, Eugene saw every opportunity of ministry as an invitation to Oblate mission. Good news for Oblates and associates who are prevented from direct mission activity because of health and other circumstances. A person with a missionary heart finds means of being a missionary in every event, even from an administrative desk-job, a sick bed or a wheelchair.
I have made it a rule, my dear friend, to refuse no one who wishes to go to confession; the result is an extraordinary increase of work for me but I do not run away because of that for I am persuaded that I exercise by this means my ministry as a missionary without going on missions. I thus draw benefit from my situation. Thus I make use of my position, and the results being the same, even though the means are somewhat different I console myself for being unable to do all that our Fathers are doing.
Letter to Hippolyte Courtès, 8 March 1827, EO VII n 265
“In the past, missionaries have traveled to far countries with the message of the gospel – with great hardship and often with the loss of life. In contrast, we can reach millions instantly from the comfort of our homes by merely hitting the ‘send’ button on our computers, or with iPads, or phones.” Ray Comfort
This place here is a small daily mission that we are invited to come and take part in every morning, a place of nourishment, learning, reflection and focus to help and guide us through the day. It is a starting place from which we move out into our day to share ourselves and support others.
We are able to make use of social media to bring people together, to help us focus and be focused and to share the good news. We live it out in very ordinary ways with our very lives and in many different ministries whether from our work places, homes, parishes. I think of R37a of the Constitution and rules that speaks of “according to milieu and cultures” and would add ‘the times’. We each bring a gift of ourselves to the community and the mission in living as we have been called to support.
Today I will go out and my actions will be of support to others who will be preaching – outside of a church but bringing the message and ways of sharing the good news with others, sharing some of the ways we are called to live out the Good News. My support will be a very small part of, not noticeable but necessary to the smooth running of the overall event and at the same time learning more of how I can share and live out what has been given to me. A way to take part in the mission. God sends me, God sends us.
This is a post that ought to be top of mind for all members of the Mazenodian Family. In all our interactions with folks we have the opportunity to project the Charism of St. Eugene. The result is a great responsibility for a prayerful response to each situation, even those that occur when we are run down and exhausted as Eugene is here. Recharging our batteries, “sharpening the saw”, is not a luxury but rather a fundamental priority if we are to be effective in carrying out our personal mission.