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“A father’s communication with his many children… that is one of the most agreeable occupations of my life” 1857
“Each day I was more pleased to have made this sacrifice…” Eugene might have been accused of spreading his Oblates too thin – sending some to the Canada, others to England and now some to Notre Dame de Lumières to establish a permanent mission from which the priests would go out to give missions from there as well as to be there to minister to the pilgrims who came to the shrine. In a time of anti-church sentiments, it took astuteness and prudence on Eugene’s part to be able to open a permanent mission, and set it up in such a way as it still exists today. “I would be on my part willing to make some sacrifices.” Calling on his friendship with the Marquis de Cambis to speak with the mayor he would not need to go before the courts to prove his rights, thus avoiding embarrassing and making an even bigger enemy of the mayor.
Eugene reminds us that it is not just what we do, but how we do it as he maintained an awareness of the dignity of those he sent his men to serve as the one who was opposing him.
A hallmark of Eugene de Mazenod in how he treated all who he met, be they members of the government in any capacity or his own sons in his letters about some of their behaviours. I am reminded of Jesus on the cross: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
There was an inherent trust within Eugene’s heart that the Spirit would provide all that was needed and show him ways to carry that out. A trait that Eugene shared and passed on to each of the Oblates through the years. We saw it yesterday in the message from Fr. Pavlo Vyshovskyi, OMI from Kiev, Ukraine speaking to us live from his church in the middle of a war zone. He spoke from a centre of strength, courage, peace and love, sharing how in the midst of oppression and war they still served the Church and most importantly the people they were sent to care for. There was within him a sense of being pleased (if I can put it that way) to make the sacrifices…