YOU MUST PREACH BY YOUR EXAMPLE
Thirty-five year old Fr. Jean Baudrand had been appointed superior of the community in Longueuil, Canada, and did not feel capable. In the past he had shown an independent spirit but had come to his senses.
Yes, my dear son, it is I who suggested the idea of naming you superior at Longueuil. I do not doubt that the same idea occurred to the Provincial but you will perhaps be glad to know that I judged you likely to give a good account of yourself in this post.
Will you accuse me of a crime to have thought that you have good enough judgement, solid enough piety and love of order and regularity sufficient enough to feel assured that, even though on another occasion you might possibly have had something to be reproached with in the matter of exactitude and fidelity to the Rule. Now you have become a superior and feel the whole weight of responsibility before God, before the Church and before the Congregation, you must preach by your example and stand firm in maintaining regular observance.
Letter to Father Jean Baudrand in Longueuil, Canada, 30 September 1849, EO I n 124
REFLECTION
When we are tempted to think that we are not good enough to fulfil a ministry, let us never forget the promise of Jesus: “I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20).
Each day we are bombarded with so many words and noise that we become immune. It is the coherent witness of good people that speaks to us and encourages us.
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Each day as we sit with St. Eugene is an invitation to taste and chew his words, allowing them to become a part of us; daring to go deeper within ourselves so as to learn who we are in the eyes of the Beloved.
I listen to Eugene’s words as he speaks to Father Baudrand in Quebec, sharing with him yes it was Eugene himself who discerned that he might become a superior. That discernment coming from Eugene and others in his community. Eugene reminds both Fr. Baudrand and each of us who share in his charism that we must dare to “preach by our example and stand firm in maintaining faithful observance of the [Oblate] Rule.”
It is not our own small charism that will mark us as followers of Eugene, but rather how we dare to merge our charism with the charism of St. Eugene and all the other members of this Family.
We sons and daughters of St. Eugene are reminded of how wonderful it is to look at our Founder whose spirit and charism remains alive within us today. This morning’s’ grace is to witness how Eugene dared to give his all to God, to the Church, to his young congregation of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, as well as being Bishop of Marseilles. His charism is shared with us, allowing us to become nourished so that our example might nourish others…