HOPE: THE GIFT OF THE CRUCIFIED SAVIOR ONE GOOD FRIDAY
A moment of encounter one Good Friday turned an unsettled 25 year-old into a man with a purpose: a man with new meaning and hope. Eugene became totally enthralled by his relationship with Jesus Christ and the change he had made in his life as his Savior! We, too, on various occasions of our lives have experienced God-moments – encounters that have given meaning to our lives and filled us with hope for the present and the future.
Sweet hope, you have always brought me happiness, and been precious to me for bringing me to see in God a delightful perfection which made me love him with a pleasing trust
Eugene’s retreat notes, May 1824, EO XV n. 156
A PILGRIM OF HOPE
Eugene became a pilgrim on the journey of discovery on how to live the new vision of hope given by his Savior. As a pilgrim he was led to discern a vocation to the priesthood, to learn as much as possible about God in the seminary and daily nurture his constant search for a deeper relationship with God.
As a newly-ordained priest dedicated himself as a bringer of hope to those whose lives had no focus. His preaching to the poor was an invitation to join the pilgrimage of hope that Jesus the Savior offered. To the youth he offered the same invitation as he did with the prisoners and whoever he came into contact with.
GOD’S IMPULSE TO CONGREGATE A COMMUNITY OF PILGRIMS OF HOPE
On January 25 we commemorate how Eugene was impelled by God to invite others to join him in his life and ministry. We celebrate the day in which the Missionaries of Provence became a community of pilgrims dedicated to bringing the hope of the Savior to the people who needed it most. On 25 January 1816, this group of inspired men came together to officially begin their community life and ministry and drew up a brief Rule of Life.
OUR CHARISMATIC GOD-GIVEN MISSION: PILGRIMS OF HOPE IN COMMUNITY
Today, 219 years later, that same flame that was burning in Aix, is burning in the generous hearts of the Oblate Charismatic Family extended over more than 60 countries – all of us form the Oblate community of pilgrims of hope. A happy feast day to all.
Happy Feast Day to all of you as our hearts meet together in this space today!
How sweet it is to share our hearts as we celebrate our beginnings as members of this Charismatic Oblate Family, each of us with our own experiences of “God moments” in our lives and the many steps that preceded each experience as well as those that we stand and be in the presence of God!
It has taken many steps for us to realise where we were and are headed; some of the steps being more like great leaps of faith… It is in the walking that we allow ourselves to experience the ineffable joyous love of God which is lavished upon us; even in those times of entering and walking through the darkest and most arid of deserts (that this moment remind me of the steps that Jesus took to reach the top of the hill to Calvary). Without quite realising that we were and are being invited to unknowingly walk together as we continue to enlarge the space of our tents, of our hearts.
In these days of violence and disregard of truth and love, we find ways to come together and to thank God, the Beloved. It is through no greatness of ourselves that we come together, but rather we take one step at a time on the journey of our lifetime. We must not forget the many times we have been reawakened to our need for others which is as great as their need for us. . We who have been created to congregate as community so in order to be with and for each other; never forgetting that it is God who calls us to be, and it is the Beloved who leads us to community. We don’t need to follow our own small and dim star, we need only to look to God’s Spirit who guides us and Mary who walks with us…