Tag Archives: preaching

THE ANNOYANCE OF GOOD EXAMPLE

Continuing to reflect on the news he is receiving in Rome about the preaching in Aix, Eugene responds to the indifference and criticism of some of the participants in the missions. I have not understood what Fr. Courtès wished to say … Continue reading

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TIME FOR A NEW BEGINNING

The Jubilee is soon going to open in France. Your Eminence knows that in that country Jubilees are celebrated by means of missions, which means that they preach twice daily for a full month wherever the Jubilee is being made. … Continue reading

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PREACH WITH SIMPLICITY IN ORDER TO CONVERT, NOT TO PLEASE

Eugene encourages his missionaries in their style of modest preaching by noting how loved they are by the simple people who appreciate the Oblates’ closeness to them. I have noted with exquisite consolation that all good people and especially those … Continue reading

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COMMUNITIES COOPERATE WITH ONE ANOTHER TO ENSURE THE SUCCESS OF THE MISSION OF THE WHOLE CONGREGATION

The new community in Nimes had committed itself to conducting a retreat for prisoners. As it was a delicate undertaking, Eugene expresses doubts about the ability of the actual community to conduct it well because they did not have sufficient … Continue reading

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GUIDING THE OBLATES THROUGH THE LOCAL SUPERIORS

As the centers of mission increased and developed, Eugene took particular care to communicate regularly with the superiors so as to ensure that everything was done in uniformity with the spirit of the Congregation, and for the good of its … Continue reading

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THE MISSIONARY DREAM BEGINS WITH A TEACHER

Jacques Marcou was 23 years old and had been ordained less than a year. In those days the studies for the priesthood were very rudimentary and took two years (as opposed to a minimum of 7 today). For this reason … Continue reading

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IT IS A GREAT INCONVENIENCE NOT TO BE UNDERSTOOD BY HALF OR THREE QUARTERS OF YOUR LISTENERS

The aims and methods of Oblate preaching were always clear: break the Word of God for the most abandoned by speaking simply in their language. In Eugene’s time it was the Provençal language – and only rarely did he permit … Continue reading

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YOU ARE MISSING YOUR AIM AND RENDERING YOURSELF USELESS

The mission in the village of Ventabren gives us an indication of how Eugene guided the young Oblates in the ways of doing an Oblate mission. It was preached by Fathers Jean Baptiste Honorat (aged 24 and a priest for … Continue reading

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IN PREACHING, COUNT A LITTLE MORE ON THE HELP OF GRACE RATHER THAN ON YOUR EXCESSIVE EFFORTS

Marius Suzanne was 24 years old and learning the work of preaching missions. In this letter Eugene guides him by giving him feedback from some of his listeners during the mission in Gap The Bishop of Gap has written to … Continue reading

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ENDING ON A NOTE OF CHRIST-LIKE PEACE

Leflon concludes the narrative of the 1820 mission in Aix. Two things strike me in particular in this account. Firstly, Eugene was unable to preach from a written text, and here we see an example of how well he functioned … Continue reading

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