Tag Archives: prayer

COMMUNITY PRAYER: THE SOURCE OF ALL MISSIONARY SUCCESS

It seems surprising that as the sixth ministry Eugene puts the community prayer of the Breviary: All the priests, oblates, and novices are bound to recite the Divine Office in common, according to the rite of the Holy Roman Church, … Continue reading

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COMMUNION IN DEATH

After the week of reflections on the Spanish martyrs, I pick up the thread that we have been following for many weeks on the Youth Congregation started by Eugene in Aix in 1813. We have seen the concern that the … Continue reading

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GOD AND GAMES

When the young people played according to the spirit of the Gospel, it was an effective means of achieving salvation. He was teaching them to find God present in every aspect of their lives. Art. 2 This is why these … Continue reading

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PLAYING IS PRAYING

If we are tempted to think that the Youth Congregation consisted of dull “holier-than-thou” young people, the section on games in the Rule dispels all that. Eugene taught the youth that to play properly was to pray properly and that … Continue reading

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THE LANGUAGE OF KINDNESS

Art. 37. All this material care lavished on the sick congregants indicates with what zeal the Congregation will pay close attention to provide them with an infinitely higher form of care. Statuts XIV, §2 Envers les congréganistes malades The Youth … Continue reading

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PRAYER CHANGES PEOPLE AND THEY CHANGE SITUATIONS

As we read the list of religious practices that the congregants had to commit themselves to, we may need to be reminded that they were not monks, but young scholars or students – mostly adolescents. The fact that nearly 300 … Continue reading

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AMONG THE POTS AND PANS

One of the greatest Christian mystics and contemplatives, Saint Teresa of Avila, lived in the awareness of God in her everyday activities and was able to proclaim: “The Lord walks among the pots and pans.” It is this same attitude … Continue reading

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FILLED WITH THE FULLNESS OF GOD

Eugene was not trying to make his young people into some form of disembodied monks. Rather, he was sharing with them what was a treasure for him: a positive God-related attitude that would lead them to a full life within … Continue reading

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BLOOMING LIKE FLOWERS

A click onto a webpage of world news, before or after you read this reflection, will fill your screen with images and descriptions of violence, deceitful politicians and countless situations where Gospel values seem to be totally absent. Human nature … Continue reading

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STAYING IN FOCUS

In whatever situation the young people found themselves, they were trained to focus on the presence of God as their reference point. This exercise of the presence of God and these short prayers must be done without any mental effort … Continue reading

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