Tag Archives: friendship

PRESENCE – THE CEMENT OF RELATIONSHIPS

As friendship was important to Eugene, so much more important was its expression in the presence of God. Having asked his friend Emmanuel to pray for him and support him in his discernment, he then proposes a practical way of … Continue reading

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THE NEED FOR COMPANIONSHIP ON THE CHRISTIAN JOURNEY

Just because a person has had a strong religious experience, and is in a process of discernment as to how to live it out, it does not automatically mean that life gets any easier. As much as one needs spiritual … Continue reading

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HENRI TEMPIER: MY FAITHFUL AND DEAR COMPANION

Concluding a letter to Henri Tempier, Eugene expresses who Tempier was for him: Adieu, my faithful and dear companion, son, brother and cherished father …. Letter to Henri Tempier, 21 October 1828, EO VII n 313  Tempier, throughout 45 years, … Continue reading

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THOSE WHO EXTEND A WARM AND TENDER HAND

We catch a passing glimpse into the affectivity of the busy Eugene in the midst of his many preoccupations: his need to express his attachment and joy at being able to share more deeply with some of his Oblate sons. … Continue reading

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MISUNDERSTANDINGS AND MISTAKES

Eugene’s affectivity led him to be impulsive at times. When he realized that his words or gestures had hurt someone, he would be upset himself and he would immediately make amends. Yvon Beaudoin explains one of these incidents: “It is … Continue reading

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THE ONE WHOM YOU LOVE IS SICK

The highly affective Eugene’s pain and concern over the illness of Marius Suzanne is obvious in this passage. The deep friendship between Lazarus and Jesus was an inspiration to Eugene and a model for his own loving relationship with Jesus. … Continue reading

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PRAYER AS AN ACT OF LOVE FOR OTHERS

Until the time that the Oblates began to receive new members in the foreign missions in the late 1840’s, Eugene had a personal relationship with each of his missionary sons. In his correspondence we constantly see how he loved and … Continue reading

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ALL HUMAN EXPERIENCES MAKE UP GOD’S HUMBLE PATH TO US

We continue exploring the question of what gave Eugene the inner strength to keep him going. He begins his letter to Tempier by clarifying a statement he had made in a previous letter that could have been interpreted wrongly: I … Continue reading

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THE CONFIDANT OF MY MOST SECRET THOUGHTS

Throughout these hectic days when Eugene was spending all his time shepherding the progress of the application for approbation of the Oblates, what gave him the inner strength to keep him going? It was his constant striving to live united … Continue reading

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GOD DID NOT PREVENT JESUS CHRIST FROM LOVING PEOPLE, AND AMONGST THEM, SOME MORE THAN OTHERS

In his writings, Eugene’s affective nature often expresses itself. It was essential for him to have warm friendships. He always saw this as a God-given gift, and found as his model Jesus himself, who had close friendships in the Gospel. … Continue reading

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