Prayer used by St. Eugene de Mazenod before Meditation

O Mary Immaculate, faithful adorer of the Father, Mother most admirable of the Son, Spouse of the Holy Spirit, inspire within me the same sentiments that were yours while pondering the revealed mysteries which you treasured in your heart. Grant that I may ever live in union with your Son, my Savior, together with all who, by meditation, give honor to the most Holy Trinity. Amen.

Oblate Text

But if the praises deserved by the life of the flock are the glory of the pastor, praise is certainly due to our venerable brother Charles Joseph Eugene de Mazenod, now Bishop of Marseilles, who leaves nothing to be desired in the performance of the duties of pastoral care of the flock entrusted to his care, and who, as founder and superior of a Congregation of priests under the title of the Oblates of the Blessed Virgin Mary Conceived without Sin, must share the joy we feel seeing her children working hard in the vineyard of the Lord with a great benefit for souls. These are the reasons we had that for perpetual testimony of our good will we grant to the episcopal See of Marseilles the decoration and honor of the Pallium, (Pope Pius IX, Brief for the conferral of the pallium).

From the Gospel according to John:

“I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep.” (10: 14-15).

Reflection:

The fourth week of Easter calls us to reflect on Christ, the Good Shepherd. The resurrection message of the victory of life over death, is enhanced by the image of the shepherd who assures us continuously that he gives his life for his flock. From the very beginning of his public ministry, St. Eugene saw the number of ministers in the Church who instead of bringing people to full knowledge of the love of Christ, the Savior, were leading people away from it, into ignorance of the love of Christ. His life’s mission became precisely to be a cooperator of the eternal shepherd, who gave his life for the flock that they may understand the depth of Christ’s love. Initially he did this with the youth and with prisoners, and by preaching to the poor in their language, in a manner they could understand. The heart of St. Eugene was the heart of Christ, the shepherd. It was a heart moved to compassion for those who needed to hear the message of Christ’s love. It is no wonder that Pope Pius IX recognized St. Eugene’s ardent desire to imitate the good shepherd. As a young priest and missionary, he took great personal risks to ensure that all would know the salvation of Christ. As Founder and Father of the Missionary Oblates he ensured that the poor and most abandoned grew to know the love of the good shepherd. As bishop, his pastoral leadership often went beyond expectations. He could certainly say that he knew the flock entrusted to him and they knew him, and the care and love he felt for them. Our pilgrim journey calls us now to consider how we become imitators of Christ, the shepherd, in the “Mazenodian” manner. It was said by a bishop who met St. Eugene that he had a heart as big as the world. This is the heart of the good shepherd. Perhaps our prayer as we reflect on the good shepherd can be: “Lord, may we have a heart like St. Eugene’s who sought to conform his heart always to the heart of Christ the shepherd.” May we as pilgrims also attain a heart as big as the world that is capable of challenging us to lay down our lives for the poor and marginalized in our midst. 

Reflection Questions:

1.Consider the ways in which you live out the charism of St. Eugene as a pilgrim in your family or local community. What qualities of a shepherding presence can you identify?

2. In what ways can you enhance your being a shepherd to others on the missionary pilgrimage?

3. How has St. Eugene inspired you to develop the heart of a shepherd, a heart as big as the world?

Concluding Prayers