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

Discouragement is a weakness. If you analyze it well, you will find it is caused by self-love. The Lord, in giving you the lofty mission of sowing, planting and watering, has reserved to himself the granting of the growth and maturity when it pleases and as it pleases him. Do then, what you have been commissioned to do and leave to God that which belongs to him alone, (St. Eugene de Mazenod, Letter to Father Mille, December 13, 1840).

From the Gospel according to Mark:

“To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade,” (4: 30-32).

Reflection:

There exists a popular prayer wrongly attributed to St. Oscar Romero called “Prophets of a future not our own.” In this prayer, the author challenges the idea that as ministers we can too often rely on our own efforts of evangelization out of the desire to see the results of our efforts. However, the comparison Jesus gives us in the parable of the mustard seed reminds us that we are simply the seeds of possibility. As pilgrims with St. Eugene, we are called to be cooperators with Christ, the Savior. We simply plant the seed.I marvel at people who have the ability to grow beautiful plants. It requires patience, determination, care, and above all, trust. These are the characteristics we must also possess as missionary pilgrims. It sometimes means also getting out of God’s way and doing what we are commissioned to do: plant the seed, and let God be God. What St. Eugene understood is that ego can often be detrimental in our mission. Self-love makes us weak because we no longer allow the mustard seed to grow into possibility. What that small mustard seed will become, we might never see. Christ, nevertheless, gives us the promise that it will become the largest of plants. This is our hope as pilgrims: that the seeds we plant with fervor will create a place in the Kingdom for all those seeking the love of Christ. There is a branch for all people. First, though, we must allow the seed to grow. Let us, the, along this pilgrim journey with St. Eugene, refocus on the mission of Christ, and not one that seeks to see the results of our own efforts. As we hear at the end of that beautiful prayer: “We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.”

Reflection Questions:

1. What elements of St. Eugene’s spirituality help you to rely on your Spirit-given gifts for evangelization rather than on your own success?

2. What challenges do you encounter as a missionary pilgrim that prevent you from falling into the trap of seeing personal triumphs?

3. What helps you to be more intentional in letting the mustard seed grow as it should in your spirituality and mission?

Concluding Prayers