The mature Apostolic Man
As bishop in Marseilles, Eugene de Mazenod was
at his full spiritual maturity. An untiring and
zealous pastor, solidly anchored in the love of
Christ and of the Church. Forgetful of self, he
focused all his energies on the task of
evangelization entrusted to him, both in
Marseilles and beyond. During this time of
intense ministry he remained a man of prayer.
The Eucharist was his source of inspiration and
renewal. He insisted on celebrating Mass daily,
sometimes at great inconvenience, particularly
while traveling. The Eucharist, his privileged
place of identification with Christ was also the
space for gathering together friends and members
of his religious family. As he himself said, the
Eucharist was in fact "their living center of
communication". There he remembered his
missionary sons, particularly those far away,
and he asked them to do likewise. "While
identifying ourselves with Jesus Christ, we
shall be at one with him, and by him and in him
we shall be at one among ourselves".
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