“The Lord will have pity on me Dominus sollicitus est mei: I turn to him with the utmost confidence, for he is my help, my strength and all my hope; adjutor … et protector meus es tu, Domine, ne moreris (Ps. 69:6).” (166:XV in Oblate Writings)

Psalm 69:6 referred to by Eugene reads:  “God you know my folly; my faults are not hidden from you.”

How integrated with Eugene’s entire being is scripture – not memorized so enabling him to rhyme it off at will, but rather as something that is fully integrated and a part of his being.  This is not one of my strengths and so I take joy in finding in others.

St. Eugene has become for me, not only someone who inspires me, but a teacher, a mentor and dear friend.  And when my heart hears his whispers I find myself wanting to repeat them and use them as my own, make them my own.  More than just tasting the words I need to savour then chew them up, swallow them, so that they become a part of me.  I lay no claim to his words, any more than I do to scriptures, but they do become a living part of me and that is a wondrous gift to receive.

My God has seen me wandering quite aimlessly in search of himself and so introduced me to Eugene that I might not get lost.  My eyes fill with tears of joy and gratitude.  As I sit and contemplate this, and ponder that my flowering is due only to the soil in which I have been planted,  I am overwhelmed at the greatness of God’s love, and the joy of being a member of the Oblate family, in being able to share in Eugene’s charism, his very spirit and to walk with his sons and daughters.  I have been given all that I could want and then some.