Letters 27–40

Letter 27

To Very Reverend Father Francis Bourgoing, Superior General of the

O ratory . ( 1 )St. John Eudes sends him a memorandum in justification of

his withdrawal from the Oratory(2)

Paris, September 10, 1648

Jesus, Mary, Joseph

Most Reverend and Honored Father:

I kneel at your feet in spirit and in heart to receive, may it please you, your holy blessing, and to implore you very humbly, in the name of Our Lord Jesus and His most holy Mother, to be so good as to read and consider, with your usual kindness and charity, the things I have set forth i n writing on the sheet I am attaching to this letter. I have composed this paper to clarify many things of which I believe you are not informed. Perhaps when you understand them, God will give you different sentiments. And I assure you, most Reverend (1). Father Francis Bourgoing (1611-1662) was elected superior general of the Oratory of Jesus on May 7, 1641. In this letter and in the memorandum that accompanied it St. John Eudes justified himself for withdrawing from the Oratory. He undoubtedly expected that the Superior General would take steps to stop the unjust hostility of some Oratorians who sought to bring about the dissolution of the Congregation of Jesus and Mary founded in 1643. (2). The memorandum which St. John Eudes sent to Father Bourgoing has not come down to us. We are therefore unable to say with certainty why he withdrew from the Oratory Of Jesus. Some writers have stated that the Saint left the Congregation because it had come under the evil influence of Jansenism, which destroyed to a great extent the work of de Bérulle and de Condren. It is true that St. John Eudes was always a vigorous opponent of Jansenism. Nevertheless the opinion that he left the Oratory to escape dangerous associations is groundless. Cf. Boulay, op. cit., Vol. 1, P. 487. Most biographers attribute the Saint's determination to leave the Oratory to his desire to realize the paramount objective of the Congregation at its foundation, namely the sanctification of the clergy through proper training in seminaries. This purpose had been almost entirely neglected by the Oratorians after the death of de Bérulle. Cf. Boulay, ibid., Vol. 1, P. 530. A recent biographer, Father Emile Georges, C.J.M., in his biography written for the canonization of the Saint, rejects both opinions and holds that St. John Eudes left the Oratory to obey the will of God manifested to him by a number of providential events. Cf. Saint Jean Eudes, p. 62, p. 67 ft

Father, that I am stating them to you with the same sincerity and truth with which I should want to speak to my confessor if I were about to die and appear before the tribunal of the great God. if you deem it opportune to turn this paper over to your Council, and especially to Reverend Father Gibieuf,(3) I shall be very grateful to you, for I am most anxious for him to see it. And if, after that, you honor me with a reply, kindly address it to me at Caen, where I intend to return and where, as everywhere else, I wish to demonstrate, whenever the providence of God permits, that I am and shall remain all my life, with all possible affection and respect, very reverend and honored Father, Your most obedient, grateful and devoted servant, JOHN EUDES, priest. (3). See Letter 12, note 2.

Letter 28

To the Prioress(2) of the Carmelites at Beaune

Caen, December 20, 1648

Jesus, Mary, Joseph

Very Reverend and dear Mother:

May Jesus, the most Holy Heart of Mary, be the heart of your heart for ever.

I cannot tell you what joy my confrères and I have derived from our possession of the precious medals you were kind enough to send us by our dear Brother de Renty,(2) and for which we very humbly thank you. But I implore you now to look with favor, my dearest Mother, upon this repetition of the supplication I made to you through him, that of giving us some special alliance and union with your holy Community(4). (1). The original of this letter is reproduced on opposite page. The English editors arc grateful to the Carmélites; of Beaune for the photographic copy. (2). Mother Elizabeth of the Trinity. See Letter 24. (3). See Letter 24, note 4 (4). Sec Letter 24, note 6.

in honor of the most intimate union of Our Infant Lord Jesus with His most Holy Mother. All our confreres ardently desire it, too, and add their supplications to mine. Please do not, therefore, refuse us this favor. As for ourselves, we gladly affirm in the sacred love of the most Holy Infant Jesus for His Amiable Mother: Omnia nostra vestra sunt. Now we shall wait and hope for the same from you. I n conclusion, if anything singular has happened since the decease of our dearest Sister,(5) you will oblige us exceedingly by letting us know about it.

I am with all my heart, very reverend and dear Mother, Devotedly yours, JOHN EUDES, missionary priest. (5). Sister Margaret of the Blessed Sacrament See Letter 24.

Letter 29

To Father John Baptist Saint Jure,(1) a Jesuit. Concerning Baron de

Renty(2)

[1649]

We have seen him carried away by his zeal and fervor in the church at Citry, sweeping i t , removing the sweepings with his hands and ringing the bells to summon the people to the exercises. We have noticed him with tears in his eyes on such occasions, and when I asked him the reason, he confessed that they were caused by the excessive joy he felt upon witnessing the emotion of so many persons who were showing definite signs of conversion, restoring the goods of others, be. coming reconciled with their enemies, getting rid of bad books, forsaking the occasions of sin and beginning a new life. (1). Father Saint Jure (1588- 1663) entered the Society of Jesus at the age of 16. He Was an excellent spiritual advisor and the author of a number of devotional works, The Religious Man, Treatise on the Love and Knowledge of Jesus Christ, and The Life of Mr. de Renty. This letter is taken from The Life of Mr. de Renty. (2). See Letter 24, note 4.

Letter 30

To Father Simon Mannoury. On the dependence of the Congregation with

regard to bishops

[1649]

Our benefactors(1)are moving heaven and earth. They have told astounding things about us to his Lordship of Bayeux;(2) among others, that we wish to establish ourselves by prerogative from Rome, without bishops. He is angry about this and determined not to tolerate it. I have written him to refute this calumny. (1). The Oratorians who accused St. John Eudes of seeking independence from the Ordinaries. The Saint always called his adversaries his "benefactors." (2). His Lordship Edward Molé was consecrated Bishop of Bayeux on February 14, 1649. Because of the false reports concerning the Saint, Bishop Molé was hostile to the Congregation of Jesus and Mary. Cf. Georges, op. cit., PP. 97-98.

Letter 31

To Father Richard Le Mesle.(1).The Saint thanks him for consolation

received from him

[1649]

I thank you with all my heart for your charitable letters. Reading them brought tears to m y eyes, for they reveal the very sincere and cordial charity that Our Lord has given you toward me, and the very deep concern you have about my troubles. Let me assure you, too, my dearest brother, that there is no one in this world who loves you as much as I do. You are the only one of all our good confrères to console me in this trial, which is the hardest I have ever borne in my whole life.' (1). See Letter 14, note 1. (2). Reference is made here to the numerous grievances which Saint John Eudes had to endure from the hostility of Bishop Molé of Bayeux, who was seeking to suppress the Congregation Of Jesus and Mary.

Letter 32

To One of His Sons Conducting a Mission in G atteville .( 1 )On

submission to the Will of God

[Paris, June 1650]

I had hoped to join you soon in the Gatteville mission, but Our Lord does not find me worthy of it and is keeping me here in my Paris purgatory for my sins longer than I had anticipated. Not that I wish it to be otherwise, for, thanks to His mercy, He gives me the grace to desire nothing in this world save to do His most holy will. And to tell you the truth, everywhere that I find His will, there I am in my element and paradise. Therefore Paris, which used to be my purgatory, is now my paradise, because I see clearly that the divine will has brought me here and is detaining me yet for a few days ... It makes no difference to me where I am nor what I do, provided I am serving my God and accomplishing His holy will. That is all we have to do in this world, and therein should we find all our happiness.

(1). A small town in the vicinity of Cherbourg.

Letter 33

To the Priests of the Congregation during a Mission in Gatteville. On

the care that must be devoted to spiritual exercises

[Paris, June 1 6 5 0 ]

I implore you never to conduct in haste any of the exercises which directly concern God, such as the Sacrifice of the Mass, the Divine Office, morning and evening prayers, and those of the Benedicite and the thanksgiving, under any pretext whatsoever, but to conduct them slowly, distinctly and with devotion.

In addition, "Let us not love in word, nor in tongue," like the children of this generation, "but in deed, and in truth," (1) like true children (1). 1 John 3, 18.

of God. In short, let these words of the Holy Spirit be impressed on our hearts and stamped on our words and actions: "Humble thyself in all things, and thou shalt find grace before God: for great is the power of God alone: and he is honoured by the humble.(2)

Our affairs are going well, thank God. Get ready now for three important missions at Bernay(3) Pontoise(4) and Saint Sulpice.(5) I implore Our Lord and His most holy Mother to prepare us for the accomplishment of their most holy wills. Once again, in the sacred love of their most loving Heart, do I embrace all of you, including our dear brethren Fathers Ameline,(6) Delaunay,(7) Paillot(8) and the others with you. I remain, my dearest brethren, Devotedly your servant, JOHN EUDES, missionary priest. (2). Ecclus. 3, 20-21. (3). A small town in the Eure Department, Normandy. (4). A town in the archdiocese of Rouen. (5). A parish in the city of Paris where Father John James Olier opened the Seminary of Saint Sulpice. The mission preached by St. John Eudes began on February 2nd and continued until the end of Lent. (6). Father Ameline was a priest of Caen who later wrote a pamphlet against Mary des Vallées. Cf. Boulay, op. cit., Vol. 3, P. 140. (7). Father De Launay-Hué, vicar general of Bayeux. Cf. Boulay, ibid. Vol. 4. P. 330. (8). Father Nicholas Paillot, a priest of St. Michael of Vaucelles, a village in the Nord Department, six miles from Cambrai. He assisted St. John Eudes in many of his missions. Father Paillot was not a member of the Congregation of Jesus and Mary. He died at Vaucelles On May 21, 1687. Cf. Boulay, ibid. Vol. 2, P. 46; Vol. 3, P. 370. See Letter 92.

Letter 34

To the Religious of Our Lady of Charity at Caen. On the feast of the

joys of Our Blessed Lady. (1)

Paris, July 5, 1650(2)

J. M. J

My dearest Sisters:

May Jesus, the most Holy Heart of Mary, be the life and joy of our hearts for ever.(3)

I was exceedingly happy to receive your beautiful and charitable letter, for which I thank you a thousand times. I trust that the Communion you offered to God for my intention, on the feast of St. John,(4) will be profitable to you as well as me, since all my intentions have no end save the sanctification of your souls and the establishment of the reign of God in your hearts. It is that for which we must unceasingly strive; all our happiness lies therein, and it alone should constitute our joy.

Speaking of joys, I am writing you this on the fifth of July, which is the feast of the Joys of Our Blessed Lady, our good Mother. If you have overlooked it, I am asking our dear Mother Superior to appoint another day on which you may observe this feast, and to permit all of you to receive Holy Communion, which you must offer to God for these five intentions:

1. In thanksgiving to the most holy Trinity for all the joys bestowed by It upon the Blessed Virgin, on earth as well as in heaven.

(1). This feast is still celebrated on July 5th by the Eudists and the Religious of Our Lady of Charity. (2). This letter was written from Paris where St. John Eudes had gone with Father Mannoury to obtain from Bishop Molé of Bayeux the approbation for Our Lady of Charity. This was granted on February 8, 1651. (3). St. John Eudes places this salutation at the head of most of his letters to his communities until 1660 when he begins to Use "May the Divine Will Be Our Guide in All Things." See Letter 87 (4). We know that the Saint had received the name of John in baptism. The above letter shows that the sisters at Caen had sent him their feast day greetings on the feast of St. John the Baptist, June 2 4 . Boulay thinks that John Eudes's patron saint was the Apostle St. John. Cf. Boulay, ibid., Vol. 1, p. 15.

2 . In satisfaction and reparation for the sorrows and griefs she suffered during her life on earth, because of our sins.

3. For the increase and extension of her joys in heaven.

4. To ask God for the grace to scorn and detest all the false joys of this world.

5. To ask also for the grace to find all our joy in doing His most amiable will everywhere and in all things, and in carrying the Cross with our most adorable Saviour. For truly, my dearest Sisters, there is no real cause for joy on earth other than this: to perform the will of God and to be despised and crucified with Jesus Christ. Oh, would that we shared the sentiments of St. John of the Cross! When Our Lord asked him what he desired for the services he had rendered Him, he made this reply: "Lord, I ask nothing of Thee save to suffer and be despised for Thy sake." It was indeed the Holy Spirit Who inspired him to ask for the greatest blessing of this life.

After you have received Communion for these intentions, I pray you, my dear Sisters, to think seriously, each one to yourself, about what you can do to increase the joys of the most precious Virgin Mary.

In conclusion, we are overlooking nothing, Father Mannoury and I, that can be done for your house, or rather for the house of Our Lord and His most holy Mother. But the affairs of God are transacted only with much patience and resignation. I trust, however$ that they will soon be settled, and that the outcome will be satisfactory to all of us. This letter is intended both for the Mother and her daughters, whom I greet one and all.

I pray you also to contact our dearest brethren,(5) so that, if they have forgotten to observe the feast of the joys of Our Blessed Lady, they may atone for their omission, for I have not the leisure just now to write them.

I am with all my heart, my dearest Sisters, Devotedly yours, JOHN EUDES, missionary priest.

(5). The Eudists of the seminary at Caen.

Letter 35

To the Missionaries at Gatteville. On the sorrow he feels on being separated from them, and on the Divine Will which he invites them to consider as their mother.

Paris, July 9, 1650 J. M. J.

My dearest brethren, whom I embrace with deepest affection, in visceribus Christi:

Here it is already the ninth of July and there is no prospect of my being able to leave Paris for two weeks yet. For that reason I am giving up the hope I had of seeing you at the mission in Gatteville. I can assure you that this mortification is one of the hardest I have had to bear for a long time, for i t seems to me that I am separated not only from my own heart and body, but from something still dearer to me, since in truth I love you more, collectively and individually, than my inmost parts. I believe that I speak without exaggeration and in all sincerity.

The most adorable Will of God, which is our most bountiful mother, has ordained this separation; may it be for ever blessed for having done so! I call it our good mother, since from it we have received our being and life, that of nature as well as of grace. It must govern us, and we must obey it and abandon ourselves with the utmost confidence to its guidance, for it has a truly maternal love for us I That is why I urge, my beloved brethren, that we regard, honor and love God's Will as our most amiable mother, and that our principal devotion be to conceive a strong affection of mind and heart for it, conform faithfully to it in all things, and obey all its orders "with a great heart and a willing mind."' Let us find all our glory and happiness therein and regard all else as pure folly.

"We can do nothing," says St. Paul, "against the truth: but for the truth."' May God grant us so many graces that we may truthfully say: (1). 2 Mach. 1, 3. (2). Cor 13, 8.

"We can do nothing against the will of God, but for the will of God." We can do nothing, that is, we cannot think, say nor do anything contrary to the divine will, but we are strong and powerful to obey Him in all things.

Furthermore, when I call the divine will our mother, that does not imply that the most Blessed Virgin is not our Mother too, for the divine will so fills, possesses and animates her that it i s like her soul, her mind, her heart and life, in such a way that she is but the same thing, if one may so express it, as the divine will itself. Thus the most precious Virgin is our Mother, and the divine will is also our mother. And nevertheless, they are not two mothers but one, to whom I offer and abandon myself with all my heart, along with my dearest brethren, that she may live and reign within us, carrying out all her designs, now and for ever, in her own way rather than in ours. Say amen, m y beloved brethren, but say it with deep sincerity, not merely with your lips but much more with your works. To this end, I entreat you to practise faithfully what I wrote you in my last letter, which I pray you to re-read together if you still have it.

Letter 36

To the Priests of the Seminary at Caen. The Saint encourages them during the persecution directed against them by the bishop of Bayeux, His Lordship Edward Molé, who was seeking to interdict their chapel( 1 )

Coutances, November 6, 1650 I hope that this storm will pass and that Our Lord will salvage great good from it. His Lordship of Coutances(2) is showing me extraordinary charity and cordiality. I shall not tell you the rest; you will see it in its effects(3) Let us continue to humble ourselves before God and beg Him (1). By decision of the Bishop's Court at Caen the Seminary chapel was placed under an interdict on November 29, 1650. (2). Claude Auvry, a friend and protector of St. John Eudes. Cf. Boulay, ibid., Vol. 2, P. 417. (3). The Saint is referring to the imminent establishment of the Congregation at Coutances.

to carry out His designs for us. Furthermore, it is a special act of Providence that I should be here at this time. I shall remain for a few days yet, no longer on account of the business which has kept me here until now, but for another matter of which I will tell you when I see you, and which I ask you to recommend to Our Lord and His holy Mother.

Letter 37

To Father Thomas Manchon(1) at the Seminary in Caen. The course to

follow if the seminary chapel is interdicted

[Coutances, autumn of 1650]

Do not be astonished, my dear brother; it is a storm that will pass. If they intimate anything to you, make no reply but tell them that in my absence you have nothing to say until my return. However, if they order you to close the chapel, do so, and say your Masses wherever you can. Give encouragement to our brethren and exhort them to humble themselves in the sight of God, putting all their hope in Him and His most holy Mother, and spending as much time as possible before the Blessed Sacrament. Send some of them to Our Lady of Deliverande.(2) (1). See Letter 13, note 2. Father Manchon was then acting superior of the Caen Seminary. Cf. Boulay, Ibid., Vol. 2, P. 505. (2). A shrine about nine miles from Caen. It was there that St. John Eudes and his first five companions dedicated their lives to the work of seminaries and missions on March 25, 1643.

Letter 38

To one of his confreres. Concerning the admission of a postulant to

probation.( 1 )

With regard to the young man about whom you wrote me, send him to Coutances,(2) m y dearest brother, provided he is highly resolved to renounce his own will completely, to be admonished about his shortcomings, and to live and die in the Congregation. (1). The name given to the formative years in the Congregation of Jesus and Mary. According to the original rules as laid down by the Saint the probation was to last three years and three months i n memory of three years and three months that the Apostles and Disciples lived with Our Lord before being incorporated into His apostolic family on Pentecost Sunday. The first year in the Congregation of Jesus and Mary is devoted to prayer and spiritual training and corresponds to the novitiate i n other religious orders. The remaining years are spent in the study of philosophy and theology. I n recent years the probation has been changed to four years. After completing his probation the candidate is incorporated into the Congregation by virtue of the perpetual promises that he takes to obey his superiors and the rules of the Order. (2). The Probation House was then at Coutances in Normandy.

Letter 39

To Reverend Mother Mechtilde of the Blessed S acrament , ( 1 ) Foundress of the Benedictine Nuns of the Blessed Sacrament. On a favor obtained through the Holy Heart of Mary.

[About 1650]

In 1648 we were conducting a big mission at Autun, in the course of which we celebrated, i n the cathedral,(2) the feast of the Holy Heart of the Queen of Heaven which enkindled the fire of that devotion in many hearts. It happened that a Benedictine nun of the Abbey of St. Mary(3) (1). Mother Mechtilde was then at the Benedictine Monastery of the Holy Trinity at Caen. She founded the Benedictines of Perpetual Adoration in 1651. (2). The first solemn feast of the Holy Heart of Mary was celebrated at the Autun Cathedral on February 8, 1648 (3). Benedictine Monastery founded in 589 by Queen Brunehaut. Cf. Boulay ibid., Vol. 2, P. 319

of St. John the Great at Autun, named Frances du Rey and called "of the Cross," eighteen years of age, was sick with measles which had deprived her of sight and caused a severe inflammation of the eyes, with constant and very acute pain. She called her nurse and requested her to kneel near the bed, reciting by heart the salutation to the most holy Heart of the Mother of God, Ave Cor sanctissimum,( 4 ) printed in a little book.(5) When this was done she asked for the booklet which she applied to her eyes for about the length of a Miserere, supplicating the Blessed Virgin to restore her sight and health through the merits of her most holy Heart. After this she removed the book from her eyes, and not feeling any more pain, she opened them without difficulty and began to see as clearly and perfectly as ever . . . I have an authentic attestation of this, in addition to having been an eye-wimess of it. (4). Prayer to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary recited daily in the two orders founded by St. John Eudes. Cf. The Sacred Heart of Jesus (New York, 1946), p. 173. (5). La Dévotion au Saint Coeur et au Saint Nom de la très Sainte Vierge by St. John Eudes. It was published at Autun in 1648, Cf. Oeuvres Complètes du Vénérable Jean Eudes, Vol. V1, p. V111; Boulay, Op. Cit., Vol. 2, P. 320.

Letter 40

To the First Religious of Our Lady of C harity . The Saint announces the signing of the letters of establishment for the Order. He exhorts them to have true devotion to the most Holy Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Paris, February it, 1651 J. M. J.

My dearest daughters;

May Jesus, the most Holy Heart of Mary, be our life and our joy for ever.

I have wonderful news for you. But first, kneel down to receive it, not as coming from me, but from our adorable Jesus and His most worthy Mother.

At last, after several years of patient waiting, the letters for your establishment were signed by his Lordship of Bayeux(1) last Wednesday, (1). Edward Molé. See Letter 30, note 2. +

February 8th, the feast of the Most Holy Heart of the Blessed Virgin and the contract of foundation was also signed by him and by Mr. and Madame de Langrie.(2) So you arc now true daughters of the Heart o the Queen of heaven, and obliged, in a special manner, to honor and love her most amiable Heart, to celebrate its feast with special devotion, to have but one heart with her and with one another, and to engrave on your own hearts a perfect likeness of the love, charity, obedience, humility, meekness, zeal for the salvation of souls and other virtues which reign in her Heart, so that you may thus conform to the Heart of her Son.

No longer need you be afraid. Your Community and Order arc founded upon the Holy Heart of the sovereign Empress of the universe, and this was accomplished not through the efforts of men but by a special mandate from heaven. For last Tuesday his Lordship of Bayeux, after several previous delays and difficulties, had again postponed the affair to Friday; then on the very same day he announced that it would take place on Wednesday, which it did. Eternal thanks be rendered to the most Holy Trinity, Our Lord Jesus Christ, His most precious Mother and all the angels and saints who interceded in this great work, and may all who cooperated in it in any way whatsoever be for ever blessed with the choicest blessings of heaven.

In thanksgiving, my dearest daughters, it is my opinion that you should do the following things: Recite every day for a week, in a body, the Te Deum, the Ave Cor sanctissimum, and each day one of the eight litanies of the most Holy Heart of the Blessed Virgin, contained at the end of the book of devotion(3) to this same Heart. Then after this prayer, recite the litanies of St. Joseph, St. Gabriel, the Holy Guardian Angels, and the prayer to all the saints which is used on All Saints Day.

In addition, you should receive thirty-four Communions, at your (2). It was mainly through the influence of John Leroux, Seigneur de Langrie, Royal Counsellor, President of the Rouen Parliament, that St. John Eudes obtained the contract of foundation from Bishop Molé on February 8, 1651. Mr. de Langrie donated 10,000 livres to the monastery, and Madame de Langrie in recognition of the great service she had rendered the Order was given the privileges and rights of foundress. Cf. Father John Mary Ory, The Origin ot the Order of Our Lady of Charity, PP. 55, 57 (3). See Letter 39, note 5.

convenience, in thanksgiving to the most Holy Trinity, to Jesus, to the most holy Heart of His glorious Mother, to the angels and saints, and for his Lordship of Bayeux, your founders and benefactors, and all who have contributed to the success of this affair.

Furthermore, it seems to me that you ought to write four letters of thanks: i. To his Lordship of Bayeux; 2. To President de Langrie; 3. To Madame de Langrie; 4. To Madame de la Porte,(4) to whom you are greatly indebted. I am asking our dear Sister Mary of St. Francis Xavier(5) to write these four letters. Above all, I implore you to begin now in good earnest to live as true daughters of the most Holy Heart of the Mother of God.

It is in the sacred love of this Heart that I am and will ever be, my dearest daughters, Devotedly yours, JOHN EUDES, missionary priest.

P. S. Wait until Father Mannoury and Mr. de Langrie arrive in Caen before you sing a solemn Te Deum, but while you are waiting do not neglect to recite it, as I mentioned in this letter. (4). Madame de la Porte, whose husband was a Councillor of the Rouen Parliament, accompanied M r . and Madame de Langrie when they visited Bishop MoIé in Paris to request the approval of the Monastery of Our Lady of Charity of Caen. See Letter 21, note (5). She was probably the secretary of the community.