Today is the feast of St. Marie Eugenie Milleret, founder of the Religious of the Assumption. Our own founder, Fr. d'Alzon, was a close friend and confidant of Sister Marie-Eugenie. The following is a homily given on the occasion of the local celebration of her canonization back in 2007. It may help to give you a little sense for her particular form of holiness.

Homily at the Celebration of the Canonization of Marie-Eugenie Milleret

Chapel of the Holy Spirit, Assumption College

Sunday, November 11, 2007

The celebration of a new saint testifies to the enduring power of the Gospel to elevate and  sanctify the human person.  One of the really beautiful things about Marie Eugenie’s canonization is that it reinforces and universalizes the Assumption way as an assured path  to holiness.  In this respect we would be remiss if we did not this morning hear the echo of Marie Eugenie’s insistent voice encouraging her sisters and us…. DARE TO BE HOLY…

When we think of standing in line waiting to tell the priest everything bad we have done, it can be tempting to justify and rationalize our actions. For a large number of people, confession is a nerve-racking, anxiety-inducing chore. But what if it didn't have to be? What if all it was was a conversation with an old friend?

Transfiguration by Brother Blair Nuyda, A.A.

There is no doubt that we have made immense progress largely due to the advancements in science and technology. However, there is no denying that this progress has led to an unprecedented inhumane disassociation with God, other humans, and other non-human-creatures. Like the Israelites while they wandered in the desert, we have abandoned the fullness of God’s wisdom and have made into gods the works of our own hands. We now consider our neighbors as nothing more than objects to be exploited or threats we must guard ourselves against. We daily pillage and abuse the earth and other non-human-creatures because we have wrongly convinced ourselves that nothing else matters but us.

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Our weekly reflections are courtesy of Pflaum Weeklies of Bayard USA - an Assumptionist sponsored ministry.

The Year of St. Joseph is also a Year of the Family. Our friends at Bayard have shared materials that we can use with families to help them focus on St. Joseph as both patron and model of families.

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