Zagore Akanou Ange Donald : 11115T
Marion De Bresillac, Faith Hope Charity: Spiritual exercises given to Indian seminarists,
Rome, 1854.
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| I wish to know my founder's spirituality better! |
Melchior De Marion Bresillac was born in southern
France in 1813, the eldest of five children, three boys and two girls. The
Marion family had a long history, its known roots reaching back to the 15th
century. It was an upper-class family, and in common with so many of its kind,
came under attack during the French Revolution and was driven into exile during
the terror. The family came back around 1805, to live at Brezillac, a small
country town, which, for centuries, had a Marion as its seigneur. Marion De
Bresillac was ordained priest in December 1838. On 9 June 1841, he joined the
“Missions Etrangeres de Paris” in order to become a missionary. At the end of
March 1842, he had been sent to India for his first missionary experience. He
stayed for twelve years in India ( 1842-1854). It was a period of achievement
and failure, of hope and disappointment, during which he became a Bishop at the
end of which he felt compelled to resign his See. In 1856, he founded the
Society of African Missions ( S.M.A). He died in 1859 at Freetown leading the
first missionary expedition . Marion De Bresillac is a “Servant of God”.
I realised the fact that as a missionary
society, the question of spirituality is not so much our concern as it is for
the great orders like the Franscicans, the Benedictines, the Jesuits. Thus,
since some few years ago, I dedicated myself to study deeply the spiritual
heritage of our founder Melchior De Marion Bresillac. Two majors dimension
underline the spirituality of De Bresillac: in one hand, the spirituality of
the cross, which is fundamentally based on the sense of the sacrifice. No missionary
activity is possible without embracing the cross. In other hand, the spirituality
of the theological virtue ( Faith, Hope and Charity). Which will be the object
of our research. The source of the whole missionary activity of the Church is
supported and nourished by the three theological virtues. Therefore, any
missionary activity and missionary life should be strongly rooted in the
spirituality of the theological virtues.
Reflection:
Reflection:
Before his death in Freetown, the
last words pronounced by Mgr De Bresillac were
Faith, Hope and Charity. These were not just his last words of a dying
man but the driving force of his whole life. This spirituality of the Cardinal
virtues was what sustained Bresillac in his passion for mission from the
beginning up to the end of his earthly
life.
The first element strongly underlined
in the book Faith Hope Charity: Spiritual exercises given to Indian seminarists 1853 , objet of our
study is Faith. For Bresillac, there is no option ,“ we must (…) live the life
of faith (…) whether we read, study,
work, speak, it is our faith which must appear in all.”[1]. The life of faith should lead us to the
supernatural life which is “ the only true life which will not cease with death
of our bodies but will find its fulfillment in the vision of God.”[2]
This ultimate end calls now for a certain life of perfection. “ We are called to perfection; we have become
the ministers of Jesus and collaborators of his grace.”[3]
That is why for Bresillac, “Living faith
(…) is incompatible with immorality. It is not possible that a heart depraved
and obscured by the stain of sin will shine with the living light of heaven.”[4] For him, “ there is an intimate relation between
purity of heart and the life of faith.”[5]
For Bresillac only the Catholic Church
posses the fullness of faith. He said: “The
faithful can therefore be mistaken, the priests also and even sometimes the
bishops; but Peter, the sovereign Pontiff, the Head of the Church Militant,
cannot be mistaken in faith.”[6]
That is why with conviction he said: “ I believe firmly everything that your
Holy, Catholic, Apostolic and Roman Church teaches, since Peter sits in Rome on
an indefectible chair.”[7]
The most great payer of Bresillac was to remain
constantly in communion with the faith of the Holy Catholic Church in order to
lead the people of God towards the faith in Jesus Christ. He has never stop to
say “ Lord, increase our faith ( Lk. 17:5).”[8]
[1]
Marion Bresillac, Faith Hope Charity:
Spiritual Exercises Given to Indian
Seminarist 1853, Rome,1988, p. 64.
[2]
Marion Bresillac, Faith Hope Charity:
Spiritual Exercises Given to Indian
Seminarist 1853, Rome,1988, p.67.
[3]
Marion Bresillac, Faith Hope Charity:
Spiritual Exercises Given to Indian
Seminarist 1853, Rome,1988, P.67.
[4]
Marion Bresillac, Faith Hope Charity:
Spiritual Exercises Given to Indian
Seminarist 1853, Rome,1988, p.66.
[5]
Marion Bresillac, Faith Hope Charity:
Spiritual Exercises Given to Indian
Seminarist 1853, Rome,1988, p,66.
[6]
Marion Bresillac, Faith Hope Charity:
Spiritual Exercises Given to Indian
Seminarist 1853, Rome,1988. P,70.
[7]
Marion Bresillac, Faith Hope Charity:
Spiritual Exercises Given to Indian
Seminarist 1853, Rome,1988. P,71.
[8]
Marion Bresillac, Faith Hope Charity:
Spiritual Exercises Given to Indian
Seminarist 1853, Rome,1988. P.75.
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