Keel010

Mary, the Support of the Church

Introduction

Jean-Claude Colin often spoke of Mary as the support of the Church at the beginning and at the end. This seems to be his way of referring to the inspiration Courveille experienced at Le Puy. Presented here is the dossier of texts gathered by J. Coste, S.M., in Acta Societatis Mariae, vol. 5, pp. 264-271. In several cases a wider context is offered than was needed for Coste’s purposes. These are marked with a (+) in the apparatus. At the end of the dossier is added a text of Fr. Peter Julian Eymard that also speaks of Mary as the support of the Church.

The support of the newborn Church and at the end of time

Text 10

January 19, 1848. Colin. Statement in the refectory. [Coste text I (+) = Mayet 4, 466f = OM 674 = FS 152, 1]:

Text

“Messieurs, it is only later that you will understand a certain phrase in the rule: unknown and indeed even hidden. You could say that the whole spirit of the Society is there. Let us then keep within the limits of our vocation. Although we should not exclude any work of zeal in our ministry, we must always remain unknown and indeed even hidden. Let us not be concerned with our honor. If we do good, we shall have merit in the sight of God. Let us seek only the honor of God and for ourselves... unknown. Let us not look to what the societies that have preceded us have done, for, when a society comes to birth, it is for a particular need. Yes, Messieurs (and here he assumed a solemn tone of voice) I am pleased to be able to repeat it here once again: I supported the Church at her birth; I shall do so again at the end of time. These are the words which served us as a foundation and an encouragement at the very beginning of the society. They were always present to us. We have worked along that line, if I may so speak. We must admit that we are living in very bad times; humanity is really sick. At the end of time it will need a great deal of help, and the blessed Virgin will be the one to give it. Messieurs, let us rejoice to belong to her Society and bear her name. The other communities coming to birth envy us our fine name.”

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