November 9th marks a significant date for the Congregation, a special day to remember the anniversary of the first Eucharist celebrated in the chapel of the Assumption. This event is not only a memory of that historic moment but also an invitation to reflect on what it means to live under the protection of the Lord. As Mother Marie Eugénie reminds us in her letter, this is a moment to "dwell in the house of God" with immense joy and gratitude.
"Today I will stay at your house," are the words Jesus spoke to Zacchaeus. This verse reflects God’s closeness, who makes Himself present in every space where He is invited. Just as Zacchaeus received Jesus with joy into his house, we, by living under the Lord’s protection, should experience the same joy. Mother Marie Eugénie invites us to ask ourselves: "If I had had the happiness of being received in Nazareth, of spending a night under the roof of that blessed house where the Lord lived, would I not be full of the thought that Jesus was so close to me?"
This anniversary calls us to awaken our faith and live this gift with gratitude. Living in a house where the Lord dwells is not just a blessing; it is an immense grace that we must cherish every day. As Mother Marie Eugénie says: "We live under the same roof as our Master." This closeness to Christ should fill us with joy and motivate us to be His faithful servants, surrounding Him with our love and obedience.
It is also important to remember the respect and devotion we must have when entering the chapel, that sacred place where the Lord is present. Habit can lead us to lose the reverence we should have, but "we must constantly fight against routine" and renew our feeling of gratitude and respect. As Mother Marie Eugénie teaches us: "Habit makes it no longer touch us enough. In an environment filled with graces like ours, we must always be ready to say to our Lord: 'How is it that You, the Lord of all things, deign to dwell in the house where I am?'"
This anniversary not only invites us to remember the first Eucharist celebrated at the Assumption but also to live with a renewed faith and a deep respect for God's presence in our lives. It is a call to rediscover the meaning of living under His protection and to be witnesses of His love and closeness in all that we do.
Today, as we celebrate this anniversary, let us reflect on the joy of living near Jesus, sharing His presence in prayer and in our daily lives, and always being ready to welcome Him with a heart full of gratitude. Thus, we will truly live the spirit of this anniversary, recognizing every day the grace of being under the protection of the Lord.
The texts in quotation marks belong to the chapter of Mother Marie Eugénie on the anniversary of the first Mass celebrated at the Assumption. 18-11-1888. Read it at this link
You can change the subtitle language in the "nut" symbol
Hello, we are in Auteuil, in the oratory of the General Community of the Religious of the Assumption, in front of a tabernacle that is important to our history. In fact, it is the tabernacle of the first Mass celebrated at a community of Religious of the Assumption. It was November 9, 1839. The small community, then composed of four young women, after having spent the summer outside of Paris, had settled for a few weeks, on rue de Vaugirard, in an apartment that Mr. de Lamennais had occupied before the Sisters. A letter from Marie Eugénie to Joséphine de Commarque (Sister Marie-Thérèse) testifies to her deep desire to feel the presence of the Lord. She writes: "On our return to Paris, if we are lucky enough to find a suitable house, we will be able to get a chapel at home. We have been promised this, and God will not deny our prayers; yet if this happiness were to be further delayed, Our Lord would, I hope, compensate us by at least making Himself master of our hearts and all His desires. "(ME, Letter to Mary Teresa, n°1184, August 27, 1839) Hope and wisdom. The Lord wanted to make himself present and Marie Eugénie recounts: "On November 9 the first Mass was held there and from that day on we had the happiness of possessing Our Lady in our midst. (Memories of the foundation, n°1505) The account of the Origins shows how much this day was filled with emotion. Much later, in 1888, Marie Eugénie, in a chapter dated November 18, recalls this day: "Mother Thérèse- Emmanuel and I had prepared the first tabernacle, the first altar, this first chapel! Poor and miserable chapel, it is true, but it seemed very beautiful to us then, because we had decorated it as best we could and with all our love! "Poverty and love. In the same chapter, she speaks of Zacchaeus and his strong desire to see, to know Jesus, his joy in welcoming him into his home... She invites the sisters to experience great joy at the thought that "our Lord deigns to come and live in our homes"! She invites the sisters to experience great joy at the thought that "our Lord deigns to come and live in our houses"! She calls them to reawaken their faith and to always remain grateful for the call received to live in the house of God, to live under the same roof as the Lord. Faith and Joy. To this feeling of the most vivid, ardent love," she says, "must be added respect." This first Eucharist also reminds us that our life, as St. Marie Eugénie says, can be "a continual Mass" (ME, Instr. March 26, 1876), a happy and living gift for the Lord. Everything in us can adore the one who makes himself present at every moment.