Marie Eugénie offers a very rich reflection for the season of Lent. The best way to discover and draw nourishment from it is to immerse oneself in a personal reading of her chapter instructions. For her, Lent is "a favorable time, a time of salvation," as Scripture says. She invites us not to waste this time of grace, which is an opportunity for true inner renewal.
When we read the instructions on Lent from 1845 to 1879, we can detect certain common themes that are benchmarks for the spiritual life. Her great project for herself and for the sisters is to "use all that we are and all that we have for God and according to Jesus Christ" (instructions, March 2, 1845), in other words, to use all our abilities to serve and love the Lord.
Her first call is therefore to strengthen our desire for God, which translates into concrete charity for our brothers and sisters: "to desire only God, his love, the good of our neighbor, and the fulfillment of justice" (instructions, February 23, 1845).
Charity, lived concretely, is the foundation of Christian life. Inspired by Saint Augustine, Marie Eugénie forcefully reminds us that "every Christian is absolutely obliged to love God more than himself and above all things, and his neighbor as himself for the love of God." Daily life gives us many opportunities to live this love in a form of "spiritual poverty (...) by divesting ourselves of what is ours" ... in order to welcome what comes from others, our brothers and sisters (Instructions, March 2, 1845).
"No one can dispense themselves from doing penance," says Marie Eugénie (Instructions March 2, 1873); however, for her, "the spirit of penance" is more important than the form it takes. This spirit of penance leaves an important mark on our hearts: it reminds us that we are sinners, limited, and that we must always return to God's mercy. Marie Eugénie emphasizes the attitude of the heart more than great austerities. She stresses the importance of choosing those small, hidden acts that show our love for the Lord. It's simple! She gives many examples! Simply being faithful to work and prayer, living in silence, refraining from uncharitable words, avoiding curiosity, accepting the food we are given even if we don't like it...
"Sober in food, sober in speech"... "one can, without harming one's health, cut out a lot of words..." (instructions 03/16/1879). Sobriety is an education of the five senses: towards whom or what are they directed? In a continual movement of detachment from oneself, one can avoid complaining, silence reproaches, and see the light rather than the dust. This opens up an inner space that allows us to cultivate ardent love, "the habit of living in the presence of God" (instructions February 20, 1876). Thus, instead of exhausting our lives with a thousand superficial desires, we center our hearts on God, and this renews our joy. "Let us keep for him the joy he takes in seeing us wholly his, in being with us"... Joy, in fact, is like a delicate and precious feeling that we take care of when we direct it towards God (instructions February 23, 1845).
Marie Eugénie invites us to pray that God's spirit may communicate with ours, and she expresses this wish: " " "May the passion of our Lord occupy us during this Lent..." ." She insists: "There is no more powerful motive for ardent love for our Lord than to think of what he showed us by dying for us on the cross" (instructions March 12, 1876): this is the source of fervor, of the impulse of the heart, of true love. We are called to follow in his footsteps, to share his feelings, to model our decisions on him, to gradually penetrate his heart... "so that he may love us and we may love only him." Yes, for Marie Eugénie, contemplating Christ in his passion is the means of loving him more and more each day. During Lent, the crucified Christ gradually becomes light: "The only true light is the light within him. It is not that of men. It is that of the Incarnate Word (...)" So what is the call? "To return to the light of wisdom, to the light of the Crucified One, to the light as it is in God" (instructions, February 25, 1877).
Sister Véronique Thiébaut, RA
Archivist of the Congregation
Lent 2026
Instruction de chapitre du 23 février [1845] – III ème dimanche du carême: https://assumpta.org/en/archives-c-xix/c19/3rd-sunday-of-lent-february-23rd-1845
Instruction de chapitre du 2 mars [1845] – IV ème dimanche du carême: https://assumpta.org/en/archives-c-xix/c19/4th-sunday-of-lent-march-2nd-1845
Instruction de chapitre du 2 mars 1873: https://assumpta.org/en/archives-c-xix/c19/on-the-spirit-of-penance-march-2nd-1873
Instruction de chapitre du 9 mars 1873: https://assumpta.org/en/archives-c-xix/c19/meditation-on-our-lord-s-passion-march-9th-1873
Instruction de chapitre du 16 mars 1873: https://assumpta.org/en/archives-c-xix/c19/keeping-silence-and-watching-over-our-words-march-16th-1873
Instruction de chapitre du 20 février 1876: https://assumpta.org/en/archives-c-xix/c19/hatred-of-sin-as-one-of-the-conditions-of-fervour-february-20th-1876
Instruction de chapitre du 27 février 1876: https://assumpta.org/en/archives-c-xix/c19/meditate-on-the-passion-february-27th-1876
Instruction de chapitre du 5 mars 1876: https://assumpta.org/en/archives-c-xix/c19/how-to-substitute-fasting-to-sanctify-lent-march-5th-1876
Instruction de chapitre du 12 mars 1876: https://assumpta.org/en/archives-c-xix/c19/love-of-jesus-union-with-his-sufferings-march-12th-1876
Instruction de chapitre du 19 mars 1876: https://assumpta.org/en/archives-c-xix/c19/betrayal-of-judas-march-19th-1876
Instruction de chapitre du 18 février 1877: https://assumpta.org/en/archives-c-xix/c19/replacing-the-lenten-fast-with-a-very-strict-observance-of-the-rule-february-18th-1877
Instruction de chapitre du 25 février 1877: https://assumpta.org/en/archives-c-xix/c19/the-spirit-of-prayer-source-of-the-spirit-of-renunciation-february-25th-1877
Instruction de chapitre du 18 mars 1877: https://assumpta.org/en/archives-c-xix/c19/repay-with-generosity-the-gift-of-the-precious-blood-march-18th-1877
Instruction de chapitre du 25 mars 1877: https://assumpta.org/en/archives-c-xix/c19/recommendations-for-holy-week-march-25th-1877
Instruction de chapitre du 16 février 1879: https://assumpta.org/en/archives-c-xix/c19/on-silence-february-16th-1879
Instruction de chapitre du 23 février 1879: https://assumpta.org/en/archives-c-xix/c19/on-charity-february-23rd-1879
Instruction de chapitre du 2 mars 1879: https://assumpta.org/en/archives-c-xix/c19/devotion-to-saint-joseph-leads-to-interior-life-and-union-with-our-lord-march-2nd-1879
Instruction de chapitre du 15 février 1880: https://assumpta.org/en/archives-c-xix/c19/leave-behind-all-that-is-earthly-during-lent-february-15th-1880
Instruction de chapitre du 29 février 1880: https://assumpta.org/en/archives-c-xix/c19/to-form-oneself-to-union-with-our-lord-and-to-his-divine-likeness-february-29th-1880
Instruction de chapitre du 20 février 1881: https://assumpta.org/en/archives-c-xix/c19/the-agony-in-the-garden-february-20th-1881
Instruction de chapitre du 11 février 1883: https://assumpta.org/en/archives-c-xix/c19/the-blessed-virgin-our-model-in-the-mystery-of-the-presentation-of-our-lord-in-the-temple-february-11th-1883
Instruction de chapitre du 17 mars 1889: https://assumpta.org/en/archives-c-xix/c19/imitation-of-jesus-christ-striving-for-union-through-love-march-17th-1889
Instruction de chapitre du 24 mars 1889: https://assumpta.org/en/archives-c-xix/c19/keeping-silent-an-excellent-way-to-do-penance-march-24th-1889
Instruction de chapitre du 23 février 1890: https://assumpta.org/en/archives-c-xix/c19/on-temptation-follow-our-lord-during-this-lent-february-23rd-1890
Instruction de chapitre du 25 janvier 1891: https://assumpta.org/en/archives-c-xix/c19/on-penance-january-25th-1891
Instruction de chapitre du 1er février 1891: https://assumpta.org/en/archives-c-xix/c19/before-lent-the-groans-of-the-holy-spirit-in-our-souls-february-1st-1891
Instruction de chapitre du 22 février 1891: https://assumpta.org/en/archives-c-xix/c19/on-the-interior-life-nbeing-like-jesus-christ-february-22nd-1891
Instruction de chapitre du 14 février 1892: https://assumpta.org/en/archives-c-xix/c19/preparing-for-lent-through-fidelity-to-the-three-vows-february-14th-1892
Instruction de chapitre du 5 février 1893: https://assumpta.org/en/archives-c-xix/c19/reparation-through-jesus-christ-february-5th-1893
Instruction de chapitre du 27 janvier 1894: https://assumpta.org/en/archives-c-xix/c19/meditate-on-the-passion-january-27th-1894