On our journey of reflection on the Constitutions and Rules, it is important to have a “map” that we can consult from time to time to situate us – this is especially the case for the lay members of our Family who live the spirituality of St Eugene which is expressed in the Oblate Rule.
Constitution 1 lays the foundation:
Constitution 2 focuses on how we FOLLOW the Savior:
All this is summed up in one word: OBLATION – “The Cross of Jesus Christ is central to our mission.” (Constitution 4)
What I have presented above is only half the picture because I have concentrated on what Eugene’s charism expects us to BE. All this, however, is focused on mission. As Constitution 1 points out: ” The call of Jesus Christ, heard within the Church through people’s need for salvation, draws us together…”
These first Constitutions tell us what we must BE in order to respond to “people’s need for salvation.”
The rest of the Rule is a directory of how the members of the Oblate Family put all this into practice.
Before we begin to explore our mission, an invitation for you to look back on our reflections over recent days (from https://www.eugenedemazenod.net/?p=5978 onwards) and to consider how to live these key elements in the diagram above.
REFLECTION – MY RESPONSE TO CONSTITUTIONS ONE AND TWO
“The call of Jesus Christ, heard within the Church through people’s need for salvation, draws me into the Family of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Christ thus invites me to follow him and to share in his mission through my words and my work.
As part of an apostolic community of Priests, Brothers and Laypersons I commit myself to cooperate with the Saviour and imitate his example, principally to evangelize those who have most need of the presence of Jesus the Savior in their lives.”
Do I dare to say it? This is the incarnation of the Oblate Motto: “We are sent to evangelize the poor: the poor are evangelized”. In becoming evangelized I have heard the call of Jesus to follow and share his mission as a cooperator of the Saviour (now in the present moment – forever). God has responded to this by ensuring that I get to know Him more deeply, and come to identify with Him and to saying yes over and over again to letting Him live within me. I share my experience (ongoing) as I ask and receive the grace to share with all who I meet. And while there are times of struggle and suffering my way to get past them is to love others.
Eugene de Mazenod whose charism has been shared with me, has shown me how to follow him, to follow our beloved Saviour in and through their lights which shine on us – his sons and daughters.
Yesterday John’s Gospel 9.1-41 in the first paragraph said: “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed to him…” I too along with all of you have in some way been blinded due to our humanness and woundedness. and each of us have been blinded in ways according to our humanness. “Place yourself at the foot of the cross before reading this letter…” was Eugene’s opening round to Fr. Henri Paul Tempier, OMI. A new foundation along with instructions what to be and do next…