HOLY WEEK: PEOPLE READY TO GIVE OURSELVES FOR THE LOVE OF GOD

Former Superior General, Wilhelm Steckling OMI, wrote in 2007:

“It was probably in 1807, on Good Friday of that year, that Saint Eugene had a special encounter with the Crucified One that changed his life. It essentially made him an Oblate. What we can celebrate in 2007 is not an anniversary of the Congregation, but rather an anniversary of our charism, the spiritual gift that makes us live – an anniversary of our Oblate spirituality.

It was the cross displayed on Good Friday that made young Eugene – 24 at that time – aware of his life- style apart from God.

“I had looked for happiness outside of God and outside him I found but affliction and chagrin”, he writes a few years later (1814) during a retreat. In his emptiness he encounters someone who loves him without measure. His sins melt away amidst tears in the embrace of Christ, and this experience marks him for the rest of his life. “Can I forget the bitter tears that the sight of the cross brought streaming from my eyes one Good Friday?” “Blessed, a thousand times blessed, that he, this good Father, notwithstanding my unworthiness, lavished on me all the richness of his mercy.” The experience did not stay just inside of him. “Let me at least make up for lost time by redoubling my love for him.”

After a short time, St. Eugene wanted to share the mercy he experienced with others. Such zeal for souls finally led to the birth of the Oblates. The word “Oblates” means people ready to give themselves for the love of God.”

W. Steckling OMI, OMI Information n 462, Rome, February 2007

“Jesus on the cross feels the whole weight of the evil, and with the force of God’s love he conquers it; he defeats it with his resurrection. This is the good that Jesus does for us on the throne of the cross. Christ’s cross, embraced with love, never leads to sadness, but to joy, to the joy of having been saved and of doing a little of what he did on the day of his death.”   Pope Francis

This entry was posted in WRITINGS. Bookmark the permalink.

1 Response to HOLY WEEK: PEOPLE READY TO GIVE OURSELVES FOR THE LOVE OF GOD

  1. Eleanor Rabnett, Oblate Associate says:

    There are two phrases that seem to capture my focus this morning. The first: “What we can celebrate in 2007 is not an anniversary of the Congregation, but rather an anniversary of our charism, the spiritual gift that makes us live – an anniversary of our Oblate spirituality.” And the second is: “The word “Oblates” means people ready to give themselves for the love of God.” These words speak to me of how I will approach Good Friday this year. The Cross is still the cross and Jesus’s crucifixion took place as did his resurrection.

    Last year many of us spent Holy Week in lockdown – without being able to leave our homes and gather as community in our churches. We found different ways to celebrate and follow the Way of the Cross as well as the Resurrection. This year, though not in lockdown, we will again find our celebrations within our hearts because many of our traditional ways of celebrating are not yet possible with the continuing pandemic. Once again, we will go deeper within ourselves, even though we will be allowed to celebrate with our families and communities in our churches; even if we are unable to do so in some traditional ways.

    My thoughts return to Wilhelm Steckling’s words: “…an anniversary of our charism, the spiritual gift that makes us live – an anniversary of our Oblate spirituality.” Good Friday will still be Good Friday, even without the procession of the cross; we will “celebrate our charism, our spirituality which the cross gave birth to”. It will be a subdued day, a somber day, but hopefully we will be able to allow our hearts to sing. For we are “people ready to give ourselves for the love of God”; following in the way of Jesus our crucified Saviour.

Leave a Reply to Eleanor Rabnett, Oblate Associate Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *