Oblate Brothers share in the common priesthood of Christ. They are called to cooperate in their own way in reconciling all things in him (cf. Col 1: 20). Through their religious consecration, they offer a particular witness to a life inspired by the Gospel.
Brothers participate in the missionary work of building up the Church everywhere, especially in those areas where the Word is first being proclaimed. Missioned by the Church, their technical, professional or pastoral service, as well as the witness of their life, constitute their ministry of evangelization.
Rule 7 c
“The Brothers brought their many skills to the Oblate mission, especially in teaching: “in 1850-1853, brothers were teaching in Canada and in England. In the period between 1841 and 1861, at least twenty-five brothers taught catechism in France, at Vico and in Sri Lanka.
The brothers were so much a part of the Congregation after 1841 that Bishop de Mazenod distributed as many as possible in the houses in France and made them a part of every missionary contingent. Moreover, more and more brothers joined the Congregation after the acceptance of foreign missions. At the time of the death of the Founder, of the four hundred and fourteen Oblates, there were eighty-seven brothers, giving a total of twenty percent.
In the appendix of the 1853 Rule on foreign missions, Bishop de Mazenod … opened up a new field of apostolate for them by asking that in all our missions the priest should never be alone, that he be accompanied by at least one brother. He added that the Oblates should turn their attention to teaching the youth” (S. Rebordinos, https://www.omiworld.org/lemma/brothers/ )
This morning I took time to look at the Brothers as written about in the Dictionary of Oblate Values along with as few more pages offered in the “Companion to the Oblate CC&RR: not totally but enough to know that I need to return (soon rather than later) to allow myself to taste and savour it so that it might become like health food and nourishment for my heart to be able to continue to love.
Brothers are very humble – they do not wear sack clothes and ashes in order to prove their humility and desire to serve – God and the Church, their congregation and all of us. I think of John the Baptist’s words of not being worthy in John 1:27. In the light of our crucified Saviour there is a worthiness brought about by the Cross. It is their lives that speak louder than words. All Oblates who make their perpetual Oblation are reminded to accept both their Oblate Missionary Cross and their copy of the Oblate Constitutions and Rules in order for them to live.
Brothers are models who allow their lives to speak for them and for many of us we need to hear this so that we too can be evangelizers by witnessing and sharing our talents, our God-given gifts of life.
I can learn much from them if I am to become who God has created me to be. They are truly lanterns of light to our feet as we move through the darkness of our hearts.
I would do well to ask them to give me a portion of their charism – no measuring or comparing, but perhaps the first small steps of humility…