GOD’S POWER ENABLES THE MISSIONARY TO BE CLOSE TO THE PEOPLE (C8)  

Posted on September 25, 2025 by franksantucci

We will always be close to the people with whom we work, taking into account their values and aspirations…
Awareness of our own shortcomings humbles us, yet God’s power makes us confident as we strive to bring all people – especially the poor – to full consciousness of their dignity as human beings and as sons and daughters of God.

Constitution 8

 Through personal contact the people were invited to an encounter with the Savior, but the missionaries had to make sure that they themselves had prayed to be His cooperators and instruments to the people.
In that spirit of evangelical closeness, they visited the people of the smaller villages in their homes on the first days of the missions to establish contact with them and to ascertain whether there were any pastoral problems that needed to be dealt with.
Eugene established this principle in the first Rule of the Missionaries:

They will visit without distinction all the town’s inhabitants. The missionaries will do this with great modesty, much gentleness, affability, and consideration.
Before beginning the visit, the missionaries will go before the Blessed Sacrament to commend to our Lord Jesus Christ this important action that can greatly influence the mission’s success.

1818 Rule Part 1, Chapter 2, §2

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One Response to GOD’S POWER ENABLES THE MISSIONARY TO BE CLOSE TO THE PEOPLE (C8)  

  1. Eleanor Rabnett, Lay Oblate says:
    September 25, 2025 at 13:02

    This morning I am reminded of the small tent communities which will soon spring up as we head towards winter. Eugene himself recognized this during the Great Potato Famine in Ireland. What has happened to us as human beings that it is world-wide even in some of the richest countries. We allow for the de-humanization of peoples, including ourselves. I dare to say it is becoming systemic.

    In the pre-release of “A Companion to the OMI Constitutions and Rules” Maurus Kakuru Kantana, OMI in Namibia shares what it was like to work in a gold mine and how his Oblate brothers continue to help him: “When we see some of our dedicated MAMI members and other lay People who are inspired by and live this charism, it makes us aware that this is God’s gift to humanity. God continues to call us to be human, Christians and, maybe with God’s grace, to become saints… this is the invitation that this Constitution calls us to respond to.”

    As members of the Oblate Charismatic Family, we too are invited to strive to bring each other and the poor to full consciousness of our dignity as human beings as sons and daughters of God. It is not just relegated to the religious and priests, but rather it is shared with all of us.

    Reply

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