Because God had done so much for them and for the poor, through their ministry, the Oblates wanted to be generous in their response. Following the example of the saints, they wanted their missionary commitment to God to be expressed through making vows as religious. Through this act of oblation, they wished their ministry to be as fruitful for themselves as it was for the people they ministered to.<\/p>\n
It was to ensure fidelity to their ideals that they drew up the Constitutions and Rules that they wanted approved by the Pope.<\/p>\n
\nThey themselves have been struck by the wonders that grace has achieved through their ministry. They feel that to become worthy of their vocation, they must walk in the footsteps of the saints; that the members of their Society must have the possibility of working at their perfection and at the same time, they would provide the people with the means of salvation by preaching conversion to them.<\/strong><\/h5>\n
They have resolved to commit themselves to the evangelical counsels and to devote themselves totally to whatever would promote the greatest glory of God, the salvation of the most abandoned souls, and the service of the Church.<\/strong><\/h5>\n
The Rules and the Constitutions of the Society of the Missionary Oblates of Saint Charles (which is the name they had taken), commonly known as the Missionaries of Provence, have been drawn up in this spirit.<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Petition for approbation to Pope Leo XII, 8 December 1825, EO XIII n.48<\/em><\/p>\n
\n\u00a0But it is not enough for them simply to be convinced of the sublime nature of the ministry to which they have been called. The example of the saints and reason itself make it amply clear that the success of such a holy undertaking as well as the maintenance of discipline in any society make certain rules of life absolutely necessary for unity of thought and action among the members. Such unity is a body’s strength, keeping up its fervor and insuring that it lasts.<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\u00a0Preface of the CC&RR<\/em><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cHe who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.\u201d Albert Einstein<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Because God had done so much for them and for the poor, through their ministry, the Oblates wanted to be generous in their response. Following the example of the saints, they wanted their missionary commitment to God to be expressed … Continue reading