Fr. Lubowicki continues to show young Father Eugene\u2019s youth ministry aimed at developing a Marian attitude in the young people in their approach to God and the expressions of their faith. He studies the Rule written by Eugene for the members of the Youth Congregation.<\/p>\n
The Rule sets forth a life-style both for the individual and for group activities. With regard to activities for the individual, he invites them to a daily recitation of Saint Bernard\u2019s prayer: \u201cRemember, O most gracious Virgin Mary\u201d, and makes the suggestion that \u201cin addition, frequently in the course of a day, they let fly some arrows of love toward her maternal heart by means of short but fervent aspirations\u201d. While calling upon them to make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament, he reminds them that \u201cbefore leaving the church […] they should not forget to say a few prayers to the Blessed Virgin because the Mother must never be separated from her Son\u201d. In 1813 Eugene suggested that they should recite a decade of the rosary and to fall asleep \u201cin peace with the holy names of Jesus and Mary on their lips, but even more so in their hearts\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n As a result, the presence of Mary permeated not only the days of the personal lives of the associates, but the time they spent together as well. Mary’s image was to be found on the Association’s coat of arms. All exercises were brought to a conclusion by the following prayer recited in Proven\u00e7al: \u201cMay Jesus Christ be praised and Mary, ever Immaculate, be praised as well together with her divine Son\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n Meetings opened with the recitation of the Ave Maria and ended with the Sub tuum praesidium. The Rule bound the young people to recite the Divine Office in common every Thursday and Sunday: recitation of Matins and Lauds of the Blessed Virgin and singing of Vespers of that same Office. Consequently, it would seem that Eugene had forgotten his Venetian spiritual master’s teaching: \u201cNever too much, always well done\u201d! It is clear that he wanted to imbue the activities and the day of his young people with the presence of Mary.<\/em><\/p>\n C. Lubowicki, \u201cMary\u201d in the Dictionary of Oblate Values, http:\/\/www.omiworld.org\/dictionary.asp?v=9&ID=1056&let=M&pag=4<\/a><\/p>\n Eugene transferred this ideal to the Oblates and it has been carried over and expressed in our own day in our Rule as: \u201cMary Immaculate, in her faith response and total openness to the call of the Spirit, is the model and guardian of our consecrated life.<\/em>\u201d \u00a0\u00a0CC&RR, Constitution 13<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Then his mother and his brothers came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd. He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you.” He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.” Luke 8:19-21<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Fr. Lubowicki continues to show young Father Eugene\u2019s youth ministry aimed at developing a Marian attitude in the young people in their approach to God and the expressions of their faith. He studies the Rule written by Eugene for the … Continue reading