Eugene’s understanding of the Oblate vocation was to a lifestyle and mission that was as close as possible to that of Jesus and his apostles, and in our first Rule he defined us as being \u201ccalled to be the Saviour\u2019s co-workers, the co-redeemers of mankind.\u201d In our recent series of reflections on the parish missions we saw how they tried to imitate as closely as possible the spirit and the actions of Jesus and the disciples on mission in Israel. It is in the light of this that Eugene writes:<\/p>\n
\nI have said that my intention in dedicating myself to the ministry of the missions to work especially for the instruction and conversion of the most abandoned souls, was to follow the example of the Apostles in their life of devotedness and self-denial. I became convinced that, in order to obtain the same results from our preaching, we had to walk in their footsteps and as far as we could, practise the same virtues.<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Rambert, I p. 187<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Their first mission experience together in Grans had convinced Eugene of the need to go deeper than just actions \u2013 they had to imitate the virtues, the deepest bonds that existed between Jesus and his apostles. It was a call to be penetrated through and through by the\u00a0profoundest aspects of this relationship:<\/p>\n
\nI do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. (John 15:15)<\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n
For me, this is oblation: a commitment to being friends of Jesus and living the fullness of communion and intimacy with him as apostolic missionaries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Eugene’s understanding of the Oblate vocation was to a lifestyle and mission that was as close as possible to that of Jesus and his apostles, and in our first Rule he defined us as being \u201ccalled to be the Saviour\u2019s … Continue reading