2 Days to go before Congress

21 – 29 MAY 2022

NOVENA PRAYER FOR OBLATE VOCATIONS WITH MARY IMMACULATE
21 – 29 MAY 2022
You are all beautiful, O Mary!

May 25, 2022
Hymn: Tota Pulchra Es O Maria or other Scripture reading: From the Gospel of St. Luke 2:22-35
When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn maleshall be designated as holy to the Lord”), and they offered a
sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair
of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this
man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation
of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to
him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had
seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the
temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for
him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his
arms and praised God, saying,
“Master, now you are dismissing
your
servant in peace,
according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people
Israel.”
And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being
said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother
Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many
in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner
thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your
own soul too.”

Meditation:
As Father Fernand Jetté stated, the title of a religious family usually
expresses its nature, essence and function. It really seems that the
choice of
the title “Missionary Oblates of the Most Holy and
Immaculate Virgin Mary” must have been the culmination of a new
and deeper insight into the mission of the Congregation on the part
of Father de Mazenod. He discovered Mary as the person who was
the most committed to the service of Christ, the poor and the
Church and saw her as the most comprehensive model of apostolic
life as required by his Congregation. In the letter he began to write
2to Father Tempier on December 22, 1825, one is struck by two of his reflections: a certain fascination with the new title as well as a regret that he had not thought of it sooner. He seems to become aware of the fact that, even if he had always loved Mary, he had not yet understood the essential role she played in the plan of Redemption. In searching for the patron who best expressed the goal of his Congregation – that is a person walking in the footsteps of Christ, committed to the apostolate of service and to the instruction of the poor – he had not thought of Mary. While in Rome, he understood who Mary really was. The title of the Congregation was thus born from a discovery that, in order to respond in an authentic way to the urgent needs of the Church, its members should identify with Mary Immaculate “to offer themselves” to the service of God’s plan of salvation like she did. (From Dictionary of Oblate Values, “Mary” by Kazimierz Lubowicki, OMI).
Moment of silence

Spontaneous Prayers and Intentions Concluding Prayer:
Mary Immaculate, we give thanks for your smile upon St. Eugene. You confirmed his missionary project as an apostolic body in the Church that would generate abundant fruit for the mission of God and become a community of holiness. We come before you today and ask your smile to bless our vocational efforts. Help us to create apostolic communities of joy, with a fraternal spirit that will attract young people to join us. Give us an authentic spirit of prayer that witnesses to the truth that God is all for us. As we persevere in prayer for vocations, help us to have the courage to invite young people to join our way of life. We ask this in the name of Jesus, your Son, the Lord of the harvest. Amen.
Final hymn