This month we continue our series of articles to celebrate our twentieth anniversary by talking about our Oblates. Who is a typical Oblate of Divine Revelation? The Oblates are Christians who are eager to live the Gospel with great depth and conviction. In the spirituality of the Missionaries of Divine Revelation they have made a journey of faith, which helps them to follow Christ and encourages them to serve God and his neighbour. They live their lives closely connected to the “Three white loves: the Eucharist, the Immaculate Conception and the Holy Father” and in close communion with the Magisterium of the Church.
The oblate can be a man or a woman, a priest or a layman, married or single. The oblation is a path that supports and helps them to live out their particular vocation. In short, it encourages them to seek holiness according to Jesus’ instruction to His disciples: "Be therefore perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect"(Mt 5:48). Therefore, in the Church, everyone whether belonging to the hierarchy, or being cared for by it, is called to holiness, according to the saying of the Apostle: "For this is the will of God, your sanctification" (1 Thess 4: 3; cf. . Eph 1,4) "(Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium, nn. 39-40).
There are three personal dispositions required to become an Oblate:
- the sincere desire to convert, to grow in the spiritual life, to work to be conformed to Christ, to truly seek God, to know and love the Word of God ever more deeply.
- love for the Virgin of Revelation and knowledge of her message because her essential traits must guide the oblate's spiritual journey.
- to feel a sense of belonging to the Community of the Missionaries of Divine Revelation whom they consider as a second family and feel their influence in their lives. Where possible they participate in the prayers of the Community, the initiatives of the MDR and make their skills and talents available to help the Community according to the spare time they have available.
In fact, the Oblates become part of the MDR family with bonds of intimate fraternity and mutual collaboration. Furthermore, they establish relations of fraternal friendship among themselves and seek to be peacemakers and promoters of communion in society and in the Church as an expression of that communion which unites them to the Community of the Missionaries. These relationships are strengthened through prayer meetings, spiritual, doctrinal and liturgical formation and charitable work (from the Statute of the Oblates of Divine Revelation).
The community, in harmony with its own charism and characteristics, allows the oblate to share intimately with its mission which, first and foremost, is prayer. We are true Christians to the extent that we pray. This does not mean that one should spend most of the time in prayer, but that it is the breath of the spiritual life.
The Community also allows the Oblates to participate in its apostolate. It is very edifying to see their generosity in helping us Missionaries with the mission of the "pilgrim Madonna" and organising groups all over the world dedicated to spreading the message of the Virgin of Revelation.
Finally, the oblate is asked, like every Christian, to "bear witness to Christ everywhere", and while still enjoying external goods, they devotes themselves totally to extending the Kingdom of God with a generous spirit (cf. Ecumenical Council Vat. II , Decr. AA, n. 7). On the 12 April 1947, at the Grotto of the Three Fountains (Tre Fontane), the Virgin of Revelation asked us to, “Be missionaries of the Word of Truth”. In doing so, the oblate becomes that "salt of the earth" (Mt 5:13), of which the Lord Jesus speaks and which enables us to collaborate with Him for the salvation of souls.
May Our Lady, Virgin of Revelation, send us many generous and faith-filled souls to help us prepare hearts to receive the Truth of the Gospel!
God Bless Us
And the Virgin Protect Us