Presentation of Mary On November 21, the Church recalls the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Although this event isn’t recorded in the Scriptures it has been an ancient belief of the disciples of Jesus that Our Lady was offered to the Almighty as a young girl. Especially the Eastern Churches contemplate this mystery in a profound way. Among some stories surrounding the event there is one saying that when her parents brought her up to the temple in Jerusalem Mary was met by a priest who sensing the extraordinary grace filling the child walked her to the most sacred chamber of the Temple, the Holy of Holiest. Although no one can prove it but the story highlights that Our Lady was not only worthy to be there where the Presence of God dwelled she was to be the Holy of Holiest when the Only Begotten Son of God was incarnate in her womb. Today the Church marvels at the grace granted to Mary, the grace that united her with her Divine Son for ever.
The mystery of this event can be well explained by the term of oblation which in our Oblate Congregation is used to describe our vows of chastity, poverty, obedience and perseverance. Oblation signifies an action through which the Christian, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, gives himself to God. Even at the beginning of the Institute when it was still called Missionaries of Provence, the vows taken by the members were called Oblation. 20 years later when St Eugen went to Rome to ask the Pope to approve the Institute he changed the name to Missionaries Oblates of Mary Immaculate. One can say that the vows – Oblation gave the final name to the religious family founded by St Eugene de Mazenod. First the Missionaries lived their total surrender to God like Mary did, and then they sealed it with the new name: Oblates. They offered themselves to the Immaculate as they knew that Mary keeps nothing or nobody to herself but offers it all to her Son Jesus Christ.
The mystery of this event can be well explained by the term of oblation which in our Oblate Congregation is used to describe our vows of chastity, poverty, obedience and perseverance. Oblation signifies an action through which the Christian, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, gives himself to God. Even at the beginning of the Institute when it was still called Missionaries of Provence, the vows taken by the members were called Oblation. 20 years later when St Eugen went to Rome to ask the Pope to approve the Institute he changed the name to Missionaries Oblates of Mary Immaculate. One can say that the vows – Oblation gave the final name to the religious family founded by St Eugene de Mazenod. First the Missionaries lived their total surrender to God like Mary did, and then they sealed it with the new name: Oblates. They offered themselves to the Immaculate as they knew that Mary keeps nothing or nobody to herself but offers it all to her Son Jesus Christ.
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