The Oblate
Missionaries of Mary Immaculate

My presence to God and to the world is what motivates me every day to help my neighbors and even more so at Christmas time. My life of intimacy with Christ awakens me to the needs of my community.
I live surrounded by five families from Syria, one from Madagascar and two from Aboriginal people. At Christmas, I decorate the interior and exterior of my home with religious scenes. It is an opportunity to explain the meaning of my religion to those who question me.
The magazine of Our Lady of the Cape of September 2022, with the help of artificial intelligence, illustrated a most realistic portrait of Jesus. I notice that this Jesus has many features in common with my Syrian neighbors. To continue the comparison, I also see in the ten or so young children playing in the yard, a friendly little Jesus.
All these coincidences stimulate my actions and invite me to seek the will of God in the heart of the world. Just like at Halloween, I will have a little surprise for my young friends at Christmas.
Isn't that event a time for sharing with people who are not yet adapted to our country?
For me, to live Christmas is to witness to charity at every occasion that arises.

Lise Jacques
Trois-Rivières, December, 2022

Pictures
Child: Pexels de Pixabay
Jesus: ʌʅєҳʌɲɗɾʌ ɱontanaro de Pixabay

Engaged in the Secular Institute of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate for nearly 65 years, I am always amazed by the thousand and one small gestures of CHARITY experienced daily in my new very privileged living environment in RPA.

Last October 4, on the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Scriptures invited us to live a “JOYEOUS CHARITY! “How beautiful; we need this precise attitude in our daily lives, especially on days of gloom or illness.

We are more than 300 people in our residence and I give thanks for the attention shown by the children and grandchildren to the parents, aunts or other elders. Yes, a beautiful presence, gestures of kindness, compassion, sensitivity and services adapted to each; a  unique way to bring joy to the life of loved ones. Yes, it is a JOYFUL CHARITY! which is happening before my eyes.

On that same feast day, the reading in the Word of God was of the choice Mary made to be seated at the feet of the Lord, listening to his word, while Martha was occupied in her role as hostess. A comment by the presider at mass was on the importance of always sitting with Jesus a while before getting busy with things of the world.

By going to the school of Mary of the Visitation, we learn to develop an attentive ear and a compassionate heart.

A beautiful learning experience to put into practice on a daily basis.

Gertrude G.
Lokia T.R.

By going to the school of Mary of the Visitation, we learn to develop an attentive ear and a compassionate heart.

A beautiful learning experience to put into practice on a daily basis.

Gertrude G.

Lokia T.R.

Cuba - Jaruco -

It is with joy that we share the renewal of the promises of the Volunteers of God of Cuba - Jaruco.
Thank you all and especially to Maria Elena Perdomo. Many blessings to you.

Spain

Saturday October 15, 2022, we had the joy of inaugurating the first meeting with the Volunteers of God of Spain.
Look at the life of this group, children, young people and adults who are part of the Volunteers.
God is there without a doubt…
Many blessings, may the Holy Spirit and Father Louis-Marie Parent be with us always.

Peru

The first meeting of the Volunteers of God took place in Peru.
Thank you Lord for being so good to each of us.

Hello,
Below are the names of the new President, the new Vice-President and the members of the Administrative Council.
Please carry these companions in your prayers.

ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL 2022-2027

From left to right: Ellena Brelu Brelu (vice-president), AIO Region, Françoise Lequarré,
EUROPE Region, Denise Dubé (president), NAE Region, Renée Ntagungira, NAW Region.
Mortised from top to bottom: Delina Carretero Calenzani, LAC Region, Violaine Couture, NAE Region and Doan Thi Ngoc Diêp, AIO Region.

Excerpt from President Denise Dubé’s letter to the 2022 General Assembly

Dear Oblate Companions,

We worked hard and together to have a statement that a large majority of Oblates throughout the world would identify with. Following Christ to witness the unconditional love of God the Father through the attitudes of life. We have therefore taken your comments into account for a brief, precise and representative statement. This statement strongly connects us to our foundation points: Christ, charity (unconditional love) and our life attitudes. This means that every Oblate, wherever she may be, whatever her age, her limitations, her involvement in society, has the possibility of living this mission. Each Oblate, by applying herself to live her attitudes in daily life, is part of the mission of the Institute. In this way, we become a force for the Gospel. Every little gesture of love, every service rendered, every moment of welcoming the other, of listening on the telephone, of seeking peace between neighbours and you have plenty of examples in your daily life - represent the living out of our mission. And we can thank God for this wonderful mission!

In closing, let us all be open, and available to the new paths that the Spirit of the Lord wants to trace. Sometimes we do not immediately understand where He is leading us, but He is present and watching over His Institute, as is Father Parent. Let us remain in hope. The Lord Jesus is on the road with us.

With all my heart, I am with each one of you,
Denise Dubé, President

2. Discovering trends

I ask myself some questions to clarify who I am. Am I a perfectionist? A super-active person?

If I am a perfectionist, I will have difficulty using my time well, and I will develop a kind of fear of not succeeding, a fear of being too slow and of not meeting the expectations of others. [...]

The perfectionist is more concerned with putting his thoughts and ideas in order than with producing something concrete. [...] He lacks confidence in himself and in others.

[...] The perfectionist has a tendency to procrastinate. The perfectionist wants to be sure before acting and cannot make up his mind. He misses many opportunities and ends up ignoring the needs of others.

Am I super active? I have so much to do. I touch everything, I run around all day and I never finish anything. I'm nervous, tense, brusque. I never take the time to stop, to evaluate my performance, to take stock of my resources. The super-active rarely takes advice from others. He is generally feared; he thinks he is entitled to show off his experiences, to cite himself as a model. He manipulates a lot of things, he displaces a lot of people, he gives the impression of walking or running for nothing.

[...] Each person, being different from the others, must apply himself to the administration of time. Needs vary with age and temperament, with the seasons and events, and this must be taken into account.

Excerpt from the “Collection Volontaires de Dieu”: Time… is Wealth / Father Louis-Marie Parent, OMI (September 1983)

Time… is wealth (1)
Time... is wealth (3)

It is with a lovely heart of the Holy Scripture that Father Louis-Marie Parent, OMI.
transmits us this beautiful Word. Inspired of Jn 10, 14-18



I am the good Shepherd.
It is up to me to take care of my sheep.
I love my sheep, they let themselves be guided,
they abandon themselves to me.
If they are wounded I take care of them, I bind their wounds,
I integrate them into my flock.
I ask that they let themselves be loved,
that they be calm, that they be recollected,
that they let themselves be invaded by my silence,
that they open their ears, that they call me,
that they pay attention, that they let themselves be loved.
[…]
I am the good Shepherd; I know my sheep,
my sheep know me.
They listen to me, they follow me.
Nothing can take them out of my hand.
They will never perish.
Amen.

Excerpts from the book: In Intimacy with Jesus
Father Louis-Marie Parent, OMI.

Photo: pexels-frank-meriño-8267801

At the International Congress of Volunteers of God, which took place July 16 and 17, 2022, we had the participation of the Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate and the Volunteers of God from different parts of the world.

On the first day, our dear Oblates, jealous guardians of the meaning of the spirituality of the 5 attitudes of life and of the charity of Christ, reminded us of what it was like to know and be close to the founder, Father Louis-Marie Parent, and spoke to us about each of the 5 attitudes of life.

Simone Huneault began the Congress by thanking God for having given us the gift of the presence of the founder, Father Louis-Marie Parent, a very special branch of the Lord's vine, and for having called him to proclaim the charity of Christ at all times and in all places, through the living of the 5 attitudes of life and acts of love towards others.

Pierrette Fortin presented the personality of Father Louis-Marie Parent, emphasizing that he was a man of faith, very close to the people, endowed with a notable apostolic fervour and an extraordinary gift of the word.

Réjeanne Allard spoke about the first attitude of life, the presence of God in the present moment, insisting that this presence is noticeable at every moment and in every place of creation and that we must constantly give thanks for God's creative work.

Lina Lagacé reflected on the attitude of life that refers to the absence of destructive inner and outer criticism, reminding us that we must see our neighbour with the eyes of the heart and leave aside negative criticism. She invited us to free our hearts from that which prevents love from taking root in us and to acquire a positive outlook of love and compassion for all.

Aline Morency spoke about the absence of useless inner and outer complaints, an attitude which, like those mentioned above, is a gift from God. She indicated that living this attitude allows us to develop a humble and understanding look towards others and that, consequently, it helps us to effectively fulfill the commandment of love: "Love God and thy neighbour as thyself.”

María Elena Perdomo elaborated on the attitude of being of service, reminding us that it is necessary to serve with humanity. She also reminded us that Father Parent used to say, recalling the words of Christ, that every time we do service to others, we are serving God.

Rose Mathieu reflected on the attitude called peacemaker, pointing out that peace is the gift of God, the ripe fruit that produces love. She reminded us that in this sense, peace is the life of God incorporated into the being of the person.

Oblate Flor Acuña concluded the day with a reflection on the need to live the presence of God at all times, especially in times of weakness, when doubts, fears and fatigue easily arise. It is then that we must live the presence of God with greater strength.

There is no doubt that the active role played by the Oblates who have accompanied and continue to accompany the groups of Volunteers of God in the heart of the world has left an invaluable imprint and a seed of love on our spirituality centred on the presence of God and the charity of Christ.

Esther Acuña Rios
Leader of the Volunteers of God
      

“A faithful friend is priceless... it is an assured refuge...
he who finds him has found a treasure...” Ben Sira

In this time of pandemic, how many people have stood up to reach out to isolated friends?

I have found this treasure. Many come to render a service, call or simply stop by for a brief visit to break the loneliness and to acknowledge that I exist.

For my part, according to my possibilities, I provide a moment on the phone to lonely people by listening and serving.

Living in faith in the present moment. “My neighbour gives me the chance to detect the image of God in him. ˮ Father Parent

So let us give thanks to God for all these small gestures being experienced throughout the world.

Marie-Thérèse Dugast
France

 Photo: Gundula Vogel de Pixabay

The dynamism of the Holy Spirit acting on his Church gave once again the opportunity to the Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate as well as to the Volunteers of God to come together to deepen their spirituality of the 5 attitudes of life and the charity of Christ. From different parts of the world, far from each other, we shared beautiful and profound experiences that renewed our spirituality.

On July 16 and 17, 2022, the International Congress of Volunteers of God was held under the theme “Back to the Source”. To do this, we listened to the Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate, direct source of his teachings, speak to us about Father Parent's vision. The second objective was to share among the Volunteers of God how we live our mission in the world, trying to emphasize each of the attitudes of life.

This conference was illuminated by Christ's words when He reminded us that He is the vine and we are the branches. “He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for apart from me, you can do nothing (Jn 15:5). This message constituted the main axis of the congress, and it led us to study more deeply what unites the Volunteers of God and the Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate. But also, we sought to “return to the source” of our spirituality, Christ, in order to remain faithful to his teachings.

To this end, we held two days of intense reflection. On the first day, we had the extraordinary participation of our dear Oblates, who reflected on the meaning of our spirituality. On the second day, it was up to the Volunteers of God, coming from different and distant parts of the world, to reflect on how they live the spirituality of life attitudes.

The congress concluded by emphasizing that this return to the source helps us to recognize that the message of Christ and the 5 attitudes of life taught by Father Parent, a man illuminated by the spirit of God, allows us to return to live the charity of God in our communities and with our brothers and sisters with conviction so that at the end of our earthly life, we may have the profound feeling of having helped some of the children of God and that Jesus may say to us: “Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit of the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, a prisoner and you came to see me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and quench your thirst, a stranger and welcome you, naked and clothe you, sick or imprisoned and come to you?” And the King will answer them, “Truly I say to you, inasmuch as you have done it to one of the least of my brethren, you did it to me.”

Esther Acuña Rios
Leader of the Volunteers of God

I entered the Institute at the age of 17. I received from my parents what a child should learn and know early in life.

When I entered on May 13, 1958, some companions gave me the formation to become a good Oblate according to the standards of the Institute. I remember when a directress helped me become a responsible person so that in turn, I could help others.

I have very good memories of Denise Mathieu, who introduced me to social work. I went with her to learn how to help a lady, how to do housework, etc. Even today, this family keeps in touch with me. What kindness from the good Lord!

In the Institute, I learned to live in a group, in a team. I really liked it. There was a lot of mutual help.

The adult I have become is thanks to the Institute, which has kept me committed so that my journey continues. Even if sometimes the road becomes more difficult, I know the Lord is always there.

Thank you, Jesus, for sending me your Holy Spirit

Albertine Landry, Rouyn-Noranda