Louise Fleury
The meetings of the Spanish-speaking Volunteers of God
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Saint Teresa of Jesus said "God writes straight with crooked lines", only in this way I can understand the wonderful experience that the Volunteers of God, an associated group of the OMMI, have lived throughout the past year in the midst of this terrible pandemic. It is incredible to discover that through technology more than 70 people between men and women from Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, the United States and Spain have stayed connected to live through small reflections, the 5 attitudes of life and what's more, we have been able to keep alive a chain of prayer for the members and relatives of the group of the Volunteers of God and the whole world. We have also held virtual meetings every month, delving into different topics where the reflection of the gospel and the deepening of our spirituality stood out. It is interesting to note that through these meetings we have been able to get to know each other a little more each day, and it has all been because God and his Holy Mother have acted, and we have been docile to allow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, making this Spanish-speaking group a dynamic group with a lot of spiritual vitality. In the same way, we must highlight the role of our dear Oblates who have always accompanied us, participating in our meetings, who remind us that we are an intrinsic part of the Institute, we are the associated group that seeks to promote in our homes, in our environment and in the whole world the spirituality that Father Parent left us, which also makes us walk straight through paths that are sometimes crooked. Esther Acuña Ríos |
Keep my Heart Pure
As I read this prayer, I said to myself that good Saint Joseph, whom we celebrate during this month of March, could have spoken these beautiful words himself.
I dare to think that our founder, Father Louis-Marie Parent, O.M.I., would no doubt have dedicated it to him.
Lord, keep my heart pure,
deliver my thoughts from all pride,
stamp my words with your anointing,
convert me to your mentality,
engrave in my heart the riches of your forgiveness,
lead me to being simple and flexible.
Correct me, straighten my path,
align me with your wishes,
stimulate me every twenty-four hours.
Make me aware of what you prepare me for,
every day a special cross
which helps me to follow Jesus, which brings me closer to Mary,
which will surely lead me to the resurrection.
Lord, give me the grace to think like you,
to act like Jesus,
to allow myself to be seized by the divine Spirit,
to live discreetly like Mary.
Lord, you want me to be a servant,
you show me the last place, where I belong;
I agree to be your instrument,
a glove of poor quality that you make supple,
in which you keep your hand as long as you wish.
Lord, you are my refuge, my rock,
an oasis, a solitude, a silence, a presence;
I stay near you,
I bow, I prostrate myself, I adore you,
I love you.
Amen.
I Welcome You, p. 127, publication by Father Louis-Marie Parent, O.M.I.
How to free yourself from your fears? (1)
1. Create a true image of yourself
Who is not vulnerable, who does not feel broken when hearing malicious gossip, slander or sarcasm about them? We are aware of all the good that we say about ourselves, we do not always believe it, but we convince ourselves that those who speak well of others are friendly, kind, courteous. We dwell more on their attitude towards us than on the truths they reveal about us.
To evolve, it is necessary to take stock of our possibilities by developing our ability to concentrate on ourselves, and by accepting the help of others, which is essential to arrive at a satisfactory knowledge of ourselves.
It is good to relive the hours of wonder of our childhood, to find in the depths of our subconscious the kind words that we cannot forget, the friendly gestures, the signs of trust, the freedom that our parents left us.
Others can tell us about our positive values, but it is up to us to cultivate them.
Happy are those who get up in the morning, their hearts full of joy, their faces lit up with smiles.
Excerpt from the Collection Volunteers of God,
“How to free yourself from your fears?” by Louis-Marie Parent, O.M.I.
Read Also: How to free yourself from your fears ? (2)
Photo: Engin Akyurt de Pixabay
Celebrate the mystery of consecration
Dear Oblates,
We join you on the eve of a day that is dear to us all. On February 2, the World Day of Consecrated Life is celebrated on the day when the Church remembers the presentation of Jesus in the temple. Consecrated women, you know that this is a significant day because it is dedicated to our wonderful vocation which, in different ways, makes God's love for man, woman and the whole universe shine forth.
So, we celebrate the mystery of consecration: the consecration of Christ, the consecration of Mary, the consecration of all those who follow Jesus for love of the Kingdom of God.
On this special day, I invite you to thank the Lord for the great gift of consecrated life. I invite you to make consecrated life better known and appreciated by all the people of God. I call upon you as consecrated persons to celebrate together the marvels that the Lord has accomplished in you. We need to reflect on the gift we have received, to discover it in the light of faith, to become aware of our incomparable mission in the Church for life in the world.
With this letter, I also wish to reduce the physical distancing that the pandemic has imposed on us for so many months and to express to each of you, our closeness. For months now, we have been following the news that reaches us from our companions in different countries: they speak of distress, of contagions, of deaths, of human and economic difficulties, of fears... but they also speak of resilience, of courage, of innovation, of renewal of faith, of charity.
On February 2, several activities are being organized in dioceses around the world to mark this special day. It will be a great opportunity to praise and thank the Lord for the gift of our vocation and mission!
May a living and loving faith, a sure and joyful hope, a humble and active charity be strengthened in you.
Pierrette Fortin
Interim President
January 26, 2022
Read also in french:
Article au Centre Pri, « Instituts Séculiers »
Témoignage de Renée Ntagungira : Ma vie consacrée dans un Institut séculier
Et la 26e journée mondiale de la vie consacrée
Prayer nourishes the soul
Pleasant surprise to begin year 2022.
Father Parent was a man of great projects, a soul of prayer, adoration and of listening to the Spirit. Through his prayers, we will discover more about this spiritual man who left us as a legacy of inspiring writings.
The Lord establishes a dialogue with the attentive soul. He speaks through the soul, He makes his presence felt. In this dialogue, is it really Him speaking, or is it just imagination? It is possible to discern. If the prayer is positive, if it is in the spirit of the commandments, we can conclude that it comes from God, that it is a form of inspiration, since the Holy Spirit dwells in the heart of the baptized. If the prayer is based on Holy Scriptures, why would we dare to doubt its authenticity?
(page 161). Father Louis-Marie Parent, O.M.I.
Let's collect our thoughts...
Let us place ourselves in the presence of God.
Let’s keep silent.
Let us call on the Holy Spirit.
Let’s call on Mary.
Let us let the voice of the Lord rise within us. (pages 162-163)
I call to you with all my heart.
Be attentive to my voice.
I call out to you to assure you
that I always remain faithful to my covenant. (page 178)
Before dawn breaks, I am present.
When you prolong your prayer into the night,
when you think of me
I become the richness of your desires.
I am the artisan who creates your prayers,
I am the meaning of your meditations,
I am the Love you are looking for.
I am the one who listens to you tirelessly.
I am very close to you. (pages 178-179)
Extracts from the book, In intimacy with Jesus
by Father Louis-Marie Parent, O.M.I.
Is it possible to be happy ? Conclusion, articles 1-2-3
Do you want to be happy? Live out your qualities…
Do you want to be happy? Be gentle, you will win hearts and you will be easily welcomed.
Do you want to be happy? Be merciful, learn to forget others’ mistakes, exercise your courage in forgiving: this is a way to experience love without harming yourself. Be thirsty for justice, have at heart to do your best; live out your qualities.
Do you want to be happy? Be peacemakers; avoid quarrels and compromising your values. Don't squander your peace, if you are not wanted, go elsewhere. If we examine the Beatitudes, we find an invitation to live the qualities received by nature or by grace.
Personal reflection
1. What is my definition of happiness?
2. Have I experienced happiness?
3. As of today, what could I do to be happy?
4. How can I help someone who is seeking happiness?
Read also :
Is it possible to be happy ? (1) : Happiness is considered by the Wise to be true medicine.
Is it possible to be happy ? (2) : Some thoughts on happiness.
Is it possible to be happy ? (3) : Happiness and selfishness.
From the Volunteers of God Collection: "Is it possible to be happy?”
Associated group of the Secular Institute: The Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate,
Louis-Marie Parent, o.m.i.
photo: ykaiavu de Pixabay
Magnificent evening
Group associated with Paulette Chénard. Volunteers of God, Drummondville.  It was on a magnificent evening, enhanced by magical Christmas decorations in the sanctuary of Saint-Frédéric Basilica, that the renewal of Volunteer promises took place with an animation filled with meaning and a challenging teaching given by Louise Fleury on the “spirituality of commitment.” |
 We share an extract with you. To add icing on the cake, a great joy for our group was to welcome Maribel Mendoza who pronounced her first promises as a Volunteer. Congratulations to Maribel!Each with her gifts and talents is committed to exercising the Volunteer mission: "To live everywhere the Love of Christ in the present moment." By Jacqueline Blais, co-host and Jocelyne Binet, December 8, 2021 |
 SPIRITUALITY OF COMMITMENT. Extract from the teaching given by Louise Fleury Since our commitments are based on the 5 attitudes of life that flow from the spirituality of the Secular Institute of the Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate, I thought I would speak to you about the "spirituality of commitment." One day, I read from a philosopher of spirituality that the word "spirituality" in the philosophical sense means: to give meaning and value to what we are, to what we do and to what we become. And the etymology of the word "spirituality" in ecclesiastical Latin is "spiritualitas" and "spiritus", meaning spirit and breath. For me, to live a spirituality is to listen to my inner being, this spirit and this spiritual breath that dwells within me. It is also perceiving what wants to arise in me at the very heart of my quest for meaning and what wants to adjust to my inner being. The spirituality that we have chosen to live as Volunteers should help us to be well immersed in the “now”. It invites us to follow Christ and it always remains an experience of the ‘greater than oneself.’ I invite us all to look at and live our 5 attitudes as a recipe for personal happiness that allows us to make others happy and to glorify God. They are a spiritual way of life, a direction to follow which is expressed through values: welcome, understanding, love, respect, simplicity, non-judgment. It is essential to apply these values to ourselves so that they become part of our everyday life and be witnessed around us. Opening up to living a spirituality is a good thing, but above all we must maintain and develop it. Commitment is first and foremost a decision; it is often expressed by promises that we wish to fulfill and bring alive at the heart of the world... To commit oneself is above all to unite our response to that of Jesus who, one day, said yes to Father to be incarnated and, by this great yes, he was the first to commit. To follow him is to serve like him, it is to give our word, it is to surrender our heart to him and it is to do him honor. Our yes has great significance since it responds to a mission of fertility. It should not be surprising that, at times, obstacles arise on our way. A spiritual crisis is at times a winding path which can lead us to hesitation and to question ourselves. But we must believe in the moment of grace bestowed upon us at the moment of our commitment and live these challenges with confidence, since they are above all a very strong call to discover and become who we really are. |
Is it possible to be happy ? (3)
3- Happiness and selfishness.
Discovering one's qualities in order to be of service to others is the great vocation of the reasonable adults. Basically, maturity is simply an awareness of the qualities with which we are gifted and the courage to live them out for the benefit of the community in which we are integrated.
Happiness brings us closer to others. Happiness creates a spirit of peace, simplicity and fraternity.
What keeps me from loving other people, enjoying life, enjoying my workplace?
What prevents me from being understanding, from listening to others, from being aware of the situations I am going through?
What can be an obstacle to my relationship with others if I try to respect them, if I don't oblige them to change, if I accept their pace, if I don't try controlling them?
Happiness is food, daily nutrition, it is food made up of a thousand and one little things at the right time: a little love, understanding, tenderness, courage, hard work and initiative.
It is today that I radiate happiness; it is today that I savor its sweetness and witness to it according to the quality of my presence.
Read also: Is it possible to be happy ? (1)
Read also: Is it possible to be happy ? (2)
From the Volunteers of God Collection: "Is it possible to be happy?”
Group associated with the Secular Institute: The Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate, Louis-Marie Parent, o.m.i.
Flash 11- It remains a daily call
My interest in Secular Institutes was prompted from the moment I learned of their existence. Secular consecration, life in the midst of the world and constant adaptation suited me better than life in a religious community. Reading current affairs in the world as well as in the Church in order to insert a Christian dimension is the mission of consecrated laity, for me, remains a daily call. As for my choice of the OMMI Institute, I liked the simplicity of life and the spirituality which adapts well to secular life.
Denise G.
Picture: Gerd Altmann de Pixabay
Is it possible to be happy ? (2)
2. Some thoughts on happiness.
Happiness is not the jackpot in a lottery nor is it the reward of a hard life; it is not something that is gained by effort, it is not something that is owed to me by virtue of neither my intelligence nor the energies I have invested.
Happiness does not come from others, it comes from oneself, it is within oneself; it supposes constant attention and a certain amount of introspection. Happiness is deep within my being, as my heart is in my rib cage, as blood is in my veins, as my thoughts are in my mind, as my energies are in my being. Happiness is within me, if I don't pay attention, other strong thoughts will direct my energies elsewhere.
Happiness does not come to me from others, it is not rain that falls on my head, and it is not a bank book, a new car, a fur coat, flourishing health or the rise of sought-after popularity. It is a mind-set that awakens me to pick up on my journey the thousand and one little joys, the smile of a child, the benevolent and fraternal gaze of an admired person or the fun of a card game with friends.
I have to realize that peace and serenity flow out of my mind-set as does the sense of my being, my awareness of what I am. I have simply to practice a few positive qualities every day and I will feel a sense of happiness come over me, I will be comfortable not only in my skin, but also in my conscience and in my heart.
Read also: Is it possible to be happy ? (1)
Read also: Is it possible to be happy ? (3)
From the Volunteers of God Collection: "Is it possible to be happy?” by Louis-Marie Parent, o.m.i.
