IN MERCY

 "I urge you to begin each day, leaving the past to the mercy of the Lord, and the future to his Divine Providence. Do not let yourself be troubled by anything, not even by your own failings, taking care to overcome them immediately by an act of love of God."

 “Always treat everyone, especially the most needy, with the utmost gentleness and

   kindness.”

 “If I should fall a thousand times a day, a thousand times a day I will begin again, with new awareness of my weakness, promising God, with a peaceful heart, to amend my life. I will never think of God as if he were of our condition and grows weary of our wavering, weakness, and negligence. Rather, I will think of what is truly characteristic of him and what he prizes most highly, that is, his goodness and mercy, knowing that he is a loving Father who understands our weakness, is patient with us, and forgives us.”   

Ven. Lanteri.

These words of the founder, Venerable Pio Bruno Lanteri (1759-1830), capture the spirit  of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary.  Lanteri, a priest who lived in troubled times, tirelessly encouraged men and women to approach God with confidence in his mercy.  Great numbers who approached him found new strength through his message.

The Oblates of the Virgin Mary “encourage those who are in any affliction with the encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God” (2 Cor. 1:4). Their hope springs from a keen sense of the goodness and mercy of God made manifest in Jesus Christ. Especially through the Sacrament of Penance and the proclamation of truth, they devote themselves to dispensing the Lord’s healing love. As Father Lanteri put it, “Jesus forms the only treasure of their hearts; Jesus thus abides in their hearts and they abide in the heart of Jesus.” Emulating Christ’s meekness and humility, they desire charity and mutual friendship to be among their chief characteristics.