BY DISCERNMENT
“The Exercises of St. Ignatius are, in general, a very powerful instrument of divine grace for worldwide reform, and in particular, a sure method for everyone to become a saint, a great saint, and quickly.”
Ven. Lanteri
The spirituality of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary flows from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. They approach life with a contemplative spirit, finding God in all things by careful discernment of the movements of the heart. In guiding others to friendship with Christ, the Oblates know how to address the whole person, forming free men and women able to discern the will of God in concrete situations. As experts in spiritual direction, they cherish opportunities to offer retreats and parish missions, and to vitalize the lay apostolate, to promote the formation of young people.
In the Spiritual Exercises “The meditations and instructions are a compendium of all that it is principally necessary to believe and to do, containing a series of truths so well ordered that they are very effective in impressing these truths upon persons' hearts, gradually purifying them, illumining them, and perfecting them."
“The local community as an expression of the life of the Trinity must foster as much as possible community discernment on those things that effect its life in an essential manner: community life, prayer life, the apostolate, formation, etc. This community discernment, characteristic of Ignatian spirituality, has for its aim not only the sharing of opinions, but also the sharing of those things which the Spirit will have suggested to the community as an expression of the will of God in their prayer.” (Const. Art. 23.1)
The Oblates are prepared to work in the Church “according to the apostolic forms proper to the Congregation, to harmoniously reconcile contemplation and action, to assume a spirit of collegiality, co-responsibility and dialogue, placing themselves with critical maturity and capacity for discernment in the face of the challenges and conflicts of society.” Const.Art.69a).
