Rome (Fides Service) - “Dear Brother Oblates, 150 years ago in 1854 the Successor of Peter solemnly recognised the Immaculate Conception of Mary as part of our faith. The 150th anniversary of the proclamation of the Dogma should add something special to our Oblates feasts this year ” Father Wilhelm Steckling, Superior General of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate OMI, wrote in a letter to his confreres for 17 February the date on which in 1826 the community took the name of Missionary Oblates of Immaculate Mary.
The Superior underlined the essential meaning of the name Immaculate for Mary and for the Oblates: “For me the easiest way to understand is to see Mary’s being immaculate as a message about holiness” he explains recalling that mankind received the gift of whole-ness already with human nature, created in the likeness of God, although this image is spoiled through grave fault and through shortcomings. Whereas “Mary is an exception, the image of God shines spotless in her, it is immaculate…as Oblates we are in a special way entrusted with Mary’s charism of mirroring God, having received her purity and holiness even as our name. ”.
Father Wilhelm Steckling proposes two ways of honouring Immaculate Mary in the year of the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of the dogma: “Meditate more deeply on the gift of holiness, the one given to Mary, the one given to each of us personally and the one entrusted to us corporately as bearers of Mary’s name…secondly find some exterior expression of our love for Mary…do something special to lead people to Mary and with Mary to Jesus.”
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 16/2/2004 lines 17 words 174)