A reflection on the Congress on the Charism

«They are brothers and sisters who want to share the missionary vocation inherent in Baptism».

Whilst attending the 30 June to 3 July congress on the Oblate charism congress I was aware of the unique nature of the experience we were living whereby we were sitting in a room in which there were present five expressions of the oblate charism and vocation. The oblate priest, the oblate brother, the oblate sister: les oblatas, the oblate lay consecrate: comi, and the oblate associate: friends of St Eugene (a mother and wife). Whilst the beauty of this experience cannot be captured in simple words, the reality is that in our daily lives as Oblates such experiences are often neither cherished nor ever noticed for what they are. Sandra Prather, a participant from the U.S session in her presentation asked the pertinent question: «how and with whom will the Oblates of Mary Immaculate carry their charism into the 21^st century?» Essentially she asks, who do the oblates want to share their sprit with and who do they want to co-operate with in their mission? I believe the experience of the congress, in that room in Rome, with the five expressions of the charism, begs the answer; as oblates we want to share our spirit and mission with all those who in their spirit, lives and experience are intrinsically oblates; the priest, the brother, the sister, the lay consecrate and the lay associate. In some respect we already do share that spirit.

The congress opened us to the reality of the diversity of expressions of our charism. Until recent times we have as a congregation been grappling with what the charism means for oblate brothers and priests sharing the spirit of St. Eugene in a clerical congregation with brothers. The question of who is the called to share in this charism can no longer be thought of in the traditional two-pronged experience articulated in Constitution 7: «as Priests and Brothers, we have complementary responsibilities in evangelizing». The congress unapologetically challenged us to rise above this ever so important bilateral discourse and look at a broader, even more pertinent reality already envisioned by the second Vatican council: a renewed Church in which «the laity should cooperate in the Church’s work of evangelization; as witnesses and at the same time as living instruments»? Our constitutions already recognize that «the charism of St Eugene de Mazenod is a gift of the Spirit to the Church, and it radiates throughout the world. Lay people recognize that they are called to share in the charism according to their state of life…».  

In light of the above affirmation, could it then be that the prophetic appeal of this congress is to think of who it is that is called an oblate? Is that name limited to consecrated males as has strictly been understood, or are we at the threshold of a prophetic moment moving towards the already delayed fulfillment of the Second Vatican council invitation of a renewed Church?

If our constitutions and rules already make concessions to the full and active participation of the laity in our life and mission, then the next step would be to make this a validly lived experience in which the laity, the lay consecrates and the les oblatas are not only regarded as appendages grafted into the oblate family tree of priests and brothers, but as integral, vital and indispensable elements of the oblate congregation stemming from the same seed that gives life and growth to the oblate priest and oblate brother. They could then be co-workers in oblate ministry fulfilling an important complementary role of evangelization. This in essence is recognition of the timeless words of Mary Tyrrell, «we the laity can take the Gospel message to places where the Oblates cannot and where it is not even prudent that they go to». This openness is not about mere legalism and inclusivity in the body of the congregation by simply giving our name to others; on the contrary, in the words of Pope Francis, «it is about giving a greater fruitfulness to the Gospel message and promoting that unity of purpose which is also the fruit of the Spirit».

Br John Nhlanhla Mhlanga OMI

St Joseph’s Scholasticate, Cedara