Ad Honorem Immaculatae Conceptionis Mariae Oblatio

108 things accrue to your glory, to the honor of the most Holy Virgin Mary, and all who dwell in Heaven, to my salvation and that of my neighbors, and the increase of virtue, and the growth of grace and merit. Amen.” 29 We can clearly see here (as well as in many other written works of our Founder) that sacrifices may be made for various reasons: for God and for people; for the saints, for those in purgatory, for pilgrims on earth and for oneself. Among the goals that correspond to a specific circumstance, Fr. Stanislaus lists: thanksgiving and recompense for benefits received; atone- ment for sins; pleading for help rising from sins, their rejection and cleans- ing from them; the retraction of punishments and plagues; love for God and neighbor; discernment and the fulfillment of God’s will; the conversion of sinners and the enlightenment of unbelievers or apostates; one’s own salvation and that of one’s neighbor; growth in grace and merit. 30 Much more universal goals, appropriate in every place and time, direct- ed more towards God than responding to specific needs or circumstances, 31 are repeated many times in the writings of Father Papczyński. Our holy Father Founder recommended doing everything for the greater glory of God, to know and to fulfill His will, and to honor the Mother of God and the Saints. 32 Through the Oblatio , the former Piarist wanted to become “henceforth the whole-hearted servant-slave of the same Almighty [God] and of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary” and to “serve Them chastely and zealously in the Society of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception (which by the grace of God I resolve to found).” 33 Over time, the general purpose of offering his life to God and Mary and founding the Congregation demon- strated in the Norma vitae reached its ultimate clarity and was expressed in three specific ideas: to “promote devotion to the Immaculate Conception 29 Mystical Temple of God , IV. 30 Ibid. 31 “... whether you are praying, or reading, or writing, or saying good things, meditating, working, eating, drinking, worthily refreshing your spirit, or whatever you do that is virtuous, devout, holy, useful or praiseworthy, do it all out of the love of God, to the glory of God in such a way, that a particular intention always precedes what you do”, ibid., p. 36. 32 Even as a goal proper to all religious institutes Fr. Papczyński named: “the greater increase of God’s glory, and care for your own salvation combined with serious striving for perfection,” Norma vitae , I.2. 33 Oblatio, 1.