Ad Honorem Immaculatae Conceptionis Mariae Oblatio

144 original sin. The emphasis – as evident in the Latin word order – is placed upon the offering of one person (Stanislaus) to the other persons (of the Trinity and of Mary). Following this, Stanislaus names all that this per- sonal self-offering includes: “[my] heart, my soul, intellect, memory, will, feelings, my whole mind, my whole spirit, my interior and exterior senses, leaving absolutely nothing for myself ” 12 , so as to be thenceforth a servant entirely belonging to the omnipotent God and the Virgin Mary. The first paragraph of the Oblatio thus emphasizes the present action of offering and dedicating, which is the human response to the divine action of consecration. Through such consecration, Stanislaus professes and rat- ifies the reality that he totally belongs to the Triune God through his total self-gift “leaving nothing for myself.” This prayer of St. Stanislaus is very similar to the Suscipe prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola, 13 though it is more highly personalized and detailed. Noteworthy, however, is that St. Ignatius of Loyola places the Suscipe at the end of the Spiritual Exercises, amid the Contemplation to Attain Divine Love, as the response to the overwhelm- ing generosity of God. It can be presumed, though, that St. Stanislaus was aware of such divine generosity, as evidenced in two meditations in Inspec- tio Cordis on generał and particular divine blessings . 14 The profession formula provided in Norma Vitae follows the order of the Oblatio, placing the primacy upon self-offering that is then lived out through the evangelical counsels: “I... out of pure love of God, for his great- er glory, and the honor of the Virgin... offer myself to the Divine Majesty... and I vow Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience to its Superior.” 15 This is notably different than the current vow formula, which begins with the profession of vows according to the Constitutions. 16 Although it can be presumed that 12 Historical Writings, p. 28. Cf. Oblatio, “cor meum, animam meam, intellectum, memo- riam, voluntatem, affectus, mentem totam, animum totum, sensus interiores et exteriores, et corpus meum, nihil mini plenitud reliquendo ” 13 Cf. Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, The Contemplation to Attain Divine Love, (trans. E. Mullen) p. 120. “Take Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all that I have and possess. Thou hast given all to me. ToThee, O Lord, I return it. All is Thine, dispose of it wholly according to Thy will. Give me Thy love and Thy grace, for this is sufficient for me.” 14 Wejrzenie w głąb serca [ Inspectio Cordis ] in: Pisma Zebrane, Warsaw 2007 (PROMIC), O dobrodziejstwach ogólnych , p. 982ff and O poszczególnych dobrodziejstwach Bożych , p. 984ff. 15 Norma Vitae, n. 1.6. 16 Constitutions and Directory of the Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Stockbridge, MA, 2018, n. 192: “I, N., N., for the glory of the Triune God, for the honor of the Immaculate Immaculate Conception of the Most