Ad Honorem Immaculatae Conceptionis Mariae Oblatio

156 Eugeniusz Zarzeczny MIC “I shall, until the end of my life, serve” (St. S. Papczyński, Oblatio ). The Irrevocability of the Oblatio today? In this conference, we shall attempt to present the Oblatio as an act of total dedication to God, which came as a fruit of Saint Stanislaus Pap- czyński’s experiencing God’s actions in his heart. In the life of our holy Father Founder, the Oblatio was a turning point, designating the beginning of a new stage, which was the founding of our Congregation. Knowing its effects, the paths leading to it, and the circumstances in which it was made, we shall attempt to resolve the question of its relevance today. In this con- ference, we shall try to give a plausible spiritual interpretation, not only of the meaning of the word Oblatio , but also of the process that took place in the heart of our holy Father Stanislaus prior to, during, and after making his Oblatio , as well as the conclusions we can draw for ourselves today. The Heart In order to realize the importance of this process, we need to recall the meaning of the term “heart,” so as to be aware of the reality being discussed. The Dictionary of Biblical Theology , tells us about this term: [...] In concrete and generally accepted biblical anthropology [...] it is the seat of the conscious, intelligent and free personality of man, the place of decision-making, the seat of the unwritten Law (cf. Rom 2:15), and the place of God’s mysterious actions. Both the Old and the New Testament regard the heart as the place where man meets God with this encounter becoming fully effective in the human heart of the Son of God. 1 1 This is my translation of the Polish quote from Słownik teologii biblijnej , Ed. X. Léon-Du- four, transl. K. Romaniuk, Pallottinum, Poznań 1990, p. 871.