Ad Honorem Immaculatae Conceptionis Mariae Oblatio

18 Foundation of the House of Recollection Fundatio Domus Recollectionis 11 Puszcza Korabiewska, 1675 (?) 1. Divine goodness and wisdom begins and brings to an end what it wants, in spite of countless difficulties standing in the way, and the very unfitness, according to human judgment, of the means. For nothing is im- possible for the Almighty. This shone forth most clearly in me the most wretched, most despicable sinner, most inadequate, most unfit instrument for founding the lowest and the smallest Congregation of the Fathers of the Blessed Virgin Mary Conceived without sin. In me the spirit was unequal to [the task], no virtue, little prudence, all were by far too small, for dream- ing of rather than for undertaking a matter of such great difficulty. But God himself, God (to whom be everlasting and endless glory, and thanksgiving), as he inspired me for this work of his admirably, that is lovingly, mercifully, wisely, wonderfully, so he himself accomplished it and is accomplishing it for ever and ever. 2. Not a few knew that I was in the Congregation of Pious Schools, which was more dear to me than my life, in that most sweet Society of the Poor of the Mother of God. It is very difficult to explain how highly I valued my vocation stirred up solely by God. Moreover, I belonged to that most holy company, bound to it not only by the bond of love, but truly also bound by a commitment of the oath of persevering in it for ever. I wanted the first to be indissoluble; the other was dissolved by the one, to whom was given the highest authority of binding and of loosing, the Vicar of the Most Holy Jesus Christ, the legitimate Successor of Saint Peter, Pope Clement X. And yet ah! It came to this by what way of the cross! 3. Furthermore, enormous confusions, scruples, doubts, anguishes, fears distressed me and nearly tortured me. For who would have so lax a conscience, that he would pass without them from the state of vows, even simple, to a mere secular [state]? Although just before the time of the re- lease [from simple vows] Divine Majesty suggested to me, that while I was 11 The texts of FDR and the Oblatio are identical to the ones that appeared in Historical Writings of Blessed Stanislaus Papczyński , from where they are copied. However, their construc- tion is different: in Historical Writings, they appear as two separate documents, while here they are given together, according to their Latin original.