Ad Honorem Immaculatae Conceptionis Mariae Oblatio

54 Andrzej Pakuła MIC Oblative Spirituality in the teachings of Saint Stanislaus Papczyński In Church language, the Latin word oblatio has the following mean- ings: firstly, it is a “sacrifice, offering,” but also a “eucharistic sacrifice.” Then, it is “a sacrificial gift, a liturgical tribute” or even “people’s contri- bution to the priest and the church established in some dioceses.” 1 The verb corresponding to oblatio is offero ( offerre – offero, obtuli, oblatum ), which also includes, among other meanings, “to offer, to present, to bring before, to show, etc.,” a direct reference to oblatio , in the sense of “to of- fer, to sacrifice.” 2 In the context of spiritual theology, the word oblatio has two primary and basic references: biblical and liturgical. Uncovering the significance of these two dimensions of spirituality and examining the life of the Church before St. Stanislaus and his contemporaries will allow us to better understand his concept of oblative spirituality . We accept that our Father, St. Stanislaus not only knew both contextual meanings of the word, but they were even dear to him. There is no doubt as to the Marian Founder’s deep and spiritual attentiveness to the Holy Scriptures, which can be seen in the vast number of quotes from the Old and New Testa- ments in his works. Similarly, being a priest, he celebrated Holy Mass and recited the prayer Super oblata many times, and undoubtedly meditated on the mysteries of the Eucharist and the Word of God. The proof of this is found primarily in his two extensive works: Inspectio cordis and Tem- plum Dei mysticum , but also in his other writings, such as Orator crucifix- us and Christus patiens , which stand out due to his profound meditation on the Word of God. 1 Cf. A. Joungan, Słownik kościelny łacińsko-polski , Poznań-Warszawa-Lublin, 1958, p. 455. 2 Ibid., p. 463.