Ad Honorem Immaculatae Conceptionis Mariae Oblatio

62 the exact same terminology when he speaks about the vows of his first companion, John of the Immaculate Conception (Stanislaus Krajewski in the world): “Now the oblation of that Hermit was as follows: I, John of the Immaculate Conception [...] 23 We know that John of the Immaculate Con- ception used the exact same formula as was used by St. Stanislaus. What is more: the formula of the vows contains words which make it sound as “the offering of oneself ”, further emphasized particularly by the word “of- fero”: “I, Stanislaus of Jesus Mary Papczyński, according to the flesh, son of Thomas from Podegrodzie of the Diocese of Cracow, being 40 years of age, offer ( offero ) and consecrate to God the Father Almighty, to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, and also to the Mother of God the Ever-Virgin Mary, Conceived without original sin, my heart, my soul, intellect, memo- ry, will, feelings, my whole mind, my whole spirit, my interior and exterior senses, and my body, leaving absolutely nothing for myself, so that in this way I may be henceforth the whole-hearted servant-slave of the same Al- mighty [God] and of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary.” 24 Just how important this “offering of oneself ” was to our Father Founder, St. Stanislaus is shown by the text of another formula of vows, included in the Norma vitae , where he also uses the same word “ offero ”, although clearly the text of this formula is different. “I, N., son of N., of the Diocese of N., of N. years of age, freely and of my own will, out of a pure love of God, for his greater glory, and the honor of the Virgin, for the assistance of the dead who lack suffrages, especially soldiers and those who died from pestilence, I offer myself to the Divine Majesty, and the Mother of God, the Virgin Mary [...]” 25 There is no doubt that both formulas belong to the Marian Founder’s original concept of the vows. This is also supported – along with other which means “to extract, remove, take out.” Casimir Krzyżanowski adopted a poetic version, as it were, saying that St. Stanislaus has “spoken from the heart” his oblatio . If my understanding of Franciszek Smagorowicz’s remark is correct, St. Stanislaus’s action would be reflected more accurately by this translation: “he recited his oblatio , [having] taken it out of his sleeve,” which would mean that he had a pre-written text. I admit that Franciszek Smagorowicz’s version of this event seems to better reflect the situation in which the Author [of the oblatio ] found himself and is also more logical. Consequently, the above sentence would read: “Although just before the time of my release [from simple vows] Divine Majesty suggested to me that I would voluntarily commit myself to God in the same act, which I did, taking the offering frommy bosom, in public, although I have made [it, i.e., the offering – note of the translator] in a rather quiet voice, and its content is: “ See also, Latin-Polish dictionary , edited by M. Plezia, PWN Scientific Publishing House, Warsaw 2007, vol. II, p. 101, t. V, p. 159. 23 FDR, p. 70. 24 S. Papczyński, Oblatio , in: Historical Writings of Blessed Stanislaus Papczyński , p. 28. 25 S. Papczyński, Norma vitae , at: www.padrimariani.resources, p. 13.