Theological Foundations new file

17 Introduction on the Word of God. Another valuable source is NORMAVITAE. This work is important because it once constituted the Marians’ religious rule. We find in it the fundamental ideas of the Institute founded by the Venerable Servant of God. The first version of The Rule of Life was drafted by the Venerable Servant of God probably around the year 1672. As he was writing it, the author was influenced by the following sources: the Holy Scriptures, the Rule of St. Augustine, the documents of Pope Clement VIII and the con- stitutions of the Piarist Fathers. Naturally, Father Papczynski also drew his inspiration from the source common to all religious orders, i.e. from the sound tradition of the Church. His work is original in its form and content; it was written in a clear, vivid and convincing style. An important work in the studies of Father Papczynski’s teaching on the Blessed Mother is his sermon entitled LAUS DEIPARAE MARIAE VIRGINIS. It contains valuable instructions, especially those concern- ing the imitation of Mary. This particular sermon by Father Stanislaus is probably one of his first sermons delivered after his ordination, i.e. in 1661. A year later he prepared his textbook of rhetoric titled Prodromus reginae artium for publication and included the sermon mentioned above as an example in the chapter called De Laude . An extremely useful document in our research is the so-called OBLATIO. Father Papczynski made this act of oblation during the cer- emony of his dispensation from the vows in the order of the Piarist Fathers on December 11 (?), 1670. Even though, at that point, he was moving into the ranks of diocesan clergy, he made a pledge, although not in a canonical form, to live according to the evangelical counsels until the time when he would be able to give them the canonical form in the religious institute he would establish. We know from Oblatio that at the moment of leaving the Piarists, the Venerable Servant of God had already formulated a clear goal for himself to the fulfillment of which he would dedicate the rest of his life, i.e. to the establishment of a new reli- gious order. In Oblatio he also presented a general idea of his future institute, in particular, the fact that it would be Marian in character, that