Page 130 - Reflections on St. Joseph

To Be

OBLATES

like ST. JOSEPH
Fr. Francesco Russo, OSJ

T
he occasion of the World Day of Consecrated Life (Feb. 2) offers us the opportunity to
reflect on our own personal consecration, starting with our identity as “Oblates of St.
Joseph” and, I would add, of “Oblates like St. Joseph”. We should look at him as the
successful model of consecration to God.

1. The first 3 “Oblates” (Mary, Joseph and Jesus)

A search for the meaning of our being
“oblates” takes us to the Latin word composed
of a preposition and a verb: oblatum, from ob
- fero, to bring towards or bring before and can
be translated with to offer/offered. The
richness of this term allows us to understand
that the “oblate” is he who brings his life
before God, who brings to the Lord all of his
existential experience made of his dreams,
plans, desires, successes, failures,
weaknesses....

In this sense we can understand that the first
3 “oblates” from whom we draw inspiration
are in fact Mary, Joseph and Jesus. In
chronological order, the first who offers
herself is without a doubt, Mary: “Behold I am
the handmaid of the Lord, may it be done to me
as He said.”(Lk 1,38). From a teleological
point of view instead, the primacy of offering
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Reflections on st. joseph