In honor of the Oblate Triennium Celebration, a new blog featuring a short, daily text from the life and times of St. Eugene de Mazenod and the Oblates begins on Januray 25 and runs through January 25, 2017. These daily reflections are prepared by Fr. Fabio Ciardi, OMI, and are available to be delivered to your inbox every day for a year.

To sign up, simply CLICK HERE and you will be taken to the new blog “omi200”. In the lower, right-hand side of your screen, you will see the word, FOLLOW, simply click on it, enter your email address and you will receive a confirmation email, just click on CONFIRM and you will receive each new reflection for a year. (You may also un-subscribe at any time.)

For more information, read Fr. Ciardi’s description of the daily reflections below.

Painting of the Original Oblate House in Aix-en-Provence by Fr. Fabio Ciardi, OMI

Bicentennial of the Foundation of the Missionary OMI

The bicentennial year of the foundation of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate is a very good occasion to revisit our origins and to find in them the inexhaustible inspiration to live today the charism given by God to Saint Eugene de Mazenod.

The present material wants to be a help for this journey. It offers a thought for meditation for each day of the year, beginning January 25, 2016 to January 25, 2017.

The criteria for the choice of the texts are the following:

– Events linked to the life of St. Eugene and the foundation of the Congregation.

– Recollection of the dies natalis of the Oblate Blessed, Servants of God, martyrs and missionaries who left a significant mark in the history of the Congregation.

– Aspects of the Oblate charism and spirituality.

– The celebration of the feast days and liturgical seasons, as well of the saints who have a particular link to the life of the Congregation.

There are only 365 days in the year (366 in 2016), too few for a complete presentation of the rich patrimony that our brothers have left us from our origins until today. This is only a little sample that might encourage us to look at our vocation and to help us to pursue with ever new freshness the journey begun 200 years ago.

With gratitude to those who have gone before us, who intercede for us and who wait for us at the final destination. (http://www.omiusa.org/)