Every time you did it to one of these, you did it to me.

The International Congress of the Volunteers of God, held in July 2022, left us with joy and a deep feeling of gratitude because it allowed us to reflect on the 5 attitudes of life and how to live them. Many of us felt the presence of God through the love, commitment and solidarity shown by all Congress participants. At the same time, we felt the presence of the Holy Spirit going from one another, letting us know that it is He who gives us the gift of languages. This allowed us to understand each other despite distance, different languages and cultural contexts, with the sole desire to give glory to God at all times and to share our experience of love.

For this, first of all, I would like to thank each of the Oblates who gave us their precious time, who shared their wisdom and their experience during each of their presentations.

For all this, as the song says: “What carefulness, Lord, have you had with me” so that each of us may be Your prophet, seeking to live the love of Christ everywhere in the present moment.

Secondly, let us recognize, as the Bible says, that God’s timing is perfect because the world today, more than ever, needs to know a spirituality like ours so that we can be better Christians and that we achieve holiness and happiness.

In this way, we must emphasize the desire to live the 5 attitudes of Christian charity, the perfect recipe for being happy.

1. Presence of God at all times, invoking Him, thanking Him and remaining available to Him.
2. Abstention from destructive criticism interior and exterior, always remembering that God is full of mercy and does not balk at our mistakes. Likewise, we should not focus on the mistakes of our brothers or sisters.
3. Abstention from useless complaint interior and exterior. Recognize all that God gives us which is good to live in this world. And all the difficulties that prevent us from moving forward in life, let’s take them as an opportunity to improve ourselves.
4. Being of service. Let us be this bridge of love and closeness with our brothers and sisters, which will contribute very effectively to establishing justice, which represents the first requirement of love.
5. And being peacemaker, which is a gift from God. That’s why you have to ask Him; it’s a ripe fruit of righteousness.

Finally, I would like to remind you of Father Parent’s message, OMI: Let us seek to relive with force the charity of Christ. “Jesus said to us: ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” (Matthew 25:34-40)

Esther Acuña Rios
Leader
Volunteers of God