A Little Benedictine Oblate Manual

While there is nothing here that contradicts the Rule of St. Benedict, it is very, very sparse in helpful advice for those considering becoming an oblate. An Invitation to Oblate Life" by Br. Benet's book gives a full picture of what it means to be an oblate. It is also very well written and very engaging. As a co-director of Oblates for a Virginia monastery I would highly recommend Br. I appreciate what Mr. Nugent tried to do, but I would strongly suggest he seek out someone to edit his writing. Near as I can tell, this book is for folks who are already Benedictine Oblates, or at least have a solid idea of what one is.

The author provides his experiences and opinions on such a spiritual life. If you read the book blurb on Goodreads or Audible, it seems this book is meant to spark ideas or conversation for folks already living the life as Oblates or considering doing so. So I went to the Wikipedia Article to educate myself.

While the book blurb says this little book would be useful for beginners to experts, I will say this is better suited to the expert, or at least someone who has a solid idea of many of the practices, prayers, and religious terms used. I do not and therefore, felt lost much of the time. That definitely applies here and that is a positive message. However, the author does tend to ramble. Several times, the author refers to his past job where he worked and lived on a boat, before he got an office job and became an Oblate. Personally, I think this would be a fascinating tale: Why did he decide to leave the ship life?

What was hard and easy about doing so? How did he become an Oblate and what he finds easy and hard about that?

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You never know; the author could be planning to write such a thing. Then folding this little book into that would make it make sense. So if you have any interest in the subject of Oblates, this could give you a small taste of what that role in society and church means. Valerie Gilbert did a good job with this narration. She presented the book in a clear and thoughtful voice.

During the few instances where the text required some emotion wonder or even awe she did a great job of imbuing that. Basically, it felt like I was having a cup of tea with the author as he had a nice lunch time ramble. I want to share a few insights about how we should prepare our hearts for the work that we do, with the help of Esther de Waal, Joan Chittister, Richard Foster, and others. Benedictine work is not about what to do or what not to do.

It is about stability, conversion, and obedience, which are bound together by common threads. They are so intermingled with one another that it is difficult to not talk about all three when attempting to define just one. There should be no evasion of this duty, but that is what many of us do very well. Whether that is by procrastinating the things we do not want to do because they may slow us down, or they are depressing, and we avoid them by filling time up with activities like checking our Facebook account every few minutes. It is certitude that God is everywhere and we have no need to seek God elsewhere, as the kingdom of God begins within each of us.

Esther de Waal writes: To be open is to have space for God and others in our lives. Although known by different names today, it can be much the same in our time. What do we do when we feel that way? Have we tried to do things differently? In this school of his let us hope that following faithfully his instructions, nothing distasteful nor burdensome will be demanded of us, but if it has to be so in order to overcome our egoism and lead us into the depths of true love let us not become disheartened, nor frightened and so ignore the narrow path in spite of its tight entrance—the path which leads directly to the fullness of life.

Richard Foster in his book Celebration of Discipline speaks of self-righteous service, which carries with it a negative connotation and one that we should not follow. She shares what she has learned from the monastery bell, calling the sisters to prayer several times each day: How can we do that in response to those things that are annoying to us?

From whom must we seek permission to work mindfully, heartfully, soulfully? The permission we need may be from our very own selves. Jesus does not call those who are worthy to be called, but those he wants, or as Saint Paul says, God takes pity on whomever he wishes, and has mercy on whomever he pleases.

See a Problem?

So what counts is not what we will or try to do, but the mercy of God. For a long time I wondered why the good God had preferences, why every soul did not receive grace in equal measure. I was amazed to see him lavishing extraordinary favors on saints who had offended him like Saint Paul and Saint Augustine, and whom he practically forced to accept his graces. Jesus kindly explained this mystery to me.

He placed the book of nature before my eyes, and I understood that all the flowers he has created are beautiful, that the splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not rob the little violet of its scent or the daisy of its delightful simplicity. I understood that if all the little flowers wanted to be roses, nature would lose its spring adornment, and the fields would no longer be spangled with flowerets.

It is the same in the world of souls which is the garden of Jesus. He wanted to create the great saints who may be compared with lilies and roses; but he also created smaller ones, and these must be content to be daisies or violets destined to gladden the eyes of the good god when he looks down at his feet. Perfection consists in doing his will, in being what he wants us to be. I understood too that the love of our Lord is revealed in the simplest soul who offers no resistance to his grace as well as in the most sublime soul.

In fact, since the essence of love is humility, if all souls were like those of the learned saints who have illuminated the church by the light of their teaching, it would seem as if God would not have very far to descend in coming to their hearts. But he has created the baby who knows nothing and whose only utterance is a feeble cry; he has created people who have only the law of nature to guide them; and it is their hearts that he deigns to come down to, those are his flowers of the field whose simplicity delights him.

In coming down in that way the good God proves his infinite greatness. Just as the sun shines at the same time on cedar trees and on each little flower as it was the only one on earth, so our Lord takes special care of each soul as if it was his only care. Consider the Wallaby, Yes the funny looking miniature kangaroo The one who visited me in my dreamtime As I was preparing this reflection piece on silence. I was practicing silence, when this critter shows up. Why do you hop into my silent space … Disturbing my peace … Fixing a stare into my eyes?

Why a Wallaby, you might ask? What is its dream message? I always encourage my spiritual directees To listen to their dream messengers of the spiritual. The opening lines in the Rule of St. I came to this silence seeking you. I come seeking Divine Manifestations in the Epiphany time.

I await for the Christ to awaken in me. I come to take possession of what is already mine As Frs. Keating and Merton describe: With His majesty, dignity, and grace. Christ dwells in us in a mysterious, but real way. I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me. So, I come in stillness and silence, I am letting my thoughts flow like a river I am on the river bank watching them go by. I am still, and waiting patiently for Him. As the Psalmist says: Be still and wait Patiently for the Lord.

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Then this Wallaby hops into my silence. He stares deep into my eyes. It unnerves me, it makes me unsilent … What are you doing here? I wait for the Lord and I get a Wallaby?? What … have … you … to …say … to me?

Follow the Author

Without a word from her I start to associate her meaning. She hops and does not walk steadily. Maybe I am hopping around too much, Or should I get hopping? Maybe something is birthed in my soul Am I quietly nurturing something? She can not move backwards She can only hop forward. No going back, only forward? Stares into my eyes, into my own eyes. Oh, wait, she is looking to me into me To see something deeper within.

Maybe she is no bearer of a message No external meaning that I should decode. That truly maybe her mystery. She comes with nothing to say, but just to stare Not a familiar beast, but a mystery. Is she coming to see the Christ in me? I chanted earlier the words of St. Oh, the unsettling silence, the ego-shattering awareness, No interpretation, no rationalizations, no affective surge. Just be still and know that I am God. About four and a half years ago, I was struck by a kind of imbalance in my life.

Living by the Spirit of the Rule of St. Benedict

But my spiritual life seemed weak. I did not pray regularly or practice service to others. As I was casting about for guidance on what to do, I remembered somebody somewhere saying something about having made a good retreat at a monastery in Schuyler. One title beckoned to me: But that decision was for me a risk, inviting me to step out into the unknown. Personally, I think this would be a fascinating tale: Why did he decide to leave the ship life? What was hard and easy about doing so?

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How did he become an Oblate and what he finds easy and hard about that? You never know; the author could be planning to write such a thing. Then folding this little book into that would make it make sense. So if you have any interest in the subject of Oblates, this could give you a small taste of what that role in society and church means. Valerie Gilbert did a good job with this narration. She presented the book in a clear and thoughtful voice.

During the few instances where the text required some emotion wonder or even awe she did a great job of imbuing that.

Basically, it felt like I was having a cup of tea with the author as he had a nice lunch time ramble. Nicholas Reith rated it liked it Dec 25, Margaret Wilson rated it really liked it Jan 22, Amanda Paige rated it it was amazing Jan 04, Mrs Pamela Ruth Cronin rated it it was amazing Jan 04, HowdyDave rated it it was amazing Aug 14, Montgomery marked it as to-read Aug 05, Beverley Lucas marked it as to-read Aug 26, Lynne Rypien marked it as to-read Jan 05,