Any Benedictine Oblates out there?

[consumedconvert]

If there are, then I have a few questions for you.

1.) How difficult do you find your responsibilities as an oblate to be? Do they interfere with your work schedule or family time?

2.) What convinced you to be an oblate? Was it a special “calling” per se, or was it a logical choice to approach holiness by the best and most dependable route for your station in life?

I am, well, discerning, I guess. I think God may be leading me that direction. Any other comments you have would be helpful. Please pray for me.

CC

 

[puzzleannie]

If there are, then I have a few questions for you.

1.) How difficult do you find your responsibilities as an oblate to be? Do they interfere with your work schedule or family time?

No the Oblate way is to apply the Rule of St Benedict to daily life, including work and family responsibilities, so it just becomes “part of the job” so to speak, and actually makes it easier.

our meetings are once a month and my family life does not conflict, but my work does, since I have classes going on most of the times that overlapt our Oblate meetings

other than that, daily prayer and lectio is part of personal prayer time we all should be doing anyhow, as is the pro-life witness that is the charism of our monastery, which the oblates support.

2.) What convinced you to be an oblate? Was it a special “calling” per se, or was it a logical choice to approach holiness by the best and most dependable route for your station in life?

I am, well, discerning, I guess. I think God may be leading me that direction. Any other comments you have would be helpful. Please pray for me.

CC

I got involved in another outreach in my former parish, and the two couples who ran this program invited me to an Oblate meeting. I had asked them where they got the idea and strength to start their apostolate, and they told me it was from the core spirituality as Oblates. So I went, with another parishioner who also taught CCD with me, we entered a year of formation, and made our profession 6 years ago. I still attend our local group meetings once ever other month, but only make the general meetings when I have no RCIA or a guest teacher.

I am pretty faithful with LOTH and lectio, and the most drastic improvement has been in my prayer life. It has also, thanks to daily reading of the rule and especially our retreats, radically changed the way I view my job, my decision making, my dealings with coworkers, catechists, parents and students. In fact, being an Oblate is directly responsible (too long a story) for me finding this job.

 

[Barzillai]

Hi, these are wonderful questions. Here are my answers:

**1.) How difficult do you find your responsibilities as an oblate to be? **

Answer: The responsibilities are paths to joy and freedom. Faithfulness in the divine office makes my life easier.
2.) Do they interfere with your work schedule or family time?

Answer:No, I try to make my prayer life merge into my work and family life.

I try to eliminate seeing my life in two parts, one of prayer and the other of work/family.

Being an oblate helps me develop the Benedictine balance of a single life of unified prayer and work.
3.) What convinced you to be an oblate?

Answer:The direction my life had been going for many years.
**4.) Was it a special “calling” per se, or was it a logical choice to approach holiness by the best and most dependable route for your station in life? **

Answer:When my wife and I first walked onto the monastery grounds we could sense the Holy Spirit and we knew we were home.

 

[Joannm]

What would you do if you were interested in becoming an Oblate but there are no monastaries near where you live and you don’t know any Oblates?

 

[puzzleannie]

read one of the books that introduce lay people to the Rule, a good one is the Life Giving Way by Esther DeWaal.

Benedict in the World–stories of oblates, such as Doroty Day, Frances of Rome

St Benedict’s Toolbox-Nuts and bolts of everyday Benedictine Living by Jane Tomaine (a bit simplistic but good for a beginner)

The Benedictine Handbook-liturgical Press
best all around intro to the way of life, covers every aspect of Oblate commitment, and good intro on both Lectio and LOTH

We do have some “long distance” oblates associated with us, some make a trek from Austin or SA a couple of times a year, and some stay with us when they are in the Valley, but belong to monasteries up north.

I think it comes down to the “brand” of spirituality one is drawn to, out of the many valid choices in our Catholic Church traditions.

If you are attracted to the spirit of poverty of the Franciscans, go there. My brother made a conscious decision many years ago to what we would now call “going green” and from that came a spiritual quest, and he is now a secular Franciscan, and just recently a professed hermit, with permission from his bishop and unders spiritual direction of a Franciscan priest.

I am a “by the book” person, and very much a believer in the Work and Pray motto of the Benedictines, and of the idea that their is no real divide between the two. So following the Rule, adapted to lay life in the world, is most satisfying to me. I also generally look for tried and true rather than new and experimental, and since this is one of the oldest “methods” of living as a Christian, it appeals to me.

The personal aspect of people you meet who draw you to one or another of these “little ways” is also important.

If you don’t know any Benedictines or any oblates, at least put yourself under spiritual direction.

 

[Barzillai]

What would you do if you were interested in becoming an Oblate but there are no monastaries near where you live and you don’t know any Oblates?

I would find the nearest monastery or group using the list of resources below:

http://www.oblatespring.com/oblatespring0600Links.htm#fym

Then I would call that monastery, or send a letter or email and ask:

1. Do they have an oblate/third order program?
2. If not, do they know of one you might join?

Many oblates live in one state, but are oblates at a monastery in another state.

I would also join a large message board devoted to monastic life and chat with many people who are devoted to the monastic lifestyle, my favorite such message board/forum/group is:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MonasticLife/

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

What would you do if you were interested in becoming an Oblate but there are no monastaries near where you live and you don’t know any Oblates?

I suppose that depends on how you define “near.” My monastery is about 100 miles away so it’s not close enough to be able to drop by easily. But they have several local Oblate groups including one in my area. Two monks come out monthly for our meetings and I’m able to get to the abbey for retreats and short visits.

You might check with your closest abbey. This site will help you find it: atlas.osb-international.info/atlas/geo/WORLD/NameCat/1/en.html