Benedictine Oblate #2

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Jason,

Just wanted to say that I love your enthusiasm. May the Spirit help you in your discernment.
 
TrueLight said:
Jason,

Just wanted to say that I love your enthusiasm. May the Spirit help you in your discernment.
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Thanks! I’m not much for dangling my feet in the water, I pretty much dive right in once something sparks my interest. Of course, that sort of approach has its pros and cons.
 
Luigi_Daniele said:
What’s the book like, amico mio?
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The best way I could describe it is looking at the Church fathers from a praxis standpoint rather than patristics standpoint. Or maybe doing as they did instead of merely studying what they did.

Does that make sense? You might think of it as a crash course in praying as the Church Fathers did.
 
jwinch2 said:
The best way I could describe it is looking at the Church fathers from a praxis standpoint rather than patristics standpoint. Or maybe doing as they did instead of merely studying what they did.

Does that make sense? You might think of it as a crash course in praying as the Church Fathers did.
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Grazie, amico mio 🙂
 
Luigi_Daniele said:
Looks good.

I am going to make a small “confession”. I can’t understand the attraction of Benedictine life for non Catholics. So much emphasis on the LotH. I see the attraction, obviously. It just surprises me that every single one of these people doesn’t convert to Catholicism.
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There’s a part of me that wonders why someone would want to follow Benedict in some ways while not following him in the most basic way – his practice of religion.

But I’m reminded of something one of my monks said – that because the Benedictines date to a time before the divisions among Christians, they offer a way of life that appeals to everyone, Catholic and non-Catholic alike.

As far as the Liturgy of the Hours, I think that could appeal to Christians of all stripes. There’s nothing that would be offensive to non-Catholics and they can participate fully. I think it must be very hard to be a non-Catholic visiting a monastery and not be able to receive communion when you go to Mass.
 
SuscipeMeDomine said:
There’s a part of me that wonders why someone would want to follow Benedict in some ways while not following him in the most basic way – his practice of religion.

But I’m reminded of something one of my monks said – that because the Benedictines date to a time before the divisions among Christians, they offer a way of life that appeals to everyone, Catholic and non-Catholic alike.

As far as the Liturgy of the Hours, I think that could appeal to Christians of all stripes. There’s nothing that would be offensive to non-Catholics and they can participate fully. I think it must be very hard to be a non-Catholic visiting a monastery and not be able to receive communion when you go to Mass.
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I’m thinking of the Intercessory Prayers…“We pray for N., our Pope, and N. our bishop” 😉

I do agree with the rest of what you have written, and find your remarks regarding Bennies coming from a time before the split(s) particularly insightful. 👍
 
SuscipeMeDomine said:
There’s a part of me that wonders why someone would want to follow Benedict in some ways while not following him in the most basic way – his practice of religion.

But I’m reminded of something one of my monks said – that because the Benedictines date to a time before the divisions among Christians, they offer a way of life that appeals to everyone, Catholic and non-Catholic alike.

As far as the Liturgy of the Hours, I think that could appeal to Christians of all stripes. There’s nothing that would be offensive to non-Catholics and they can participate fully. I think it must be very hard to be a non-Catholic visiting a monastery and not be able to receive communion when you go to Mass.
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Interesting perspective, thanks. I have to say, I would enjoy seeing a Baptist chanting the Salve Regina!
 
SuscipeMeDomine said:
There’s a part of me that wonders why someone would want to follow Benedict in some ways while not following him in the most basic way – his practice of religion.

But I’m reminded of something one of my monks said – that because the Benedictines date to a time before the divisions among Christians, they offer a way of life that appeals to everyone, Catholic and non-Catholic alike.

As far as the Liturgy of the Hours, I think that could appeal to Christians of all stripes. There’s nothing that would be offensive to non-Catholics and they can participate fully. I think it must be very hard to be a non-Catholic visiting a monastery and not be able to receive communion when you go to Mass.
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The Monastery I am attached to has non-Catholic Oblates, for the same reason that Suscipe stated above. I don’t recall off the top of my head if I’ve met any of them, it seems as if the majority of Oblates are Catholics.
 
jwinch2 said:
Interesting perspective, thanks. I have to say, I would enjoy seeing a Baptist chanting the Salve Regina!
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At one time we prayed Compline once a week in my parish. We often had non-Catholic visitors – I really don’t know why but it was nice that they wanted to pray with us. We made it a point to use the Magnificat as our marian prayer at the end. We figured it was straight out of Scripture so they couldn’t possibly object…and they didn’t.
 
Took a Benedictine, a Franciscan, 2 members here who are friends, and the death of the father of a very dear friend of mine (who is a parish priest in Tanzania) and several hours before the Blessed Sacrament to guide me into my decision. Thank you all.

Please pray for my friend’s dad, who passed on today. His name is Wieslaw K.

Thank you.
 
May our loving and merciful Father cradle the soul of your friend, and welcome him into his eternal kingdom. May you be blessed by Our Lord and may the decision you have made help you to become a blessing to all you encounter. Amen
 
jeannetherese said:
May our loving and merciful Father cradle the soul of your friend, and welcome him into his eternal kingdom. May you be blessed by Our Lord and may the decision you have made help you to become a blessing to all you encounter. Amen
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Thank you!
 
I spent most of the day reading vocational threads involving Dominicans, Franciscans and Benedictines, most notably those involving Jason’s search for a spiritual home. Great reading! I too feel a genuine calling to become a lay member of the Dominicans, Franciscans or Benedictines but, unlike Jason, I’ve just begun my search into the various orders.

My wife is a Charismatic Catholic who enjoys the OF Mass and weekly prayer group meetings at St. Mary of the Sorrows (Fairfax, VA); I attend Latin Mass at St. Andrew the Apostle (Clifton, VA). However, I desire more prayer, contemplation and spirituality than I currently receive, although Opus Dei is active in the parish. After considerable soul-searching and extensive research into Third Orders, I truly believe I’ve found a new spiritual path. Which Order, however?

Critical to my decision is location. We are moving to Florida in 2014, so I have concerns over affiliating myself with a local group for two years before moving to the Florida Gulf Coast. Given the Benedictine requirement for attachment to a particular monastery, this is certainly a problem with respect to immediate affiliation, though I’m quite interested in visiting St. Leo Benedictine Abbey (St. Leo, FL) once I move. As for the Dominicans and Franciscans, I can safely say we have numerous groups available in the DC metropolitan area.

During the exploration process, can I begin studying with local groups - including the Benedictines - even though I’m moving to Florida? As Jason observed, the process can be very time-consuming and complex, so I am anxious to begin the journey. I’m a healthy 55 year-old semi-retired lawyer in good health with plenty of time to devote in service to our Lord!

Any thoughts would be appreciated…

David
 
Tampa_Dave said:
I spent most of the day reading vocational threads involving Dominicans, Franciscans and Benedictines, most notably those involving Jason’s search for a spiritual home. Great reading! I too feel a genuine calling to become a lay member of the Dominicans, Franciscans or Benedictines but, unlike Jason, I’ve just begun my search into the various orders.

My wife is a Charismatic Catholic who enjoys the OF Mass and weekly prayer group meetings at St. Mary of the Sorrows (Fairfax, VA); I attend Latin Mass at St. Andrew the Apostle (Clifton, VA). However, I desire more prayer, contemplation and spirituality than I currently receive, although Opus Dei is active in the parish. After considerable soul-searching and extensive research into Third Orders, I truly believe I’ve found a new spiritual path. Which Order, however?

Critical to my decision is location. We are moving to Florida in 2014, so I have concerns over affiliating myself with a local group for two years before moving to the Florida Gulf Coast. Given the Benedictine requirement for attachment to a particular monastery, this is certainly a problem with respect to immediate affiliation, though I’m quite interested in visiting St. Leo Benedictine Abbey (St. Leo, FL) once I move. As for the Dominicans and Franciscans, I can safely say we have numerous groups available in the DC metropolitan area.

During the exploration process, can I affiliate myself with local institutions - including the Benedictines - even though I’m moving to Florida? I’m a healthy 55 year-old semi-retired lawyer in good health with plenty of time to devote in the service of our Lord. Any thoughts would be appreciated…

David
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To me it really come down to whether or not the teachings and spiritual approach is a good fit. Is this what God is calling you to be? Notice I did not say “do”. 🙂

Regarding your move, one thing you might consider is starting a dialogue with the Benedictines in the Tampa area to see what the Oblate situation there looks like. I am not aware of a Lay Dominican group in that area, but I have not looked closely so you may find something I am unaware of. Lay Dominican formation takes a minimum of 5 years so anything you start where you are at now, would have to be continued at a different location.

It might be a possibility for you to attend an Oblate retreat once a year until you move and start the formation process with the Benedictines, but again, it really comes down to having a vocation and knowing where God wants you. Honestly, it can be a difficult process. 7 months ago, I thought I had it all figured out. Now, I think I might have it figured out again. Who knows? Ask me again 6 months down the road and we’ll see if I am singing the same tune.

I have a ton of documents and readings on Lay Dominicans if you are interested. If I can be of any help, just let me know.

Peace,
 
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