Benedictine Oblate #2

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Tampa_Dave said:
The numerary I’ve met with has been with Opus Dei for four decades. One of his greatest inspirations for joining Opus Dei was the book "Mary of Nazareth, originally published under the title “Our Lady the Virgin” in 1956. Interesting, huh? Its on my personal reading list based solely on his recommendation. All five reviews on Amazon are five star ratings.

amazon.com/Mary-Nazareth-Federico-Suarez/dp/188933488X
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It is interesting. I may have to pick it up. Give us a review when you finish it and have the time. I’ve added it to my Amazon wish list but will likely wait to get it for some time. I have about 50 books on my reading list right now. :o

I got this a while back, but haven’t had time to dive into yet. Its one my next reads for sure. amazon.com/Mary-The-Church-at-Source/dp/158617018X/ref=pd_sim_b_2

I’ve also considered getting this as it would probably tie in well with the Benedictine Tradition. I have not read anything from Clairvaux at this time and don’t really know where to start on his writings. I do find the Cistercians interesting, but don’t know a great deal about them. amazon.com/Bernard-Clairvaux-Homilies-Engineering-Literature/dp/0879071486/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342754599&sr=1-3&keywords=cistercian+mary
 
Your book about Mary is written by a couple of heavyweights - von Balthasar and the Pope. It also has very good Amazon reviews. I put it on my Amazon wish list. Since I just bought the three volume biography “The Founder of Opus Dei”, my current reading list is full. I still have at least six other books on St. Josemaria and Opus Dei sitting idly on my shelves. I’m about halfway through John Allen’s book about Opus Dei. Great read.
 
Tampa_Dave said:
Your book about Mary is written by a couple of heavyweights - von Balthasar and the Pope. It also has very good Amazon reviews. I put it on my Amazon wish list.
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That is actually not the one I meant to link, though it does look very good. I do have it, but it is a bit further down on my reading list. This is the one I meant to share: amazon.com/Mary-Fathers-Church-Blessed-Patristic/dp/0898706866/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342806920&sr=1-1&keywords=mary+and+the+church+fathers

Ugh.
 
Jason,

Can you give me an example of what a meditation in the Doyle book looks like?
Choose a short one, obviously.
 
jwinch2 said:
That is actually not the one I meant to link, though it does look very good. I do have it, but it is a bit further down on my reading list. This is the one I meant to share: amazon.com/Mary-Fathers-Church-Blessed-Patristic/dp/0898706866/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342806920&sr=1-1&keywords=mary+and+the+church+fathers

Ugh.
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“Mary and the Fathers of the Church: The Blessed Virgin Mary in Patristic Thought” appears to present Mariology in historical context. Most books simply analyze the life and meaning of the Blessed Virgin. That could make for an interesting read.
 
Luigi_Daniele said:
Jason,

Can you give me an example of what a meditation in the Doyle book looks like?
Choose a short one, obviously.
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I ask because I already have the Rule translated by Doyle “by itself” and would shell out the $50 only if the added meditations were truly worth the price.
 
Luigi_Daniele said:
Jason,

Can you give me an example of what a meditation in the Doyle book looks like?
Choose a short one, obviously.
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I’m seeing if I can scan it with my phone camera. I have the file but it is too large to attach at the moment. The commentary for each day’s reading on the Rule is several pages, and then the application is usually two or three more.
 
jwinch2 said:
I’m seeing if I can scan it with my phone camera. I have the file but it is too large to attach at the moment. The commentary for each day’s reading on the Rule is several pages, and then the application is usually two or three more.
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Jason, if they are that long, then please don’t worry about posting them. I truly appreciate the effort, sir.
 
All right, my Benedictine Oblate friends.

What is your time estimate for completing your daily ‘obligations’ with the Benedictines? With Opus Dei, its just under two hours (excluding travel time for Mass). I’m curious.
 
Tampa_Dave said:
All right, my Benedictine Oblate friends.

What is your time estimate for completing your daily ‘obligations’ with the Benedictines? With Opus Dei, its just under two hours (excluding travel time for Mass). I’m curious.
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About 1.5 hours 🙂
 
Tampa_Dave said:
All right, my Benedictine Oblate friends.

What is your time estimate for completing your daily ‘obligations’ with the Benedictines? With Opus Dei, its just under two hours (excluding travel time for Mass). I’m curious.
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24 hours.

It’s a way of life and affects everything I do. At least I hope it does.
 
SuscipeMeDomine said:
24 hours.

It’s a way of life and affects everything I do. At least I hope it does.
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I know what you’re saying. We all can say that, or at least I hope so! I was simply curious if our daily prayer obligations, Mass, etc., were similar in terms of overall time expended throughout the day.
 
Tampa_Dave said:
All right, my Benedictine Oblate friends.

What is your time estimate for completing your daily ‘obligations’ with the Benedictines? With Opus Dei, its just under two hours (excluding travel time for Mass). I’m curious.
Click to expand...
Well I am obviously not an Oblate at this time, but I will attempt a response anyway.

From what I can tell, the actual requirements for Oblates are relatively minimal. You are asked to incorporate the following things in your life. 1) Daily Mass; 2) Divine Office; 3) Monastic Spirituality; 4) Lectio Divina; 5) Personal and Contemplative Prayer; 6) Scripture Study. There are likely others, but that seems to be relatively consistent from one monastery to the next. The key though is, that you are to bring these things into your life as your state in life allows.

So, if you desire, one could really structure their life as if they were in the monastery. If you can’t do that, then you can’t, and that is OK also. I expect the number of people who are really able to do that on a regular basis is very small.

I really feel that is more about the spiritual mindset. Hopefully the Rule and Monastic Spirituality, rooted in the Tradition of the Church and the Fathers, comes to color every part of your life and become the lens by which you see the world and approach God. Even if you did all of the Hours, Daily Mass, Lectio Divina, etc. on a daily basis, you are still only talking about a few hours work of actual stuff. The key, from what I can tell is that you are doing one of those things at various times throughout the day and thus, consecrating the entire day to God.

Cheers!
 
I am not an Oblate, but next year I will be a junior Oblate!!! I go to a high school that is administered by Benedictine monks! There is a club called Junior Oblates which I will join.
 
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