Saint Andrew:
Hello Contemplative
That is great, I wonder how many would be able to follow the life of St Benedict today?
God Bless
Saint Andrew.
well, Oblates of St. Benedict, lay people attached to a monastery for spiritual development and support of the monastery, do their best. A good guide for lay people who would like to apply the principles of the Holy Rule to daily life in the world is the Lifegiving Way by Esther DeWaal. We have about 55 Oblates, 45 currently active, attached to the Monastery of the Good Shepherd in Rio Grande City, Texas, we had our bimonthly general meeting yesterday at the new monastery, saw the recently finished Eucharistic Chapel, finished just in time as we overflowed the tiny chapel in the main building for Mass. We support the sisters in building and furnishing the monastery, now working on a retreat center and guesthouse. And also with the sisters’ ministry in the Valley, which is evangelization and pro-life witness.
we meet every other month in our deaneries, smaller geographic-based groups that meet in homes for a meal, prayer, reading and discussion. Our book this year has been the Gospel of Life, and the in depth study of this great work of our late pope has been for me life-changing.
the foundation of our spirituality is the liturgy of the hours and lectio divina, and the Benedictine motto, work and prayer, Ora et Labore, fits very well with life in the world.