…bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
This past week I spent some time Portsmouth Abbey. My time at the Abbey was a beautiful time of grace. Following the rhythm of the house is vital: the silence, personal prayer, communal prayer, reading, Lectio, leisure, conversation, listening, enjoying a meal. While the life of the monks life cannot be romanticized it is worth […]
Recent years I have heard from other Benedictine Oblates there is little formation to become an Oblate. In many respects, it is true that Oblates are not well-formed when you compare what many monasteries do for them and what other groups like the Lay Dominican Fraternities, the Secular Franciscans, the Avila Institute (founded by Dan […]
Last week Dom Boniface’s Part I in Benedictine Spirituality I: Silence and then Part II of the Benedictine Spirituality II: The Master’s Instructions. Here is Part III: The Ear of the Heart. I also highly recommend not only to the Oblates but also those who follow Communion and Liberation to attend all the essays as […]
The other day Part I in Benedictine Spirituality –Silence– given by Dom Boniface Hicks, monk of St Vincent’s Archabbey. Now in Part II of the Benedictine Spirituality, Dom Boniface explores The Master’s Instructions and our developing the sensitivity to the divine Presence. Where is your heart? Who is your God? How docile are you to […]
Father Boniface Hicks, OSB, a Benedictine monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. He is trained in computer science and in spirituality. Currently, Father Boniface is part of the formation team training men for the Catholic priesthood at his abbey’s seminary and the work of spiritual direction. Since I am interested in Benedictine Spirituality […]
Labor Day weekend (2019) had 25 of the NY Oblates of St. Meinrad’s Archabbey attended their annual retreat in Ossining, NY. We welcomed several new people. We were blessed, once again to have Fr. Mateo Zamora, OSB was our retreat master, with a series of conferences “A Careful Watch: Vigilance in the Rule of St. […]
The following is something I curated and posted on the Benedictine Oblate Facebook group today. In a recent newsletter from Fr. James Flint, OSB of St Procopius Abbey (Lisle, IL) he writes about his abbot asking the monks to say something about lectio and what was gleaned is “Give me a word” —some thoughts on lectio […]
The question surfaced recently about who are some famous Benedictine Oblates. Here is a brief list thus far: Saints, blesseds and Servants of God Saints Thomas Aquinas, Thomas Becket, Cunegundes, Ida of Boulogne, Thomas More, Oliver Plunkett, Frances of Rome, Henry II, Ranieri Scacceri, Blessed Mark Barkworth, Blessed Itala Mela, and the Servant of God […]
Today we liturgically honor memory of the emperor, Saint Henry. He is the Patron of Benedictine Oblates. Those who are Benedictine oblates will also recall that Saint Frances of Rome (who feast is in March) is the other holy patron of Oblates. This King Saint Henry II is not the same person of the English or […]
The Church gives us the liturgical memorial of Saint Frances Rome (1384-1440) today. However, her feast is obscured by the fact that it is the First Sunday of Lent. Yet, we cannot move from today without a mentioned of such a terrific witness to the Lord. Saint Frances is the patroness of Benedictine Oblates and car […]