Oblate Formation 
Posts concerning Oblate and Novice formation. These include articles which are also applicable to most Christians, whether Oblate or not. Additional articles on instruction of various parts of the Rule can be found under that category.
My prayers are so distracted! Are they worth anything?
Believe it or not, it was St. Thomas Aquinas who taught me not to lose hope when I lose my train of thought Do you know how many times I’ve opened my Bible or a spiritual reading book only to momentarily be summoned back into family life? Then when I do manage to escape the… Read More ›
Guilt — It’s a good thing!
It’s the spiritual equivalent of physical pain: it tells us when something is wrong. I watched far too much Comedy Central growing up, but I learned two important lessons from it: 1) you don’t have to be especially funny to get on TV, and 2) an awful lot of stand-up comedians are lapsed Catholics. And… Read More ›
Five Warning signs of a toxic faith
I know quite a few people who have been taken aback by the way Pope Francis challenges everyday Catholics along with priests, religious, and the hierarchy. It seems unfair when we compare what seem like harsh challenges with the tender way he reaches out to those on the fringes of the Church. Although it can… Read More ›
Do you look at those around you with Godly eyes, or tempted ones?
The great Russian Orthodox monk and Metropolitan, Anthony Bloom, has left a wealth of wonderful spiritual reading — his book Beginning to Pray is one of those amazing, small books that has something worth underlining and taking to contemplation on every page — and his book Courage to Pray is a similarly illuminating, but brief, read…. Read More ›
What is Christianity? It’s all about an Epiphany
The beauty of Christmas reflects this explosive revelation: the Son of God became a man that men might become sons of God. This past week, I stumbled on an interesting song by Declan McKenna, an 18-year-old singer-songwriter from England, titled “Bethlehem.” A saccharine take on the birth of Christ, this was not; instead, McKenna (who, as… Read More ›
Mary’s tears are seeds of hope
Dear brothers and sisters, In today’s catechesis I would like to contemplate the figure of a woman who speaks to us of hope lived in tears. Hope lived in tears. It is Rachel, the wife of Jacob and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin; she who, as the Book of Genesis recounts, dies giving birth… Read More ›
What or who we truly are is not yet known
I agree that being a loving person is something humans are not. Yet we strive to become loving and in that we call upon the Lord for grace and healing. Self knowledge allows us to see our need and woundedness without despairing, or having our ego shattered. Jesus as the Word has loved us into… Read More ›
Blessed New Year Resolutions
Why do so many people make New Year’s resolutions? Is it because we see something in our lives we want to improve? We all look at ourselves from time to time, and see things we want to improve. A new year gives us a reason to reflect and strive for a new beginning So maybe… Read More ›
Try “The Yearly Examen”: A spiritual exercise for a better 2017
As the New Year approaches many of us will look forward with hope, convincing ourselves that “next year will be better.” The past year may not have gone exactly as we had wanted and our original “New Year’s Resolutions” may have only endured to the middle of January. Whatever may be the case, we look… Read More ›
The Star is always there
Wear the robe of Heaven, not that of this world. Be in this world, but not of it. Be otherworldly though here on earth. Choose simplicity over what is royal. This is a lesson of an Infant in a manger against the great and growing temptation of our time. Try to see things more from… Read More ›