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.
To Become Real — Affirm Others
The heresy of individualism: thinking oneself a completely self¬sufficient unit and asserting this imaginary “unity” against all others. The affirmation of the self as simply “not the other.” But when you seek to affirm your unity by denying that you have anything to do with anyone else, by negating everyone else in the universe until… Read More ›
How to Find Christmas Peace
How to find Christmas peace in a world of unrest? You cannot find peace on the outside but you can find peace on the inside, by letting God do to your soul what Mary let Him do to her body, namely, let Christ be formed in you. As she cooked meals in her Nazarene home,… Read More ›
Life is a Dark Warehouse
God does not hide things from you. He hides things for you. When you die, you’ll encounter a “warehouse” full of his surprises. Gifts. He has secrets for you. Surprises. Death is a surprise party, if we’re sanctified, if we’re prepared for it, if we have the purity of love. Right now, you are wandering,… Read More ›
St. Joseph and Living Out Advent
Saint Joseph can help us to live a most fruitful Advent, and for many reasons. Let us quietly meditate upon five extraordinary virtues of this greatest of all saints so that we can live a most fervent Advent season and allow Jesus to be born in the depths of our hearts this Christmas! 1. SILENCE…. Read More ›
The Sacrament (of Advent)
(St.) Bernard sees that the Sacrament (of Advent) is the Presence of Christ in the world as Savior. In his theology Advent does not merely commemorate the Incarnation as a historical event, nor is it a mere devotional preparation for the Feast of Christmas, nor an anticipation of the Last Judgment. It is above all… Read More ›
How is my relationship with my guardian angel?
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Guardian angels exist, they are not imaginative doctrine, but companions that God has placed beside us on our life’s journey and should be listened to, because “it is dangerous to reject our travel companion”. The was the focus of Pope Francis homily at Mass at Casa Santa Marta today, on the… Read More ›
Dr. Franklin Explains the Thanksgiving Tradition
There is a tradition that in the planting of New England, the first settlers met with many difficulties and hardships, as is generally the case when a civiliz’d people attempt to establish themselves in a wilderness country. Being so piously dispos’d, they sought relief from heaven by laying their wants and distresses before the Lord… Read More ›
Thank God for Purgatory
I knew it was going to be one of those conversations. Maybe it was the way he eagerly, yet nonchalantly, edged over to the conversation as I was explaining to some teenagers on the Metro what a Dominican was. Maybe it was the subtle sort of smile that implied recognition of, not an oddity or… Read More ›
Souls in Purgatory
Along with the feast of All Saints developed the feast of All Souls. The Church has consistently encouraged the offering of prayers and Mass for the souls of the faithful departed in purgatory. At the time of their death, these souls are not perfectly cleansed of venial sin or have not atoned for past transgressions,… Read More ›
Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation
The Big Bang “doesn’t contradict the intervention of a divine Creator, but demands it,” Pope Francis said Monday morning, because the beginning of the world “is not the work of chaos.” The Pope was addressing the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, gathered in the Vatican to discuss “Evolving Concepts of Nature.” God… Read More ›