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.
On the Devil and the modern rebellion against God
Perhaps no more than 100 years ago or so, I would think that society – both secular and religious – would have been shocked to see the amount of satanic artwork, music, and posturing exhibited by so many nowadays. One need only open their eyes and look around – the T-shirts covered in pentagrams and… Read More ›
We must always remain vigilant
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – “We must always remain vigilant, on guard against deception, against the seduction of evil ” , because the devil , against whom Jesus truly fought and won , ” always tries to come back,” to “take possession of us. ” Today’s Gospel in which Jesus responds to some who accuse him… Read More ›
What binds you?
Years ago, as I mention at our retreats, back around 1993, I was asked by the monks at the Trappist Monastery in Gethsemane Farms, Kentucky, to stay over on a Saturday night, a wonderful experience in that prayerful, peaceful place where — for decades — there was the vow of silence (no longer). In fact,… Read More ›
We live in a wilderness of noise
We live in a wilderness, a wilderness of noise. Noise is not just about sound. It has to do with the constant barrage of stimulation to our senses, emotions and even our intellect, (read information overload.) The problem with all this noise, pure and simple, is that it is an obstacle to our own inner… Read More ›
The Fusion of Three Christological Devotions
Believe it or not, the Catholic Church and her faithful are devoted to Jesus Christ. With all our hyperdulia and dulia (devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints), we can often lose sight of the Church’s Christological devotion. Most clearly, the Church’s faithful are dedicated to the Eucharist—to receiving Christ in the Holy Eucharist and adoring Him,… Read More ›
Evangelization blocked by our own ‘hesitancy’ to convert
San Antonio, Texas, Aug 7, 2013 / 05:07 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The biggest obstacle to the success of the New Evangelization is the reluctance of individual Catholics to let themselves be converted by the faith, according to Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley. This dynamic is a “hesitancy to accept that each one of us has the… Read More ›
I heal the soul of all its wounds
In what does the praise of God consist, if not in a lamentation of the soul that it can never praise Him as it desires? And the desires, devotion, prayer and good will that a soul has to do good, all this is a sorrowful lamentation, and when I come to supply for it Myself,… Read More ›
And he was transfigured before them …
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him…. Read More ›
Emotional Pornography
Sex sells. Marketing in our culture is almost exclusively based on sex. We have known this for years, and although we think we are stronger than corporate marketing strategies, we (men) still fall easy prey to GoDaddy super bowl ads and Victoria’s Secret ceiling-high mall pinups. When I say “easy prey,” I don’t mean we all… Read More ›
The contrast between royal news and papal trip
It has been curious, as many things that may bear meaning are often curious: At the same time that a major Catholic figure is making an appearance with a strong message for the world, it is nearly overcome by news that involves the royal family. It happened when Mother Teresa and Princess Diana died the… Read More ›