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.
Night time ‘Terror’: Viewers find remedy with the Bible and the simple name of Jesus
For many years we [Michael Brown] have been reporting on night-time phenomena such as those who wake up precisely at three o’clock a.m. or about the vulnerability of sleep-time hours, when the active mind — the alert part of consciousness — is in a quiescent or perhaps even wandering state. It is an “in-between” time,… Read More ›
Say a Little Prayer For The Rich
Last week, we attended a conference for the 1%. ‘Everybody thinks the rich have such easy lives,’ said a psychologist and family therapist. ‘But you wouldn’t want the lives that a lot of 1% have. They’re often so cut off from meaning in their lives… from the warmth of normal relationships… and from the psychological rewards… Read More ›
“Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance makes a difference
As we approach Flag Day, Tuesday, there are those in our nation who would have “under God” removed from our pledge of allegiance. True, it was added to the original pledge. For good reason. It might be helpful to reflect on a speech given in February 1954, which reportedly was instrumental in motivating President Dwight… Read More ›
Complain!
God does not frown on your complaint. Did not His Mother in the Temple ask: “Son! Why hast thou done so to us?” And did not Christ on the Cross complain: “My God! Why hast Thou abandoned Me?” If the Son asked the Father, And the Mother the Son – “Why?” Why should not you?… Read More ›
The careful shepherd watches over Christ’s flock
In her voyage across the ocean of this world, the Church is like a great ship being pounded by the waves of life’s different stresses. Our duty is not to abandon ship but to keep her on her course. The ancient fathers showed us how we should carry out this duty: Clement, Cornelius and many… Read More ›
No cellphone, no Wi-Fi: Living in America’s quietest place
GREEN BANK, W.Va., NBCNews – Every week, Chuck Niday patrols Green Bank, W.Va., in a vehicle that looks a bit like something out of the movie “Mad Max,” aiming to protect the largest steerable radio telescope in the world. He searches for sources of interference, which can come from something as simple as a spark… Read More ›
Do not let others define who you are.
Do people insert themselves into your life? Has it happened that others have defined what your relationship with them should be — with little or no input from you? Do you feel pressed by certain folks to act out a relationship that isn’t in your heart and thus perhaps not in your destiny? Problems —… Read More ›
Work as an expression of love
22. Work was the daily expression of love in the life of the Family of Nazareth. The Gospel specifies the kind of work Joseph did in order to support his family: he was a carpenter. This simple word sums up Joseph’s entire life. For Jesus, these were hidden years, the years to which Luke refers… Read More ›
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers
It’s fairly common — as far as angel encounters — to hear about “mysterious strangers” who appear in the way of beggars or homeless. This draws us to the Scripture that says, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:2). When we die,… Read More ›
Necessity of mortification
“If we do not risk anything for God we will never do anything great for Him.”— St. Louis de Montfort 194 The Holy Spirit tells us that wisdom is not found in the hearts of those who live in comfort, gratifying their passions and bodily desires, because “they who are of the flesh cannot please… Read More ›