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.
Benedictine monk: reverent liturgy helps us encounter Christ
La Garde-Freinet, France, Mar 13, 2013 / 04:05 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Celebrating the liturgy with reverence and beauty helps facilitate the encounter with Christ during the Mass, reflected a monk involved in organizing a conference on liturgy in Rome this summer. “Our liturgical nourishment must be ample and in accord with the mind and tradition… Read More ›
The power of fasting
Fasting is powerful because when we fast we are detaching ourselves from the world. This allows us to transcend the enemy, who is the prince of the kingdoms of the world. He once offered those kingdoms to Jesus and of course Jesus in His might and girded by fasting refused. We see that even Christ… Read More ›
On the raising of deluded narcissists
Dr. Keith Ablow, a frequent guest on Fox News, asserted just a few weeks ago that “we are raising a generation of deluded narcissist.” He cited an interesting study from the American Freshmen Survey which found that “college students are more likely than ever to call themselves gifted and driven to succeed, even though their… Read More ›
Parental pain
Last Sunday Tom came up to me and gave me a note. It was from a woman who wanted to speak to me about the loss of her son. From the note I learned that he was only 33 years old and died from cancer. So I started over to the retreat house praying that… Read More ›
The will of God prevails
The will of God prevails. In great contests each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both may be, and one must be wrong. God can not be for and against the same thing at the same time. In the present civil war it is quite possible that God’s purpose is… Read More ›
A trusting abandonment to Christ
. . .God has revealed that his love for man, for each one of us, is boundless: on the Cross, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God made man, shows us in the clearest possible way how far this love reaches, even to the gift of himself, even to the supreme sacrifice. With the mystery… Read More ›
Lent Is Special Time to Cleanse and Protect Against Spirits
Though society and even the Church (can) often turn a blind eye to the workings of spirits, the fact is that they exist and the fact is also that — among their repertoire — is what might be called “spiritual transference”: spiritual energies can be transmitted through people, communication, and things, including at a distance…. Read More ›
Ladder of Divine Ascent – Lenten Reading Schedule
The Ladder (from which St John received the ‘nickname” Klimakos – “ladder” in Greek) was written in response to another Abbot’s advice on promoting health spirituality in his monastery. St John’s reply proved such a thorough and clear exposition that it has become de rigueur Lenten reading in Eastern Christians monasteries all over the world. As St John’s writings are also… Read More ›
Abraham: Our Father in Faith
… Faith leads Abraham to tread a paradoxical path. He will be blessed, but without the visible signs of blessing: he receives the promise to become a great nation, but with a life marked by the barrenness of his wife Sarah; he is brought to a new homeland but he will have to live there as… Read More ›
The Danger of Infrastructure
Mobility does not involve large investments in infrastructure. We are familiar with agencies of charity or service that become identified with their real estate. Long before the first meal is served or the first medicine is distributed, humanitarian organizations set up a building to house staff -responsible for gathering and distributing funds. This is usually… Read More ›