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.
5 ways to declare smartphone independence
Last week, I built my phone a home. It doesn’t have antenna bumpers, nor does it boast one of those fancy battery charging pads. Frankly, it’s not much to look at, but it serves its purpose. It’s a resting place; a small bowl. In a society that markets a new phone as the best way to get… Read More ›
‘Practical atheism’ more destructive than disbelief
Vatican City, Nov 14, 2012 / 10:45 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The practical atheism of those who say they are Christian but live as if God does not exist is a greater threat than actual atheism, Pope Benedict XVI said as he presented three ways for people to more fully discover God. While actual atheists often… Read More ›
The Age of Narcissism
Brother, the Holy Scriptures cries out to us, saying: Whoever is self-promoting will be humbled, and whoever is humble will be promoted. When it says this, it shows us all that self-promotion is a kind of pride. The Prophet shows that he avoids this when he says: Lord, my heart is not lifted up, nor… Read More ›
The Dignity of Yard Work
Idleness is the soul’s enemy, so therefore at determined times the brothers (and sisters) out to be occupied with manual labor, and again at determined hours in Lectio Divina. (Rule of St. Benedict: 48:1) For the past couple of days, I’ve developed a pretty strong attachment to my leaf blower, a precious gift I received… Read More ›
Talk on Anger, rage and resentment
We pick up things in our lives. Some of them are life giving, healing and helpful for us as we make our journey. Other events happen to us that weigh us down, burden us and pick at our souls like a bee trapped in our ear. A constant buzz which drains and further wounds our… Read More ›
All Hallow’s Eve Treat
Trick or Treat! Walt Disney’s original Fantasia was a classic mixture of classical music and animation. A bit dated by today’s standards it is still a beautiful use of the technology of the time. Children and adults are still fascinated by the movie. “Uncle Walt,” as so many of us knew him, was proud of… Read More ›
Meditation on Ephesians 6:10-20
You don’t hear much about the devil these days. Is he gone? Have his wiles so diminished that we no longer need to fight them by putting on “the whole armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11)? Hardly! Even though Satan and his underlings were defeated at Calvary, they still have some influence until Jesus comes again…. Read More ›
Spirit of Our Time is Division
There is a difference between “truth” and “information.” We are deluged with the latter. We are starved for the former. On social media, we have much access to information about people but not the truth of their essence. Meanwhile, it has become nearly impossible to access objective and clean media. Surely you have noticed how… Read More ›
Our own personal struggles
It is easier than we think to use spirituality to keep at bay what spirituality will one day make us face head-on: our own personal struggles. The threads of Providence are braided right into the knots of our own aversion, despair, depression, and panic. Insofar as we discover the Life (Jn 14:6) that is revealed… Read More ›
How important are the things we save?
We all take care of the important things of life. We build our careers, care for our families and we hold on to items that we will need in the future. Recently my father-in-law passed away and I was helping my wife and sister-in-law in clean up the house. It is amazing how much we… Read More ›