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.
Small Things and Possibility: An Advent Reflection
We live in a world in which bigger and better define our expectations for much of life. We have become so enamored by super size, super stars, and high definition that we tend to view life through a lens that so magnifies what we expect out of the world that we tend not to see… Read More ›
Advent and grief (a talk)
When I think of the concept of longing and then mixed it in with the experience of grief, I always get the feeling, or perhaps the picture, of a deep, dark and cold ocean, a place of feeling alone and isolated…. for what was once a bright inner relationship with another, is now empty and… Read More ›
To Live Life More Deeply
“I’ve gone to church all my life,” the woman said. “I don’t know why these things keep happening to me.” Her shoulders sagged a bit. “I just don’t know how much longer I can keep going on like this.” I could hear the sense of futility in her voice. But what is there to say… Read More ›
To wake up
Trust is such a pleasant word. It rolls off the tongue so gently and effortlessly; an invitation proffered, often said with a sincere smile. “Trust me”, it can almost be something demanded, but in that demand (if perceived as such), trust dies or diminishes. Weakened trust, is no trust at all, for fear and trust… Read More ›
The worship of the god within
Of all conceivable forms of enlightenment the worst is what these people call the Inner Light. Of all horrible religions the most horrible is the worship of the god within. Any one who knows any body knows how it would work; any one who knows any one from the Higher Thought Centre knows how it… Read More ›
The Meaning of Our Memories
Memory is one of the most powerful functions of the human mind. It is also one of life’s most determining ones. What goes on in memory has a great deal to do with what goes on in us all our lives. Memory is a wild horse, unbridled, riderless, maverick. It takes us often where we… Read More ›
Thank you for…
Gratitude is not only the posture of praise but it is also the basic element of real belief in God. When we bow our heads in gratitude, we acknowledge that the works of God are good. We recognize that we cannot, of ourselves, save ourselves. We proclaim that our existence and all its goods come… Read More ›
The Secret of Forgiveness
The question is, What should we forgive and how do we do it? An ancient monastic story gives a flash of an answer, so subtle, so swift that its meaning is easy to miss. A young woman, the story goes, who is heavy with child and terrified of being executed for dishonoring the family name,… Read More ›
Wearisome
This piece is not about depression or others mental states that need outside medical help, it is about growing in freedom and how difficult that can be at times. It is more about my own path actually than about anyone else. The human experience is deep and complex and there are simply no easy answers… Read More ›
Coming to Know the Sacred
“Love God and do what you will,” John of the Cross wrote. It’s only when I got old enough, experienced enough and wise enough in the ways of mystics that I knew what John really meant. It’s not what we do that makes us holy. It’s what we love that makes the difference between being… Read More ›