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.
What is Divine Mercy?
4. It is important then that we accept the whole message that comes to us from the word of God on this Second Sunday of Easter, which from now on throughout the Church will be called “Divine Mercy Sunday.” In the various readings, the liturgy seems to indicate the path of mercy which, while re-establishing… Read More ›
When is Easter Sunday?
And why is Orthodox Easter on a different date than Catholic Easter? Easter Sunday, the greatest liturgical feast of the year, has been celebrated on various days throughout the Church’s 2,000 year history and the scheduling has provided more than its share of controversy. From the very beginning of the Church the feast of the… Read More ›
We are God’s Handiwork
Our Lord showed me a little thing, the size of a hazelnut, on the palm of my hand, round like a ball. I looked at it thoughtfully and wondered, “What is this?” And the answer came, “It is all that is made.” I marveled that it continued to exist and did not suddenly disintegrate; it… Read More ›
On the Throne of the Cross
Why does Jesus enter Jerusalem? Or better: how does Jesus enter Jerusalem? The crowds acclaim him as King. And he does not deny it, he does not tell them to be silent (cf. Lk 19:39-40). But what kind of a King is Jesus? Let us take a look at him: he is riding on a… Read More ›
Unburden Yourself – The Gifts of Confession and Forgiveness
Many of our personal woes are driven by anxieties that seem to us to be inescapable or unmanageable. We deal with the boss that demands a project on a Friday night that is due on Monday morning, after he promised you the day off at that particular Monday; the co-worker that uses the idea that… Read More ›
The 2 things you should do before Lent is over
Fr. James Martin, SJ, is best known as a Jesuit priest, as editor at large of America, and as the author of several books including the New York Times bestselling Jesus: A Pilgrimage and Seven Last Words: An Invitation to a Deeper Friendship with Jesus. And yet, when it comes to Lenten practices, it appears Fr…. Read More ›
How to Recognize If You Have Consented to Temptation
We have not much difficulty in seeing that temptation is no evil and that consent alone makes the sin. That which troubles and disquiets those whom God subjects to this painful trial is the fear of offending God and their ignorance of the principles by which they may reassure themselves, not being able to distinguish… Read More ›
For the greatest thing is charity
Do you see that our practice has more power to do good? By practice I mean, not your fasting, nor yet your strewing sackcloth and ashes under you, but if you despise wealth, as it ought to be despised; if you be kindly affectioned, if you give your bread to the hungry, if you control… Read More ›
A simple daily reflection to put the brakes on our rush-hour lives
Fr. Albert Haase offers a 5-step Examen that anyone can do. Aleteia (March 22, 2017): Over a decade ago, Fr. Albert Haase, OM, a spiritual director, author of nine books on spiritual formation (Franciscan Media, InterVarsity Press, Paraclete Press) and the presenter on four bestselling DVDs (Paraclete Press), began practicing St. Ignatius of Loyola’s daily Examen,… Read More ›
The Case for Chastity
A Love-Hate Relationship with Sexual Freedom Our culture has a love-hate relationship with the ideas of sexual liberation that spewed out of the sixties and seventies. By promising instant gratification and sexual self-realization, the sixties and seventies crafted a narrative in which the purpose of sexuality was totally separate from procreation. This liberation has created… Read More ›