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.
The Incarnation and Icons
It is clearly a prohibition against representing the invisible God. But when you see Him who has no body become man for you, then you will make representations of His human aspect. When the Invisible, having clothed Himself in the flesh, become visible, then represent the likeness of Him who has appeared. When He who,… Read More ›
21 Regrets people confess on their deathbeds
Some of these seem all too familiar… We’ve all heard the old saying that “People on their deathbeds don’t say, ‘I wish I’d spent more time at work…’” More often, people’s regrets are truly about “what I have done, and what I have failed to do.” A Spanish priest, Father Nelson, has listed the sort… Read More ›
Seven Tips for a good confession, from a saint and spiritual guide
St. Francis de Sales wants you to get to the heart of your sins. Saying “I have not loved God as I ought” is not enough. “My child, never allow your heart to abide heavy with sin, seeing that there is so sure and safe a remedy at hand.” This is the advice of St…. Read More ›
Inside the Faces of Pride
Pride is something most of us understand to a certain extent. Or, at the very least, we think we know what it looks like when we see it. Whether seen in business leaders, politicians, celebrities, or neighbors, there is a type of pride that almost all of us recognize. You can characterize it as bombastic,… Read More ›
I Confess…My Thoughts
I’m Okay. I’m Not So Sure About You or the Others… “But I’m a good person. I try to live the right way and not do anything immoral, illegal or dishonest. Heck, I’m living my life better than a lot of people I know.” These probably are pretty common thoughts. But how accurate are they?… Read More ›
3 Tips to help you get through spiritual desolation
For those times when it seems as if God doesn’t fully see you, hear you, or love you I grew up thinking that a relationship with God was a transaction: I gave God very minimal amounts of my time and prayer, and I was supposed to “get” something from Him. I assumed I would get… Read More ›
The Character of George Washington
When George Washington died in 1799, Congress passed a resolution naming him “first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.” In his new book, “Founding Father,” Richard Brookhiser reflects on why Washington warranted this great tribute. “Founding Father” is a “moral biography,” a meditation on the importance of character,… Read More ›
In the time you spend on social media each year, you could read 200 books
Somebody once asked Warren Buffett about his secret to success. Buffett pointed to a stack of books and said, Read 500 pages like this every day. That’s how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest. All of you can do it, but I guarantee not many of you will… When I first found this… Read More ›
Hope, wishful thinking and presumption — what’s the difference?
Learning to live with true Christian hope “‘Hope!’ What a waste of energy!” No easy “greeting-cards cheerfulness” for that bitter old man. I admired that part of him. But his hopelessness? Not so much. Granted, he had earned his claim to bitterness. Life had been hard on him. His hopelessness frightened me, because I suspected… Read More ›
The difficult art of being present
How often do we miss the genuine encounter — with God and with others — because we don’t know how to be still? One year ago, when Pope Francis paid a weeklong visit to the United States, a telling photograph made the rounds on social media. The picture, for once, was not of the joyful… Read More ›