Oblate Program at Belmont Abbey, NC

Instruction rss

Instruction on the Rule by noteworthy modern day monastics or oblates

Looking upward or downward

(Mercy Sunday 2013) Trust is about looking upward and not downward.  What do I mean by that?   Perhaps the main struggle that is faced in the spiritual life is not in the many moral situations what we face, for we all fail, at times we fail in grievous ways, though they may not be thought… Read More ›

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Pain and mercy

  Pain and mercy I often wonder why it is so easy to write about pain, sorrow, struggle, and strife.  I know that there is much of the above in the world, and I would suppose most of us, if perhaps not all, are often part of this drama, that makes up the pain of the… Read More ›

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Havana Prelate Shares Notes From Cardinal Bergoglio’s Pre-Conclave Speech

Argentine Archbishop Warned Against a ‘Worldly Church’ The archbishop of Havana says that a speech given by Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio (now Pope Francis) during the cardinals’ pre-conclave meetings was “masterful” and “clear.” Cardinal Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino spoke of Cardinal Bergoglio’s speech at a Mass on Saturday in Cuba, having returned home from his… Read More ›

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We are pilgrims on the way

  We are pilgrims on the way A winding down is our lives; roots deepen as  the limbs and foliage slowly wear down and are let go of; our vitality and beauty traded for something else; a look of being worn out from the journey, seeing the end but still taking that one step, then… Read More ›

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Let Jesus pray

It is a risky thing to pray, and the danger is that our very prayers get between God and us. The great thing in prayer is not to pray, but to go directly to God. If saying your prayers is an obstacle to prayer, cut it out. Let Jesus pray. Thank God Jesus is praying…. Read More ›

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My chosen path

My chosen path I was watching on YouTube an episode of “Thinking twice”.  This program host debates, some of which I find very interesting.  I was watching one the other day about science and if it has done away with the need for God.  Both sides were courteous in presenting their points and I enjoyed… Read More ›

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Deeper into hope

Deeper into hope Christ Jesus body lay in darkness, surrounded by the cold  and nothingness of death.  Its grip hard and heavy; seeking to bring Jesus into death’s kingdom, the cessation of hope, love, warmth and true life, is death’s scepter, despair all it has to offer.  So now it is a period of waiting,… Read More ›

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Conversion

When conscious conversion is sought after; the turning away from aspects of oneself that are destructive towards self or others, it leads to humility and empathy, because of the struggle and persistence that is involved.  The road to inner freedom is slow and an often painful process.  Grace is what calls us to begin the… Read More ›

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Death is the end of life

. . .[But it must be seen] in the light of love and grace. All created life is limited. Living beings come into existence and begin at once to develop, for growth is one of the essential functions of life. In the beginning of its growth, the living being must continually receive from others. The… Read More ›

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Virtual Visit to the Sistine Chapel

Many of us have heard of the renovations that Blessed John Paul II ordered for the Sistine Chapel but most of us have not seen them. The Vatican has released a virtual visit tour of the Sistine and you can view it by following this link. Enjoy the beauty of Michelangelo’s creation from the comfort… Read More ›

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