Oblate Program at Belmont Abbey, NC

Tag: Casey

The Devotion of Father Solanus Casey

Thank God ahead of time.  This sentence nearly leapt off the page of a thin book of collected quotes by Father Solanus Casey that I purchased at the St. Bonaventure Monastery in Detroit.  I was a young college student, and my faith was in its springtime as I embraced my singlehood to grow and mature… Read More ›

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The Danger of Infrastructure

Mobility does not involve large investments in infrastructure. We are familiar with agencies of charity or service that become identified with their real estate. Long before the first meal is served or the first medicine is distributed, humanitarian organizations set up a building to house staff -responsible for gathering and distributing funds. This is usually… Read More ›

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Humility defined

[Humility is] that total self-acceptance typical of untarnished humanity. Those who are humble experience no shame. They do not need lies and evasions to inflate their importance in the eyes of their associates, or to buttress their self-esteem. They have overcome the tendency to regard others as competitors or rivals, and so they work with… Read More ›

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Fr. Solanus Casey Guild: An Interview with Br. Edward

Brother Edward, a Belmont Abbey monk and guestmaster at the monastery, just launched the new Fr. Solanus Casey Guild which is dedicated to the beatification of Fr. Solanus Casey. Br. Edward has been a monk of Belmont Abbey for over 8 years, and says he wants to share the peace of following God’s will with… Read More ›

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We are not so much called to do as to become

The work to which God directs us is not an external task waiting for someone to come along and do it. It is not as though God has a roster of duties with a name placed beside each one of them. The work God gives us is not primarily determined by external factors. The work… Read More ›

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The hard work of the spiritual life

Many people have romantic or idealistic notions about monastic life that are untrue. The image of the monk as a workman is a reminder that monastic life is not an idyllic exis­tence but rather something ordinary, obscure, and laborious. The same is true of the spiritual life in general. By taking the Gospel seriously, we… Read More ›

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The initiative comes from God

God’s seeking of a workman reminds us of the parable of the workers in the vineyard. In the first place, God does not call everyone at the same point in their life: some he summons early, others later, and others again at the eleventh hour. This is because the initiative for the monastic or spiritual… Read More ›

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You are called to be a worker

Saint Benedict is saying “. . ., you are engaging in the spiritual art, not to receive something, but to give whatever you have. This endeavor will provide you with the opportunity to use your highest gifts in the service of something larger than yourself. You are called to be a worker, to give of… Read More ›

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Moving toward a low-impact environment

Large numbers of people are staying away from mainline church services precisely because they do not want to be put to sleep; much organized religion is seen as all too boring. The absence of religion does not necessarily make them more socially aware. An alternative source of desensitization has emerged. Our excitement-prone generation is looking… Read More ›

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Compunction: the moment of awakening

In traditional monastic language the great means of ending our complacent slumbers was the sting of compunction. The Latin word compunctio means a piercing; it is like sticking a pin in somebody with the purpose of waking them up. Compunction, involves a moment of awakening, the first glimmer of enlightenment, the dawning of a new… Read More ›

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