Oblate Program at Belmont Abbey, NC

Tag: reading

Wisdom and Knowledge

Haphazard reading, constantly varied and as if lighted upon by chance does not edify but makes the mind unstable; taken into the memory lightly, it goes out from it even more lightly. But you should concentrate on certain authors and let your mind grow accustomed to them. The light of wisdom is kindled by fervent… Read More ›

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Saint Benedict’s Advice for Lent

The Season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, 9 March 2011. Saint Benedict offers his thinking about the observance of Lent in chapter 49 of his Rule. Besides abstinence from vice, food, and drink, Benedict recommends reading, especially Sacred Scripture. The right kind of Lectio Divina can lead to that “compunction of heart” that is… Read More ›

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Summer is a time refocus ourselves on the Word of God

Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Jul 18, 2010 / 08:48 am (CNA).- Before Sunday’s Angelus prayer from the intimate courtyard of his summer residence at Castel Gandolfo, Pope Benedict XVI spoke of the need to listen to the Word of God. As Mary does in Sunday’s Gospel, we must learn to choose the “best portion” in our… Read More ›

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The Importance of Lectio Divina

I consider that lectio divina is an important component of the mature and active years of the spiritual life; its absence diminishes the vitality of these years and may eventually lead to shipwreck. Our efforts to establish priorities in our life will be smoother, perhaps, if we recognize that lectio divina has the right to… Read More ›

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“Religion” Cannot be a Substitute for Humanity or Community

We may often find that the text of the Bible comes alive in an atmosphere of love, community, and service. Conversely, its meaning is obscured when we allow ourselves to become isolated and concerned only with ourselves. “Religion” cannot, in God’s plan, become a substitute for humanity or community. Our familiarity with the Bible can… Read More ›

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Reverence before God

What is reverence before God? It is the sobriety of spirit that stems from an experience of the otherness of God which makes us want to subdue self, remain silent, and to submit. We are over­whelmed by the greatness of God present and are reluctant to spoil the occasion by the intrusion of our own… Read More ›

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Benedictines: Lovers of the book

[For followers of St. Benedict]. . .Part of their vocation, it seems to me, is to be lovers of the book. Someone absorbed in reading is a beautiful sight, as many great paintings attest. Observing, we become aware of a certain stillness of the body and quietness of mind in the reader, a concentration of… Read More ›

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Give Primary Attention to Scriptures

You then, my true son, give primary attention to reading the divine Scriptures. Be attentive: for we must be attentive when reading the things of God, so that we not say or think anything too reckless about them. . . . Being attentive to divine reading, seek correctly and with unwavering faith in God the… Read More ›

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Reading is Important

For every Christian, and especially for the monk, reading is important in order to shore up the distinctive structure of beliefs and values that is necessary if we are to live a life worthy of the gospel and to be strangers to the ways of the world. The more exposure we have to unevangelical modes… Read More ›

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