Tag: Smaragdus
Pray Often and Read Often
For those who practice it, the experience of lectio sacra sharpens perception, enriches understanding, rouses from sloth, banishes idleness, orders life, corrects bad habits, produces salutary weeping and draws tears from contrite hearts . . . curbs idle speech and vanity, awakens longing for Christ and the heavenly homeland. It must always be accompanied by… Read More ›
Commentaries on the Rule Of St. Benedict
Several Oblates have asked for suggestions on commentaries on the Rule of St. Benedict (RB). The list is too exhaustive to list. Commentaries can be broken into three primary groups; devotional, line by line (exegesis), and a combination of the two. But before listing various commentaries, please remember that there are also quite a number… Read More ›
To put nothing before the love of Christ
“To Christ belongs everything we can do; we live because he quickens us, we move and have our being because he enlivens us, we love because he first loved us. It was out of love he created and quickened us, nourished and guarded us; he led us to the bath of rebirth, renewed us, governed… Read More ›
On Daily Manual Work
There has been some discussion among the Oblates as to what is our calling when is comes to RB 48, On the Daily Manual Labor. It has been suggested by several that this should translate into volunteer service to the Monastery, doing some of the physical labor that is needed to be done. This might… Read More ›
Deny Yourself in Order to Follow Christ
On my desk is a small statue of Gollum, the hobbit-like character from Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Those who have only read The Hobbit, when Gollum was introduced, only have seen an evil, angry little creature. But those who have read or seen The Lord of the Rings witnessed something else. Gollum was… Read More ›
New Year’s Resolutions
We all learned the Ten Commandments growing up. Most people will remember “Thou shall not kill,” and “Thou shall not steal.” But according to a survey conducted by Kelton Research, more Americans remember the ingredients of a McDonald’s Big Mac than the Ten Commandments. Suppose we agree to make one resolution; if we do not… Read More ›
To Love the Lord God with all one’s heart (RB 4:1)
“Now he truly knows God who proves that he has his love by keeping his commandments. For knowing God means loving him. Someone who does not love him show clearly that he does not know how loveable he is; he has not learnt to taste and see how sweet and delightful the Lord is, who… Read More ›
A Mother’s Love
With the beginning of the New Year we celebrate the Motherhood of Mary. Our minds immediately are reminded of the scenes in the stable and Mary holding the infant Jesus in her arms. But perhaps this feast comes too close to the celebration of the Nativity of Our Lord to be fully appreciated? The feast… Read More ›