Tag: Work of God
Triumph of the Cross
“The Son of Man must be lifted up”, says Jesus to Nicodemus. And he says this with a view to his crucifixion: The Son of Man must be lifted up on the Cross. Whoever believes in him, whoever sees in this Cross and in the Crucified One the Redeemer of the world, whoever looks with… Read More ›
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 ›
Psalm 24(23): The Lord enters his temple!
1. The ancient chant of the People of God that we just heard, resounded in the temple of Jerusalem. To be able to grasp the main thrust of the prayer, we have to keep in mind three basic affirmations. The first is the truth of creation: God has created the world and is its Lord…. Read More ›
Zeal
As we just heard in chapter fifty-eight of the Rule about receiving our brethren, Benedict says to see if the newcomer truly seeks God. The signs for that are in three zeals. Zeal is defined as eagerness in this text of the RB 1980. The Latin sollicitus means zeal. Zeal for the work of God,… Read More ›
Creating the Truth of Our Identity
Our vocation is not simply to be, but to work together with God in the creation of our own life, our own identity, our own destiny… This means to say that we should not passively exist, but actively participate in His creative freedom, in our own lives, and in the lives of others, by choosing… 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 ›
Two Lives: Fr. Raymond and Betty
Over the summer I was privileged to attend two funerals, Fr. Raymond and my mother-in-law, Betty Ray Canipe. Why would I connect the two? It is quite simple. Betty passed away on Saturday and Fr. Raymond passed away on Sunday. So close together I could not help reflect on parallels between the two of them… Read More ›
Who Is Called to Be an Oblate of St. Benedict ?
It is suggested that those seeking to make their Oblation should prayerfully reflect on the following paragraphs taken from St. Vincent Archabbey’s Manual for Oblates. Being invested as an Oblate novice or making full Oblation is not a matter of entering a religious order. Deciding whether to seek novice Oblation or Oblation would, therefore, not… Read More ›
Prayer to St. Joseph the Worker
O Glorious St. Joseph, model of all who are devoted to labor, obtain for me the grace to work in the spirit of penance in expiation of my many sins; to work conscientiously by placing love of duty above my inclinations; to gratefully and joyously deem it an honor to employ and to develop by… Read More ›
On Benedictine Life
An interview with a Cistercian (Benedictine) monk in Scotland about his life in the monastery. More importantly to Oblates, this interview offers an excellent explanation of Benedictine life, much of which is applicable to those of us who do not live in the monastery.