Fr. Donald S. Raila, O.S.B.
Director of Oblates
Volume 49, Number 3
Please note registration form for Oblate Day on page 9.
Christ, the Risen Lord, dwells within us. Does His face shine through us to reveal Him to others? Christ's words have been sown into our hearts. Do our words convey the Good News of His Kingdom? Christ longs to continue His works of love through the cooperation of our minds and bodies. Do our works reflect His self-sacrificing love?
Speaking of the religious life and quoting the Vatican II document Lumen Gentium, the Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us: "To follow and imitate Christ more nearly and to manifest more clearly His self-emptying is to be more deeply present to one's contemporaries, in the heart of Christ. For those who are on this 'narrower' path encourage their brethren by their example, and bear striking witness 'that the world cannot be transfigured and offered to God without the spirit of the Beatitudes'" (Catechism #932, quoting LG #31,2). Although this admonition applies especially to consecrated religious, it also exhorts all Christians to serve as prophetic witnesses to our society, which in many ways has fallen prey to self-seeking and moral decadence. In contrast to these trends, the sacrament of Confirmation "gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross" (Catechism #1303). The Rule of St. Benedict likewise urges Benedictines and Oblates alike to do battle for Christ, our true King (Prol:3), and to manifest a behavior that is "different from the world's way" (4:20) amidst the duties of our ordinary lives.
The word "witness" may sound too demanding for the lay Christian occupied by the routines of a secular life. Furthermore, "witnessing" may call to mind certain over-zealous disciples who at one time or another have brazenly challenged our faith with the stark question, "Do you know whether or not you are saved?" Although such misguided approaches may do more to frighten or repel people than to "convert" them, it remains true nonetheless that all of us disciples have been given a serious obligation to receive and to pass on the Word of God and the very life of Christ. We are all obliged to live by the Beatitudes and the evangelical counsels (both of which radically challenge the standards of this world) and thus, at least by example, to show people around us (and ultimately the whole world) that Christ alone is our hope, our joy, and our salvation. The call to be witnesses first of all challenges us to shun addiction to possessions, power, and popularity. It challenges us to dispose ourselves as fertile ground for the seed of God's Word. It challenges us to live in continual mindfulness of Christ and the values of His Kingdom. The Catechism reminds us that "all Christ's faithful are 'to direct their affections rightly, lest they be hindered in their pursuit of perfect charity by the use of worldly things and by an adherence to riches which is contrary to the spirit of evangelical poverty'" (#2545, quoting LG #42,3).
Without the refreshing witness of Christians who provided me with loving encouragement through the work of Christ in their lives, I doubt that I would have discovered my monastic vocation. While I was still a student, I was moved by the zeal of a young, newly-confirmed Catholic who pointed out to me the value of the "Scriptural rosary" and who had the enthusiasm to consider joining the Franciscans. (Whether or not he ultimately joined them, I do not know, but his lively faith stirred me to muse, "If he can enter religious life, then why not me?") As a member of a vibrant parish during my time of secular employment, I was touched by the inner beauty of many lay Catholics who led Bible studies, who brought gentle care and Good News to a nursing home, who proclaimed God's wonders openly both at prayer meetings and in private conversation, and who showed great devotion to the Eucharist. All these examples of zealous Christian commitment nurtured within me the desire to join a permanent community that would reflect these people's values and would serve as a counterwitness to the self-centered trends in our society, which I experienced ever more vividly as a burden. For example, after shopping trips I generally found myself emotionally drained and even sick with headaches from having to make so many choices in a frenzied, commercial atmosphere; so I more and more questioned the noise and the folly of so much of our secular activity. Was it all really necessary? Could people really find ultimate satisfaction in hunting for bargains and then holding on to their purchases? Was there not far more to life? At the same time I realized that I myself was caught up with a bad zeal for the frantic quest to buy the things that I "had to" get at the very best price. Thus I longed for an environment that would help me to deal with my disordered desires and to order them as the Lord wanted.
Furthermore, numerous instances of Christian witness in and around the Archabbey drew me to this community and continue to rouse me out of sinking into mindlessness. When I visited the monastery, I was edified and uplifted by monks who gently picked up litter, who showed me warm hospitality (undoubtedly to their own inconvenience), and who evidenced genuine joy over private and communal prayer. To the present day I again and again discover the Lord nourishing my sometimes-faltering faith by the witness of fellow monks, of Oblates, or of people who just happen to cross my path. One non-Catholic employee recently told me how much his job meant to him in terms of cheerful service and treasured relationships, over and above any money that he earned. The laundry ladies who work across from the Oblate Office now and then testify to God's grace, redeeming situations of weakness or hopelessness in their own lives or the lives of people whom they know. What a gift is such witness, springing up unexpectedly in ordinary situations!
The whole Rule is a testimony to St. Benedict's own prophetic faith, but it also exhorts monks who abide by the Rule to be prophets for their time. Benedict's world was a decadent Roman society, suffering from a collapse of moral values as well as of cherished structures and traditions. It was a time, perhaps somewhat like ours, when Christians were offered a stark choice between the self-serving ways of a violent, power-hungry, class-structured society and the self-emptying love of Christian discipleship. In a world which scorned manual labor Benedict insisted that all able-bodied monks "live by the labor of their hands" (RB 48:8). In a world rampant with class divisions Benedict decreed that there would be essentially no rank in his communities except that of one's date of entry (RB 63). In a world craving material possessions Benedict declared that private ownership "must be uprooted and removed from the monastery" (RB 33:1). In a world eager for commercial gain Benedict ruled that his monks charge less for their wares than the usual market price so that God might be glorified (RB 57:8-9). In a world of violence, fear, and dangerous travel, Benedict demanded that monks shower their guests with reverence, courtesy, and an invitation to share in their life of prayer (RB 53). In all these ways monks, despite their own faults and frailties, were to manifest a way of life prophetically different than that of the surrounding society, to do battle for God's Kingdom, and thus to proclaim the victory of Christ's love in their lives.
How are we to fulfill our vocation to be prophetic witnesses to our world? (By the way, we use "prophetic" not as predicting the future but as living by God's word and proclaiming God's word by one's very life.) Perhaps it is not so much a matter of declaring, "I'm going to be a prophetic witness to someone today" as of deciding, "Today I'm going to continue on the 'narrow path' of complete devotion to Christ in prayer and loving service; and if someone should be evangelized by the work of Christ in me, then praised be God for using me as His humble instrument!" Such a commitment means, for example, that we are to be present to others in Christ, not seeking our own advantage but seeking to love according to others' real needs. It means that we must strive for a purity of heart and a poverty of spirit by which we welcome Christ to point out our selfish clingings and to redirect us to our true wealth in God. It may mean that we question what we buy, where we shop (and how much we shop), what magazines we read, and what television programs we watch (or perhaps whether we should watch television at all). The way we live each day and the way we allow our daily routines to be purified by Gospel values are the foundation of our life of witness. Our commitment to live prayerfully and mindfully will undoubtedly speak more loudly than any words that we may speak.
On the other hand, it is also important to examine our speech. Through our words we can bring Christ to others or deny them the opportunity to know Christ better. Perhaps it is for this reason that St. Benedict cautions us so often about inappropriate speech and recommends silence, a silence that refrains in particular from the proud self-promotion (however subtle) that can so easily infiltrate our speech. I myself often regret having voiced words aimed at self-aggrandizement, words of complaint that ignored redemption in Christ, and words of subtle criticism that denied others their true worth. How such language glorifies the "false self" in a sick, distorted way and obscures the true glory of our self-emptying God! We might all do well to examine our patterns of speech and to lay them before Christ. Does my casual conversion really put people at ease, or do I have hidden agendas to promote? (Yes, there is a place for casual speech; but I need to question whether I am really presenting the compassionate Christ to others.) Do I sometimes utter words intended mainly to persuade people to agree with me for my own self-esteem? Do I sometimes distort or ignore facts to promote my point of view? Do I subtly seek to build up myself by tearing down others? Do I try to welcome Christ to abide in me before I speak any words? Do I recognize that silent listening often better befits the disciple than speaking? In our mindlessly gabby culture it might be necessary to point out that prophetic witness by word requires (1) that we truly listen to God's word (in lectio or other forms of prayer) and (2) that we listen lovingly to others before we speak so that we can discern what words are best to speak in the name of Christ.
In sum, let us realize that as baptized Christians we all share in the prophetic vocation of Christ to be witnesses for God's Kingdom to the world. We Benedictines and Oblates have received a special charism to witness to the Kingdom against the evils of this age. Our careful choice of silence and speech forms a part of this witness. All of us are called to grow daily in radical dedication to Christ requiring that we seek and live out His will. In this way the Holy Spirit will work in us to evangelize others, perhaps most of all those in our homes and places of work, with the words of faith, hope, and self-giving love that God means for them to hear. (And we ourselves are the ones who need first to be evangelized and re-evangelized!) The words of Pope John Paul II directed to consecrated religious might again apply to us all:
Prophetic witness requires the constant and passionate search for God's will, for self-giving, for unfailing communion in the Church, for the practice of spiritual discernment and love of the truth. It is also expressed through the denunciation of all that is contrary to the divine will and through the exploration of new ways to apply the Gospel in history, in expectation of the coming of God's Kingdom (Vita Consecrata #84).
Fr. Donald S. Raila, O.S.B.
Director of Oblates
Summer 1996
Dear Oblates and Friends,The summer months are always a special time at Saint Vincent. Many of you come to share in days of retreat and celebrate with us ordinations, vow professions, jubilees and the Feast of Saint Benedict. Whatever the occasion we may be celebrating, the focus is on the generous gift of God's grace in our lives. God works in mysterious ways. We pray that we may have the eyes of faith to recognize the many and mysterious ways in which God revelas himself to us each day.
As oblates many of you celebrate anniversaries of your oblation. As we join in committing ourselves to Jesus Christ in the unique circumstances of our daily lives, let us ask the Lord to open our hearts to His ever-abiding presence and grace.
Fraternally,
+Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B.
Archabbot of Saint Vincent
OBLATES:
Kathy (Walburga) Goodine of St. Catharines, Ont.
Audrey (Marie Theresa) Harris of Virginia Beach
Nial B. (Antoninus) Murray of St. Catharines
Joseph (Michael) Roberts of St. Catharines
Frank (Benedict) Van Schie of Port Robinson, Ont.
Mary (Scholastica) Van Schie of Port Robinson
OBLATE NOVICES:
Alida Bos of St. Catharines
Lizzie Ann Hammer of Johnstown, PA
Helene Kump of St. Catharines
Joseph Kump of St. Catharines .
(The Van Schies and the Kumps are married couples.)
Martin (Patrick) Mellett of Glenshaw
Linda (Elizabeth) Rockey of Pittsburgh
Robert (Benedict) Zera of Butler.
Some 30 of the group also stayed for Evening Prayer with the monks at 5:15 and then for supper.
--- Michael Casey, O.C.S.O., Sacred Reading: The Ancient Art of Lectio Divina (same as above)
--- Pope John Paul II, Vita Consecrata ("The Consecrated Life"), found in Origins (Vol 25: no. 41; April 4, 1996)
[This specifically addresses consecrated religious, but it also includes many values applicable to Oblates.]
(2) At the Honors Convocation at St. Vincent College on Apr. 26, Oblate Donna DeLoretta of Greensburg received an award for excellence in her field, philosophy, as well as an award for Outstanding Achievement as a Continuing Education Student.
(3) Having attended the Oblate retreat with his wife, Helen, Oblate Dennis Krug of Holland, NY, wrote, "Helen and I have noted that many graces flow from the Lord over what sometimes seem to be long periods of time! But we are learning that we keep our hearts open at all times to hear God's call."
(4) During June Oblate Ronald Malkin of Ebensburg traveled to England to continue his ongoing study of Anglo-Cluniac Benedictines. Ron became interested in "Cluniac houses" (i.e., monasteries federated with the great Abbey of Cluny in southern France) in England in 1987-88, and since then he has tried to photograph as many of the surviving buildings as possible. He has also photocopied information from almost 300 books in his visits to many libraries in England. Ron is fitting all the information into an outline on his computer.
(5) Oblate Claire Moscone of Virginia Beach is serving as the group leader of a new AIDS ministry at St. Gregory the Great Parish. Organized on May 16, the ministry consists of a support group for those who are HIV-positive or have AIDS and for their family members and friends. She is a registered nurse and has a degree in psychology. Her son, David John, is a co-leader of the group.
(6) Oblate Josef Orosz of Bedford organized a pilgrimage to Fatima and other shrines in Portugal & Spain, July 1-15. Among those participating were Oblates Nancy Engle of Latrobe and her teenage son Jonathan.
(7) Our prayers and congratulations go to Oblates Leonard & Rita Sorg of St. Marys, who are to celebrate their 50th wedding annivesary on Aug. 10.
--- Joseph Smith of Clarion, whose wife died last November
--- Norma Jean Simmons of South Fork, whose cousin Barbara died shortly before Easter
--- Florence Caskey of St. Marys, whose son-in-law, Dick Yanak, died in April or May
--- Thomas Stauffer of St. Marys, whose brother Ray died on May 19 & whose sister-in-law Gerry Stauffer (Ray's wife) died on May 16
--- Frank Staicer of Virginia Beach, whose sister-in-law Florence died on May 31
--- Patricia Geiger of Norfolk, VA, whose husband, Edward, died on July 21 (see below).
--- 3 May 1996 - George (Joseph) Hess of St. Marys (Oblate since Aug., 1965).
--- 21 Jul 1996 - Edward (Gregory) Geiger of Norfolk, VA (Oblate since Nov., 1983) .
During June and July the group continued reflections on the Prologue of the Rule based on Norvene Vest's Preferring Christ.
On May 18 the regular monthly meeting was held in the St. Joseph Prayer Room of the All Saints Catholic Book Store. After Evening Prayer and the rosary, lay leader Brian Chisholm gave a talk on the meaning of Oblation and on expectations for Oblate novices and Oblates. The group also made preparations for many of them to attend the retreat at the Archabbey. Twenty-one of the group, including five children, ultimately traveled to St. Vincent for the retreat, May 31-June 2, and a number were received as Oblates or Oblate novices.
On June 21, at the regular monthly meeting in St. Patrick's Church, St. Catharines, Brian announced that Fr. Michael Andrysiak could no longer serve as Oblate moderator because of other pressing duties. The meeting included the usual Evening Prayer, rosary, Litany of St. Benedict, and "Salve Regina." We are grateful for Fr. Michael's time of service as Oblate moderator; let us pray that the deanery find another good moderator in the near future.
At the meeting on June 4, Fr. Ananias, moderator, led the prayers and told about a trip to Guadalupe, Mexico. The group also celebrated Fr. Ananias' birthday, which fell later in the month.
Fr. Conan wrote on July 1. On June 13 the last meeting was held for the summer. During Evening Prayer Fr. Conan received as an Oblate Frederick (Anthony) Letzeisen of Spring Hill, FL. Fred and his wife, Angela, also an Oblate, were visiting the area to prepare for their daughter's wedding. After the ceremonies the group enjoyed a social.
The deanery could also use our prayers as Fr. John searches for a new lay leader. We are grateful to Peggy Gambardella for her several years of faithful service in this role.
Lay leader Virginia Guravage wrote on June 25. The Oblates' moderator, Fr. Albert Oldfield, was to be reassigned to a parish in Scranton as of July 8. The group was hoping to find a new moderator soon; let us support them with our prayers.
On June 30 Fr. Donald received Jacqueline C. Barnett of York as an Oblate novice in the Archabbey Basilica.
We learn to pray at certain moments by hearing the Word of the Lord and sharing in his Paschal mystery, but his Spirit is offered us at all times, in the events of each day to make prayer spring up from us. Jesus' teaching about praying to our Father is in the same vein as his teaching about providence: time is in the Father's hands; it is in the present that we encounter him, not yesterday nor tomorrow, but today: "O that today you would hearken to his voice! Harden not your hearts."--- Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2659, 2660.Prayer in the events of each day and each moment is one of the secrets of the Kingdom revealed to "little Children," to the servants of Christ, to the poor of the Beatitudes. It is right and good to pray so that the coming of the Kingdom of justice and peace may influence the march of history, but it is just as important to bring the help of prayer into humble, everyday situations; all forms of prayer can be the leaven to which the Lord compares the Kingdom.
August, 1996
Dear Oblate / Oblate novice / Friend,Peace be with you! Members of the Oblate community in Latrobe are planning "Oblate Day 1996" for Sunday, September 15, 1996, and we would like to invite you to attend the day's events at St. Vincent Archabbey. The schedule for the day will be as follows:
10:00 A.M. --- Registration (for those who can come early) & get-together, Basilica Crypt
11:00 A.M. --- Community Mass, Basilica (especially for those who have not attended an earlier Mass)
12:00 Noon --- Lunch, Upper Placid
1:30 P.M. --- Tours or other activities (to be announced)
2:30 P.M --- Oblation ceremonies, Monastery Chapel
3:00 P.M. --- Confessions, location to be announced
4:00 P.M. --- Presentation by Fr. Demetrius Dumm, O.S.B.: Cherish Christ Above All: Biblical Wisdom in the Rule of Benedict, Upper Placid
5:15 P.M. --- Evening Prayer with monks, Basilica
5:45 P.M. --- Supper, Upper Placid
6:30 P.M. --- Departure.
If you plan to attend any or all of the above events, please fill out the form below and send it with payment for meals by September 7 to:
Miss Jacqueline Milko
R.D. #5, Box 451
Latrobe, PA 15650 .
It is especially important for us to know the numbers coming to lunch and supper. Please make checks out to ST. VINCENT ARCHABBEY.
May our day of coming together deepen our communion with the Lord and with one another and stimulate our openness to grace on our journeys of faith.
With the peace of Christ & St. Benedict,
Fr. Donald S. Raila, O.S.B.
Director of Oblates
___ I plan to attend Oblate Day on Sept. 15 at St. Vincent.
___ I am making ___ reservations for lunch at $5.00 each (money enclosed).
___ I am making ___ reservations for supper at $6.00 each (money enclosed).
___ I plan to be received as ___ an Oblate, ___ an Oblate novice. Planning to become a full Oblate, I wish to take _________________ as an Oblate name (optional).
___ I would like overnight accommodations for ___ Sept. 14, ___ Sept. 15. (Please contact the Leander Hall guestmaster or Fr. Donald several weeks in advance.)
Love needs pattern and structure. Without such foundations there can be no freedom to love.... It is a part of love to plot against ourselves, devising schemes against our weaker nature, and against any drift into being dominated by circumstances.--- from George Guiver, C.R., Company of Voices (N.Y.: Pueblo Publishing Company, 1988), pp. 17-20.... Emotion has to be disciplined by the planning which arises from a thought-out commitment.
... How can anyone believe and pray in the midst of the modern cacophony? Only by getting out of it can we suddenly recognize it for what it is. Only by stemming it can we pray in it. Some religious orders have deliberately set out to found houses in the midst of the modern city, and they show that it can be done - outposts of peace can be set up in the chaos. And they would all agree that the mainstay of their life is the rhythm of prayer.
The pure rhythm of liturgical prayer is a primeval channel of grace, and while it is necessary to look for ways of adapting the Church's patterns of prayer to modern life, there is much that the old patterns have to give us, even at the cost of forcing our lives to adapt to them, rather than vice versa.
... Fixed forms of prayer and worship, far from being death to the spirit, present the kind of obstacle course on which in art, sport, marriage and many other fields the human spirit rises to its best.
... if the rhythm of the Church's worship opens us up and makes us receptive, its purpose is simply to prepare the mind so that it may attend to God.
... in the daily liturgical prayer of Christianity the Psalter in particular, when recited or sung slowly and rhythmically, quiets and calms, reducing tensions and restlessness, and opening us up to prayer.
The Liturgy of the Hours is intended to become the prayer of the whole People of God. In it Christ himself "continues his priestly work through his Church." His members participate according to their own place in the Church and the circumstances of their lives: priests devoted to the pastoral ministry, because they are called to remain diligent in prayer and the service of the Word; religious, by the charism of their consecrated lives; all the faithful as much as possible: "Pastors of souls should see to it that the principal hours, especially Vespers, are celebrated in common in church on Sundays and on the more solemn feasts. The laity, too, are encouraged to recite the divine office, either with the priests, or among themselves, or even individually."--- Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1175.
The celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours demands not only harmonizing the voice with the praying heart, but also a deeper "understanding of the liturgy and of the Bible, especially of the Psalms."--- Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1176, 1177, 1178.The hymns and litanies of the Liturgy of the Hours integrate the prayer of the psalms into the age of the Church, expressing the symbolism of the time of day, the liturgical season, or the feast being celebrated. Moreover, the reading from the Word of God at each Hour (with the subsequent responses or troparia) and readings from the Fathers and spiritual masters at certain Hours, reveal more deeply the meaning of the mystery being celebrated, assist in understanding the psalms, and prepare for silent prayer. The lectio divinawhere the Word of God is so read and meditated that it becomes prayer, is thus rooted in the liturgical celebration.
The Liturgy of the Hours, which is like an extension of the Eucharistic celebration, does not exclude but rather in a complementary way calls forth the various devotions of the People of God, especially adoration and worship of the Blessed Sacrament.
In the sacramental liturgy of the Church, the mission of Christ and of the Holy Spirit proclaims, makes present, and communicates the mystery of salvation, which is continued in the heart that prays. The spiritual writers sometimes compare the heart to an altar. Prayer internalizes and assimilates the liturgy during and after its celebration. Even when it is lived out "in secret," prayer is always prayer of the Church; it is a communion with the Holy Trinity.--- Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2655.