If Oblate novices are to be invested, each candidate should have filled out an application form stating his or her reasons for seeking novice Oblation, and the Director of Oblates should have approved the application. The officiant should have prepared blue enrollment cards, two for each candidate. The officiant should also have prepared for each candidate a medal of St. Benedict, a pamphlet explaining the medal and its use, and a copy of the Holy Rule. The medals are generally blessed beforehand; if not, they can be blessed during the ceremony with the formula found in the pamphlet "The Medal or Cross of St. Benedict."
If full Oblates are to be received, each candidate should have filled out a form for those seeking full Oblation, with a statement of reasons for seeking Oblation and a description of the candidate's efforts to satisfy the requirements stated in the Oblate Formation Booklet. The form should have been received and approved by the Director of Oblates or local moderator. The officiant should have prepared for each candidate two Oblation certificates, made out in duplicate. Each candidate should have had the opportunity to choose in advance an Oblate name and to submit that name to the officiant for inclusion on the certificate.
The ceremony can be simple or solemn, according to the desires of those participating. It may be performed during Mass (after the proclamation of the Gospel and a homily) or in conjunction with an hour of the Liturgy of the Hours. Even a simple ceremony may be enhanced by lighted candles, a reading from Scripture, a reading from the Holy Rule, a homily, and/or prayers of petition. Those invited to attend may include members of the local deanery and family and friends of the candidates to be received.
All: Amen.
Officiant: The Lord be with you.
All: And also with you.
Officiant: Let us all enter into a spirit of prayer. Let us be aware of the loving gaze of God, penetrating our inmost beings; let us be attentive to the voice of Christ, challenging us to heed the narrow way of His Gospel; let us welcome the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit, purifying our hearts.
(Pause for silence.)
Officiant: Lord Jesus, You show us the way of obedience to the Father's loving will; Lord, have mercy.
All: Lord, have mercy.
Officiant: Lord Jesus, You lead us in the way of stability by Your perseverance through suffering and death for the sake of our salvation; Christ, have mercy.
All: Christ, have mercy.
Officiant: Lord Jesus, You stir us to alertness to Your call and to eagerness for continual conversion in the paths of the Gospel; Lord, have mercy.
All: Lord, have mercy.
Officiant: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
All: Amen.
Officiant: Let us pray.
Almighty and eternal God, we approach You as sinners redeemed by the blood of Your Son. Through the example and intercession of Mary, the Virgin Mother of Your Son, help us to seek Your will and to act upon it with total trust in Your goodness and guidance. Through the teaching and intercession of our Holy Father Benedict, open the hearts and minds of those committed to follow the Holy Rule to deepen their commitment to follow Your Son's Gospel and the values embodied in the Rule. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen.
(Readings and a homily may follow.)
Candidate: I wish to seek God more intensely by being invested as an Oblate novice of Saint Benedict affiliated with Saint Vincent Archabbey.
Officiant: May the grace and mercy of God be with you.
Officiant: Receive this medal with its cross of Saint Benedict, and be reminded of the need to take up your cross daily and follow our true King, Christ our Lord; thus may you learn to share with patience in the sufferings of Christ that you may one day share in His heavenly Kingdom.
All: Amen.
Officiant: Accept this copy of the Holy Rule of Saint Benedict, which was written in the spirit of the Gospel teachings of Christ and handed down to us through the centuries. May it be a special guide for you in your lives (life) as Christians (a Christian) and as Oblate novices (an Oblate novice) of Saint Benedict. May your commitment to the values of the Rule also help you to pray and work in closer affiliation with the monks of Saint Vincent Archabbey so that we may strive together to glorify God in all things.
All: Amen.
Candidate: In becoming an Oblate novice of Saint Benedict, I commit myself to spend a year or more in learning the Gospel values contained in the Holy Rule and in trying to carry them out. I intend, in particular, to live by the principles of obedience, stability, and ongoing conversion of life. I will strive also to meditate frequently on the Rule, to pray the Divine Office as much as my schedule allows, and to engage in the holy reading of Scripture as regularly as possible. In becoming an Oblate novice, I hope to cherish Christ above all else and to live in continued loving surrender to God. I hope to grow in loving reverence for the Gospels and to nurture the Benedictine values of silence, humility, hospitality, and reverence for all creation. By seeking the way of Christ as handed down to us by Saint Benedict, I also shall strive to build up true Christian fellowship with those around me, both those whom I serve and those who serve me, for the good of mankind and the honor and glory of God.
Officiant: Amen.
All: Our Father, ....
Officiant: Listen to our prayers, Lord, as we receive these Oblate novices (this Oblate novice) of Saint Benedict into union and affiliation with the Benedictine community of Saint Vincent Archabbey. May You bless them (him, her) and guide them (him, her) in their (his, her) striving to be faithful Oblate novices (a faithful Oblate novice) and witnesses (a witness) of Christ and of Saint Benedict. May they (he, she) be strengthened by Your grace to carry out the commitment that they (he, she) have (has) made to pray and work according to the wisdom of the Holy Rule and thus to seek You above all else and in all things.
O God, You once called our blessed father and lawgiver Benedict to serve You in seclusion from the turmoil of sin and evil in the world. We ask You to grant strength and perseverance to these Your servants (this Your servant), who are (is) eager to serve You, not apart from the world but in the world where they (he, she) live (lives) and work (works), now with the help of this new commitment to follow the teachings of Saint Benedict as a particular guide. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen.
Officiant: May the blessing of almighty God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, come down upon us, make our new Oblate novices (novice) firm and joyful in their (his, her) new commitment, and remain with us forever.
All: Amen.
All: And enkindle in them the fire of Your love.
Officiant: Send forth Your Spirit, Lord, that faithful hearts may be created.
All: And You will renew the face of the earth.
Officiant: Let us pray. (Pause.) O God, You have filled the hearts of Your faithful with the light of Your Holy Spirit; grant us by the same Spirit to know what is right in the ways of the Gospel and to rejoice in Your Spirit's continual consolation. Give these Oblate novices (this Oblate novice) wisdom and strength to offer themselves (himself, herself) with heartfelt commitment as they (he, she) make (makes) this Act of Oblation and thus promise (promises) to adhere more faithfully to the Gospel of Your Son and to the Holy Rule.
Raise up, O Lord, in Your Church, and particularly in these candidates (this candidate) for final Oblation, the spirit which animated our Holy Father Benedict, so that, filled with the same spirit, we may strive to love what he loved and to practice what he taught. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen.
Officiant: Do you wish to make your final Oblation as Oblates (an Oblate) of Saint Benedict in affiliation with the Benedictine community of Saint Vincent Archabbey?
Candidate: I do.
Officiant: May the grace and mercy of God be with you. As Oblate novices (an Oblate novice), you have had at least a year to reflect on the Rule of Saint Benedict and to try to live by its values, by which you wish to govern and enrich your lives (life) as Christians (a Christian) insofar as your states (state) in life permit (permits). From your experience as Oblate novices (an Oblate novice), you have learned the values of obedience, stability, and conversion of life, as well as the importance of such practices as praying the Divine Office and engaging in holy reading; and it is under the conditions of continuing your journey of faith in this way that you are about to make your final Oblation. If you are still ready and willing to follow the teachings of our Holy Father Benedict, in so far as your states (state) in life permit (permits), and if you are resolved to remain faithful and persevere in your commitment for the rest of your lives (life), you may now make your final Oblation.
Candidate: I do.
Officiant: Will you strive to be faithful and persevere in your resolution for the rest of your lives (life)?
Candidate: With the help of God's grace, I will.
Officiant: Thanks be to God. Since God has given you this good will and since you trust in His help, you may now make your final Oblation.
Candidate (recited individually): " Peace! In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. I, (full name), of (city, state), [candidates may now recite together, especially if the group making final Oblation is large] offer myself to almighty God, through the Blessed Virgin Mary and our Holy Father Benedict, as an Oblate of Saint Vincent Archabbey and promise to dedicate myself to the service of God and neighbor according to the Rule of Saint Benedict, insofar as my state in life permits."
Each candidate then goes to the altar (or other table) to sign his or her full name on the Oblation certificate, along with the date.
All: Amen.
All: Our Father, ...
Officiant: O God, You blessed Your witness, our Holy Father Benedict, with the spirit of all faithful believers. Grant that these newly accepted Oblates (this newly accepted Oblate) may be filled with the same spirit; and, with the help of Your grace, may they (he, she) faithfully carry out what they (he, she) have (has) promised.
O God, You willed that the Blessed Virgin Mary, herself the dwelling place of Your Holy Spirit, should offer her whole life in service of Your will and thus bear Your Son into the world. Grant that, through her intercession, our newly accepted Oblates (Oblate) may offer their (his, her) lives (life) more fully to You, and may we all one day be presented in the temple of Your heavenly glory. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen.
Officiant: May the peace and blessing of almighty God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, come down upon us, strengthen our new Oblates in their lifelong commitment, and remain with us forever.
All: Amen.
The new Oblates may then be congratulated according to the local custom.
Officiant: Those of you who are full Oblates and would like to renew your Oblation, please rise and recite the following words of commitment together.
Full Oblates [recited together]: Peace! In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. I, (name), renew my Oblation and offer myself to almighty God, through the Blessed Virgin Mary and our Holy Father Benedict, as an Oblate of Saint Vincent Archabbey, and I promise again to dedicate myself to the service of God and neighbor according to the Rule of Saint Benedict, insofar as my state in life permits.
Officiant: As disciples of Christ committed to ongoing conversion in the ways of His Kingdom, let us pray together for a fuller coming of that Kingdom within us and around us as we say the words our Savior gave us:
All: Our Father, ...
Officiant: Eternal God, almighty and loving Father, You know well the weakness of our human nature. Look upon these Oblates of Saint Benedict, Your servants, with Your loving gaze and the power of Your blessing, so that, with the help of Your grace, they may faithfully carry out the promises they have made as Oblates. May they live holy and dedicated lives, in response to Your inspiration, according to the spirit of the Rule of Saint Benedict. Thus may they be ready to receive Your reward of abiding with Christ, Your Son, in this life and of sharing fully in Your glory for all eternity. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen.
Officiant: May the blessing of almighty God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, come down upon us, strengthen the good zeal of these Oblates, and remain with us forever.
All: Amen.
Regarding newly invested Oblate novices, the officiant should sign each card of novice Oblation and send one for each new Oblate novice to the Director of Oblates as soon as possible. The Oblate novice is to keep the duplicate card.
Regarding newly accepted Oblates, the officiant should sign each certificate of Oblation and send one copy for each Oblate to the Director of Oblates as soon as possible. The Oblate is to keep the duplicate certificate. The Director of Oblates is to fill out a memento card for each new Oblate and to send the cards to the new Oblates as an additional reminder of their Oblate commitment. If possible, the Oblate should inform family or friends to send the memento card back to the Archabbey at the time of his or her death so that he or she will be remembered among the deceased who are kept in the prayers of the monastic community.
The Director of Oblates is to add the names and addresses of new Oblate novices to the Oblate mailing list as soon as possible. He should file away the blue cards in the file of Oblate novices. Regarding new Oblates, he should take the Oblation certificates, along with corresponding novice Oblation cards to be attached to the individuals' certificates, to the Archives for filing away. He should make out a white card for each new Oblate and file away the white cards in the file of currently active Oblates.