[N.B.: Sources used in this section include RC, WD, GU, HG, and conferences by Sister Dolores Dowling, O.S.B.]
Seeking God above all else is the root of all the other Benedictine values. Seeking God is a matter of living in God's love and growing in that love. Seeking God means loving Him with all one's heart, mind, soul, and strength and, therefore, following Christ wherever He may lead us. Seeking God is not just a part-time activity but a full-time, moment-by-moment quest to know how God works in one's everyday life and leads one lovingly on a lifelong journey of faith. The Oblate knows in faith that "God is always with us " (RB 7:23) and is "aware that God's gaze is upon [us], wherever [we] may be" (RB 4:49). Therefore the Oblate is eager to surrender to God more and more, with and in Christ, until his or her thirst for God's presence is fully satisfied in heaven. This quest for God is undertaken not only in solitude and private prayer but also in the busyness of work and amidst a community of fellow-seekers.
In a society which often becomes ensnared in relentless work or pleasure-filled indulgence, the Oblate seeks to live a life totally dedicated to God and, therefore, balanced among prayer, work, creative leisure, and reading that nourishes the spirit. The experience of the ages shows that such balance best keeps a person from being caught up in anything other than God Himself.
Prayer is an expression of the Oblate's faith-response to God and is directed to facilitate habitual union with God. It is not simply a matter of praying from time to time, but of directing one's whole life to union with God. Sensitivity to God's presence leads the Oblate to gaze with wonder and gratitude upon the gracious deeds that God has wrought, not only in history but in one's personal life yesterday and today. The Benedictine attitude of prayer is also one of expectant waiting for the mysterious coming of God from moment to moment, so that the Oblate seeks to greet the Lord as He comes in His own sovereign, and often surprising, way in each circumstance.
The Oblate undertakes his or her work not so much as a means of gaining material wealth, but rather as an opportunity to share in God's own creative love and Christ's ongoing redemption of all creation. The Oblate takes up daily work as a task full of hope and promise and as a service to others in family, community, Church, and world. Since, for the Christian, work is linked with charity to the poor and discipleship of Christ, Oblates must refuse to be dominated by things so that they may be free to serve God and neighbor and have something to give to the poor (RB 31:9, 55:9).
The Oblate also allows for sufficient time with family and time for community activities, according to the way God calls through one's particular circumstances.
The Oblate need not feel guilty for setting aside time for holy reading and holy leisure (See H.1,4 below), which can nourish our spirits and keep us from the frenzy of workaholism.
Just as the monk takes these three vows at the time of profession, so does the Oblate implicitly promise at the time of Oblation to live by these values through the commitment to "dedicate myself to the service of God and neighbor according to the Rule of St. Benedict" (Oblation ceremony). These promises of Oblation, while not binding under pain of sin, should be taken seriously as part of a carefully discerned lifelong commitment.
Oblates learn to listen to God's call always and everywhere through the regular study and meditative reading of Scripture, with special attention to the Gospels. Oblates also listen for God's voice in the Rule by frequent meditation on passages of the Rule and by efforts to apply the fruits of their meditation to their everyday lives.
In this way Oblates learn to seek God's will in every circumstance and to heed God's word above every selfish impulse and every other desire. The promise of obedience thus forms bonds of fidelity to Christ and to one's family and friends and deepens one's responsibility to community, Church, and world, all of which manifest Christ's presence and cry out for loving responses in His name.
Oblates learn to practice perseverance in carrying out the obligations of their daily lives. Sustained by a deepening faith that grows into an awareness of Christ's presence with them at all times, they become grateful for the seemingly small blessings of each day and struggle against murmuring in difficult times. Stability means being rooted in Christ, no matter what happens. It is not so much a matter of outer, physical stability (although that may at times be helpful and necessary) as the inner stability that prevents one from fleeing from unavoidable suffering and that keeps one grateful for God's grace even amidst the severest of trials. Thus, through prayer and generous concern for others who suffer, Oblates learn to regard their own sufferings as a share in Christ's Cross and as an opportunity to experience loving solidarity with others who bear heavy crosses.
Oblates make use of means at their disposal to let God's grace transform them more and more -- spiritually, intellectually, culturally, and socially. Such means might include making retreats, days of recollection, or parish renewals, or attending workshops, seminars, or prayer meetings that enrich one's faith. Just as a monk's vow of conversatio morum commits him to "grow in perfect charity through a monastic manner of life" (formula for the monk's vows), the Oblate promises to keep trying to seek Christ in the midst of ordinary events so that every moment becomes an opportunity for deeper trust in God, firmer rejection of self-will, and more generous surrender to Christ as He stretches us in His self-sacrificing, all-generous love.
A helpful analysis of the term conversatio morum appears in The Benedictines, pp. 94-98. There Fr. Terrence Kardong shows how it implies a "dynamic process." The term "morum" probably does not at all refer to "morals" but simply reinforces conversatio. The two words together may be taken to mean the whole "monastic way of life," but in its traditional usage the term refers mainly to the external, tangible elements of that life. Therefore, commitment to conversatio morum impels the monk or Oblate to put the Gospel into practice in the very concrete details of everyday life and also to be open continually to new concrete practices that radical discipleship may demand.
Silence (RB 6) and humility (RB 7), along with obedience (RB 5), constitute another triad of values which St. Benedict places at the heart of his Rule. The practice of silence and humility gives added depth to one's living of the promises.
Amidst a noisy and unfocused world, Oblates nurture both external and internal silence as a necessary condition for hearing the call of God and responding to it. Outward silence is not necessarily a virtue in itself, but some external stillness is required if one's inner spirit is to be recollected. There is a good kind of silence that unites people in charity, and a bad kind of silence that can be a way of dividing one person from another. A silent heart is ready to listen reverently to others since it is so often through other people that God speaks. The silence valued by Oblates provides a witness to a world which often avoids coming to grips with itself and its problems by escaping into frenetic activity and noise.
Humility involves both an honest admission of one's own limitations, weaknesses, and sinfulness and a reverent mindfulness of God's redeeming presence in Jesus Christ. If we are to grow in holiness, we must be aware both of how far we are from the goal and of how powerful is God's grace to lead us to the fullness of life, in His way and in His time. Humility is neither self-abasement nor a denial of one's gifts. It rather involves a continual refocus from self to Christ and an acceptance of oneself as one is and of God as He is -- One ever ready to transform us, redeem us, and surprise us in His all-embracing love.
In the Prologue of the Rule, St. Benedict urges us to "let peace be your quest and aim (Ps 34:15)" (Prol:17). "Pax" has become a Benedictine motto. Thus Oblates are women and men of peace, as they seek to dwell with peace in their hearts, to work for healing and reconciliation within family and community, and to join with other peacemakers to bring about a world of peace and justice. The Rule speaks to ordinary people who experience tension and conflict with others, and as such, it offers guidelines for the ongoing quest for the healing that tends towards a continual abiding in the peace of Christ.
In his chapter on the artisans of the monastery, St. Benedict urges that the monks should charge a little less for their products than the commercial world charges "so that in all things God may be glorified (1 Pt 4:11)" (RB 57:9). "Ut in omnibus glorificetur Dei" (UIOGD), in Latin, has become another Benedictine motto, embodying monks' and Oblates' ardent desire to seek God, to praise Him, and to manifest His redeeming presence, His glory, in every dimension of life. Glorifying God means looking for His goodness in every person and situation and, in Christ, nurturing it. It means avoiding murmuring, gossip, and all that destroys or tears down. It means looking at every difficulty with eyes of faith, with hope in God's mercy, and with encouragement of others in their weakness. It means "blessing God and not murmuring" (RB 40:8), even when the redeeming quality of a situation is hidden; in faith we know that Christ is present to bring light out of darkness and the strength of His love out of our weakness.
In his book Households of God, Abbot Parry comments, "Indeed, 'that God may be glorified in all things' is the key to human sanctity. For sanctity implies the exploitation of every human action and situation to God's glory. It is the secret demonstrated in the lives of the saints. The point is made here because buying and selling would seem to be the part of the monk's life nearest to the pattern of the ways of the world, and correspondingly remote from the service of praise. Hence the insistence that God is to be glorified in it -- not merely by a passing thought -- but by the entry of kindliness and self-restraint into the deal itself. It is when God is glorified and praised and made part of all life's transactions that life becomes rich, and progress is made in sanctity. Thus also is the dualism of dividing life simply into the sacred (directed to God alone) and the profane (at best useless, maybe worse) is avoided" (pp. 151-152).
The context of the Rule, with the possible exception of the Prologue and RB 4-7, is in terms of Christian community. Oblates necessarily live in a spirit of community, of oneness with others with whom they share Christ's love, even if necessity keeps them living alone or without evident Christian support. Oblates realize that we cannot live Christian lives as mere individuals; we seek everlasting life together, and only as a community do we form the Body of Christ. Oblates nurture family values and, if possible, take an active part in those efforts of their parishes and civic communities which best utilize their gifts. Oblates love the monastic community to which they are affiliated and strive to keep in touch with it through prayer and through a local moderator and/or correspondence with the Director of Oblates or other monks.
Lectio divina, the meditative reading of holy writings, especially the Bible, is an important part of the Oblate's life of prayer. (The Rule prescribes several hours each day for lectio.) Such reading is done not for intellectual information or for emotional stimulation but for the sake of savoring God's word and, through the Word, entering more deeply into relationship with God. Such meditative reading can both enable us to hear what God is saying to us today and also lead us to contemplation -- a total, wordless attention to the Lord in which we welcome Him to pray in us.
It might be well here to note the traditional teaching of lectio leading to meditatio ("meditation"), and oratio ("prayer") leading to contemplatio ("contemplation"). A slow, gentle reading of the text should lead the mind to savor each portion of the reading so that one can listen to the Lord's still, small voice. Memories and thoughts which rise up in this process are a part of meditation. Then one can respond by speaking to God in "prayer"; in other words, one gives to God what has been found in one's heart. Finally, one may be led simply to rest in God's embrace without words, thoughts, or emotions, such simple abiding being contemplation. This process need not be seen as a steady, neat progression but rather as a gentle oscillation among the four stages, according to one's disposition and God's graces. [See the articleby Luke Dysinger, O.S.B., "Accepting the Embrace of God: The Ancient Art of Lectio Divina," in Valyermo Benedictine, Vol. I, No. 1.]
One suggestion for doing daily lectio is to use one of the readings for the Mass of the day, which can be found in a parish missalette.
In conjunction with lectio, the Oblate is called to nurture a great reverence for the Scriptures as the Word of God. Oblates are urged to gain a basic understanding of the Bible through group or private study, through the reading of commentaries, and through special attentiveness to the Word when it is read in the liturgy of the Church.
St. Benedict urged his monks to welcome all guests as Christ (RB 53:1) and to show special concern "in receiving poor people and pilgrims, because in them more particularly Christ is received" (53:13). Likewise, the Oblate is called to welcome Christ in every person coming into his or her life. To welcome the stranger is an act of faith, and faith can help us greet the otherness of life, not as a threat but as a possible gift. God is the ultimate Stranger -- unpredictable and potentially threatening to our security yet also promising us new life as we stretch ourselves out to meet Him. True hospitality means opening not just our homes but our very selves to others, so that we make them feel welcome, give them our time, allow them to be what they really are in God's eyes, and thus help to restore some measure of balance, wholeness, and dignity to their lives. People in our hectic, impersonal world really need the warmth of genuine hospitality that will give them a new vision of life and a glimpse of God.
Benedictine spirituality sets out to develop people who reflect on what they are doing and who see their world through the eyes of the Gospel. Play and rest are essential to healthy spiritual life. Play consists of activities done for no purpose at all except the release and recapture of energy. The practice of silence, lectio, and other forms of prayer require a somewhat leisurely attitude towards life that rejects the view that everything depends on human achievement. Holy leisure is the foundation of contemplation, which is the pursuit of meaning, the finding of God's will everywhere, and the ability to see the world around us as God sees it. The practice of holy leisure can stretch the soul to regard all life as sacred, and not merely as utilitarian.
The significance of the Opus Dei in the Rule is shown by St. Benedict's devotion of 13 chapters (RB 8-20) to the practice of community prayer. The Liturgy of the Hours is the official prayer of the Church which marks off the various parts of the day as sacred, i.e., consecrated to God. Praying the Hours provides Christians the occasion to sanctify daily life and thus make it an offering to God. Monks are obligated to pray the Divine Office; as spiritual affiliates of the monks, Oblates strive each day to pray some part of it, as the circumstances of their lives permit, since the Opus Dei is such a significant dimension of Benedictine spirituality. St. Benedict himself admonishes the monk, "Indeed, nothing is to be preferred to the Work of God" (RB 43:3). When visiting St. Vincent Archabbey, Oblates are welcome to join the monastic community for Morning Prayer, Midday Prayer, Evening Prayer, and the daily Conventual Mass.
As Christians who know the value of liturgy, Oblates are careful to attend regular worship services in order to celebrate and intensify their union with Jesus Christ and their fellow Christians. Those Oblates who are Roman Catholic eagerly attend Mass, even daily if possible. A full, attentive participation in the Eucharist captures and capsulizes many other faith-moments in one's life and brings them to a new value in the light of Christ. Eucharist also makes us pass over into what we receive and energizes us to see our struggles, the many kinds of "death" that we suffer each day, as intimately connected with the death of Jesus Christ. His death gives us hope that life will come out of our "dying" in the sacrifices of each day, which become part of Christ's eternal sacrifice, offered out of love for us. The Eucharistic meal also gives us a longing for a greater share in Christ's life, as we hunger for completeness and strive to "hasten the day" (2 Pt 3:12) when "God will be all in all" (1 Cor 15:28).
Towards the end of his earthly life, St. Benedict had a special vision of the whole world as penetrated by a single ray of light (St. Gregory's Dialogues, Book II, ch. 35). Striving to find God in all things and all things in God, Oblates are encouraged to nurture consciousness of the needs of the world's poor and to share in God's solidarity with those who suffer oppression, violence, hunger, prejudice, and the denial of their dignity, whether they be the unborn, the elderly, or the handicapped. One means to deepen such awareness is involvement in the monasteries of the Third World through AIM, the Alliance for International Monasticism.
The monks of St. Benedict's time witnessed to Christian values that were often contrary to the norms of their society. In the monastery there was to be no distinction according to social class or wealth, and there was to be no room for arrogant behavior, vicious talk, or even judgmental thoughts. Likewise, in today's self-seeking society which worships idols of wealth, status, pleasure, and material excess, the Oblate, standing firm in Christ and with the monastic community, can joyfully witness in word and deed to very different values. The early monks were seen as successors of prophets like Elijah and John the Baptist, who denounced people's enslavement to the status quo; "the willingness to reject this classic idolatry in order to move resolutely into the mystery of God is therefore an expression of the deepest monastic instinct" (RC 82) -- and of the Oblates' commitment to live with that vision and courage which will help to bring about God's Kingdom on earth. Thus Oblates, as groups and as individuals, seek gently but boldly to proclaim the primacy of God, the sacredness of life, the integrity of the family, and the urgent need to reach out to the poor and underprivileged.
In the Rule material things are not to be used for personal aggrandizement; rather the goods of the monastery are to be shared by all, and the monks are to "regard all utensils and goods of the monastery as sacred vessels of the altar" (RB 31:12). Oblates likewise share in this outlook of stewardship for all of God's creation. Things were not made to be abused and carelessly thrown away. Therefore, in contrast to the utilitarian, materialistic trends of modern Western society, Oblates learn to use only what they need, to treat all material things with reverence, and to nurture an informed care for the environment according to the delicate balance created by God. Oblates also regard all goods as the common possession of all people on the earth and are ready to share their surplus with the poor, who often suffer the most from environmental destruction.
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