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My Oblate Vocation: It Begins with a Call

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My Oblate Vocation: It Begins with a Call From left, Donna Hardy, Jerry Gorup, Sharon Gorup, Ruby Jackson and Larry Jackson enjoy remarks by Br. John Mark Falkenhain, OSB, during Oblate Study Days, June 15-18. My Oblate Vocation: It begins with a call In its divine genius, the The oblate vocation is a “middle way” for Church offers varied the laity to live in the world, but with the ways for people to live spiritual support and guidance of an ancient out their Christian religious order and rule rooted in vocation. The ordained, relationship with a specific monastery. religious and laity all have unique roles. While each vocation is as unique as the Priests administer the person, there are typically three marks of an Stephen Drees, oblate sacraments. Religious authentic vocation – the call, the brothers and sisters – discernment and the response. My call came monks and nuns – are prayer warriors who three distinct times over a number of years. also typically have apostolates as teachers, writers, chaplains, missionaries, spiritual and The first call came as a whisper nearly 20 retreat directors, and others. years ago as I read an article in a travel magazine about monasteries and people who The vast majority of Christians are not visit them. For reasons I could not explain ordained or religious; they are married or then, the idea sounded interesting and single living in the world. Because the early appealing to me. I added it to my bucket monastics were not ordained clergy, from the list, but didn’t give it much more thought. beginning the Benedictines have always been comfortable collaborating with the laity and The second call came 10 years ago when I embracing their role within the Body of was invited by some men in my parish to Christ. Continued on p. 2 NEWSLETTER FOR BENEDICTINE OBLATES OF SAINT MEINRAD Summer 2015, Volume 21:3 A POINT TO continued from p.1 writing, speaking, catechesis, apologetics, PONDER FROM ecumenical dialogue and outreach. I join them on a weekend retreat to the participate in a local oblate chapter and I Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani. One TheRule visit the Hill when I can. One of the friend was so insistent and said, “You monks graciously serves as my spiritual have to go. I can just see you there.” director and has become a good friend and Clearly, he saw or sensed something I confidant. “Hour by hour keep still did not. careful watch over all you Perhaps the most personally gratifying part I did go on that weekend retreat and it do, aware that God’s gaze of my vocation is serving as a bridge began an annual tradition for me. It also between the monastery and the outside is upon you wherever you began to draw me into reading and world – bringing them into contact and may be. As soon as studying about monastic spirituality and relationship with each other. It’s a role well learning how to pray the Liturgy of the wrongful thoughts come suited for a lay person like me who is Hours. into your heart, dash engaged in both the religious and secular realms. them against Christ and Five years ago, the third call came in a disclose them to your spiritual direction session with a monk at My oblate vocation has become a way for Gethsemani. I inquired if there was a spiritual father.” me to take my disparate spiritual activities way for the laity to become more and pull them together into a rhythm of Rule of St. Benedict Chapter 4:48-49 involved in their monastic community. I prayer and work that enables me to serve was told the Cistercians don’t have a the Church and the world as only I can. St. Benedict reminds us to formal means to connect to the order or always be aware of God’s the abbey, but the Benedictines do and God has a real knack of using broken was encouraged to contact Saint presence in our lives. The image vessels to do His will. All we have to do is Meinrad Archabbey. of God’s presence urges us to listen for His call – as St. Benedict reveal our evil thoughts in encourages – and answer Him with a I visited Saint Meinrad, learned about reconciliation, which can be humble and enthusiastic “yes.” I, for one, the oblate vocation and soon after began am blessed that I did. interpreted as the rock of Christ. my novitiate. I was now in full-fledged This is the least lovely reference discernment and, over the course of 18 Stephen Drees, oblate and yet it is a highly effective months, I continued to read and study, Mason, OH one. The consciousness of God’s particularly about the Rule of St. presence demands of us a Benedict. I settled into praying Lauds, change of heart that implies an Vespers and Compline daily. increase in Christ and a When I made my final oblation in the decrease in ourselves. Archabbey Church, it was my definitive response to a call to embrace a vocation that began many years earlier. Although at the time it felt like the end of a long journey, I quickly learned it was just the Ben edictine Oblate is published four times beginning. a year by Saint Meinrad Archabbey. Editor: Mary Jeanne Schumacher Designer: Tammy Schuetter Every oblate vocation has elements that Oblate Directors: Fr. Meinrad Brune, are similar and communal, but also very OSB and Fr. Joseph Cox, OSB individual and personal. I refer to my oblate vocation as my “Little Send changes of address and comments to Apostolate.” I try my best to perform the The Editor, Development Office, daily spiritual disciplines of personal and Saint Meinrad Archabbey, 200 Hill Dr., St. Meinrad, IN 47577, liturgical prayer, reading part of the Rule (812) 357-6817, fax (812) 357-6325 of St. Benedict and lectio divina. or email [email protected] Br. Martin Erspamer, OSB, was the presenter during www.saintmeinrad.org I am involved in parish ministries and I the Day of Recollection for the oblates of Ohio, held at ©2015, Saint Meinrad Archabbey am also engaged in reading and study, Columbus. 2 OBLATES A voice from the past In their own words Editor’s note: This article is a condensation spirit shall reap corruption, but he that of an article from the October 1970 soweth in the spirit shall of the spirit reap Oblate Newsletter. life everlasting.” According to our study of the Catechism, History of people and nations, as well as we know that the fifth commandment individuals, shows that mankind has forbids killing souls as well as bodies. always struggled to free the spirit from the Sins of scandal are as deadly to man’s flesh. But we do not expect ever to read of spiritual self as nitroglycerin is to the an age, nor do we expect science to bring physical body. But there are some us to an age, when man was or will be thoughts for us to weigh regarding the master of all his powers. killing of the body. Men have tried both methods to have Some spiritual writers and ascetical personal peace. They have tried to forget or teachers have used so many kill or crush the soul to silence conscience, Oblate Mary Ann McMullen condemnatory names for our bodies that to deny spiritual values, and have tried to Dayton, OH we think of them mainly as handicaps on bring the body from bondage into our course to heaven. But the fact is, freedom; they have failed. Others have “The oblate life has changed without the body, we would not be. tried to crush the body, to starve it to my life in that I am more death, to beat it into insensibility so that grounded. I feel that I have We cannot merit a single grace without the soul could be free; and they, too, have more peace and direction and that sacred temple of the Holy Spirit, failed. Both are unnatural. I’m on the right path. I feel and when we go into eternity, it will be like I have a definite path to in the faithful companionship of that The body, however rebellious, is an body. Christ chose to redeem us in a follow and I know where it’s integral part of man’s nature. He must be going. human body. He places His greatest saved body and soul or he cannot be saved creation – the human soul – in a human at all. In His life on earth, our Lord body. We are obliged to love and respect refused to deal with man merely as a Being an oblate impacted me these bodies. spiritual being. to pursue my religion further than I would have without it, As Christians, we are aware of the need He even gave us His Body and Blood for to delve deeper. It has to subdue the body and all its members. our heavenly food. We dare not, then, improved my relationship in Yet the body is a gift of God, noble, indulge the body too much, nor ill-treat every respect. precious in its own right. St. Paul gives it. Heathen asceticism wanted to get rid of such contrasting texts as: “If you live the body as an enemy to be hated; The chapter is almost like a according to the flesh you shall die” and Christian asceticism wants to train it for “He that soweth in the flesh shall reap second family and I look its glorious life in heaven. ◆ corruption, but he that soweth in the forward to going to the meetings….
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