Oblates of St. Mary Monastery, Rock Island, Ill., blog about Benedictine values, prayer and life.
Posted in Uncategorized on Dec 30th, 2008
My Aunt Thelma, “Auntie,” was a second mother to me, from my birth until her death in May of 2000. She never married and I sometimes wonder if maybe I was part of the reason for her remaining single. Did she somehow see other relationships as disloyal? (I do remember a telephone call when I [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on Dec 23rd, 2008
I wonder if any of you have reached a place in your lives in which you feel little at all could toss you out of perspective? At least barring the deterioration of your mind? It is a silly question, perhaps. Who among us doesn’t feel as frail in perspective, some days, as we feel strong in spirit on [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on Dec 21st, 2008
By Nicky Gant I am one of the newest members of this Oblate community and am probably one of the youngest. I joined because I was looking for a community to support my spiritual growth and to surround myself with people who are further on the road then I am. I need guidance and a [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on Dec 16th, 2008
It’s snowing: a couple of inches on the ground and still coming. The schools have dismissed early. Businesses are sending employees home. The plows are out and busy. I’ve shoveled twice so far.
Posted in Benedictine prayer on Dec 13th, 2008
So often one fruit of prayer seems to be a steady calm, a silence, under everything else. That “everything else” might not be calm, but something in us can be. Psalm 1.2-3: “Happiness comes to those who delight in the Law of YHWH, who meditate on it day and night. They’re like trees planted by [...]
Posted in Benedictine Oblates on Dec 10th, 2008
I’ve kept in the back of my mind the desire to share some of the websites that I check out as an oblate. Tonight, I want to offer you a bit of my experience. I believe that the newer oblates who have been coming to meetings might have a certain curiosity about the history and [...]