OBLATES INCORPORATE BENEDICTINE WISDOM AND VALUES INTO THEIR LIVES
“Listen carefully, my child, to my instructions, and attend to them with the ear of your heart.”
Prologue of the Rule of St. Benedict
Becoming an Oblate
Oblates of Christ Mission Abbey are Christian women and men from various Christian faith traditions, who associate themselves with the Monastery so that they can share in the spiritual work of the Community. Through this association with the Benedictine Community, Oblates receive help and guidance in living a full Christian life. This is accomplished through regular scheduled meetings, often through video teleconferencing, as well as through correspondence and mutual prayerful support.
The expression of Benedictine Spirituality, as spelled out in the Rule of Benedict, is so flexible that it can be adapted to the life of anyone who is generously seeking God and desiring to live out the Gospel message. Oblates have the opportunity to view the world from a different perspective as they meet the challenges and demands of their everyday life. They are an extension of the spirit of the Monastic Community into their family circle, their place of work, and in their civic and social activities.
In response to the question: “What do you do in your everyday life to support your oblate commitment,” one Oblate wrote: “I try to center my life around the Rule of St. Benedict, letting it be a compass of sorts as I live in a world filled with so many distractions to my spiritual life. In my daily life, I make every effort to do morning prayer and read a passage of the Rule, go to Mass, then off to my work life, and finally to end the day with evening prayer. Sometimes I cannot do all in any one day, but I try at the very least to read the daily readings and the Rule to make every effort to avoid the temptations of the secular world.”
Christians who choose to become Oblates are attracted to Benedictine Values of living a life centered in God, the present moment, wholeness, moderation, prayer and the Gospel. Oblates are an extension of the Monastery to a needy world. They love their Monastery and are advocates for its values and spiritual life. They are bonded together as they pray for the Monastic Community and the Monastic Community prays for them.
For more information, e-mail contact@christmission.us.
WHAT IS AN OBLATE?
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE AN OBLATE?
WHY BECOME A BENEDICTINE OBLATE WITH CHRIST MISSION ABBEY?
WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR BECOMING A BENEDICTINE OBLATE?
OBLATION IS A MEANINGFUL COMMITMENT.