Oblates of St. Benedict

Create Your Own Lives

admin — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 09:17:31 +0000

All Christian life is meant to be at the same time profoundly contemplative and rich in active work… It is true that we are called to create a better world. But we are first of all called to a more immediate and exalted task: that of creating our own lives. In doing this, we act as co-workers with God. We take our place in the great work of mankind, since in effect the creation of our own destiny, in God, is impossible in pure isolation. Each one of us works out his own destiny in inseparable union with all those others with whom God has willed us to live. We share with one another the creative work of living in the world. And it is through our struggle with material reality, with nature, that we help one another create at the same time our own destiny and a new world for our descendants.

Thomas Merton
Love and Living

The Virtue of Obedience

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:14:28 +0000

They said that Abba Sylvanus had a disciple in Scetis, named Mark, who possessed in great measure the virtue of obedience. He was a copyist of old manuscripts, and the old man loved him for his obedience. He had eleven other disciples who were aggrieved that he loved more than them.

When the old men nearby heard that he loved Mark above the others, they took it ill. One day they visited him and Abba Sylvanus took them with him and, going out of his cell, began to knock on the door of each of his disciples, saying, "Brother, come out, I have work for you." And not one of them appeared immediately.

Then he came to Mark's cell and knocked, saying, "Mark". And as soon as Mark heard the voice of the old man he came outside and the old man sent him on some errand.

So Abba Sylvanus said to the old men, "Where are the other brothers?", and he went into Mark's cell and found the book in which he had been writing and he was making the letter O; and when he heard the old man's voice, he had not finished the line of the O. And the old men said, "Truly, Abba, we also love the one whom you love; for God loves him, too

Your Cross

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:30:43 +0000

A young man was at the end of his rope, seeing no way out, dropped to his knees in prayer. "Lord, I can't go on," he said. "I have too heavy of a cross to bear." The Lord replied, "My son, if you can't bear its weight, just place your cross inside this room. Then, open that other door and pick out any cross you wish."

The man was filled with relief and said, 'Thank you, Lord," and he did as he was told. Upon entering the other door, he saw many crosses, some so large the tops were not visible. Then, he spotted a tiny cross leaning against a far wall. "I'd like that one, Lord," he whispered. And the Lord replied, " My son, that is the cross you just brought in."

When life's problems seem overwhelming, it helps to look around and see what other people are coping with. You may consider yourself far more fortunate than you imagined.

The Holy Spirit and Scripture

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:22:53 +0000

Four ways the Holy Spirit helps with Scripture:

Guides us to have a correct understanding of the inspired meaning of the words of Scripture (grace of a clear mind);
We are able to read the Bible as God's word, to us as individuals;
The Holy Spirit gives us insight into the mysteries of God which scripture reveals; and
The Holy Spirit inspires our responses to God in prayer.

". . . Make sure that you never refuse to listen when He speaks."

God Can Be Seen in Man and in Each One of Us

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:48:59 +0000

If I insist on giving you my truth, and never stop to receive your truth in return, then there can be no truth between us. Christ is present 'where two or three are gathered in my name.' But to be gathered in the name of Christ is to be gathered in the name of the Word made flesh, of God made man. It is therefore to be gathered in the faith that God has become man and can be seen in man, that he can speak in man and that he can enlighten and inspire love in and through any man I meet. It is true that the visible Church alone has the official mission to sanctify and teach all nations, but no man knows that the stranger he meets coming out of the forest [or the desert of Iraq!!!] in a new country is not already an invisible member of Christ and perhaps one who has some providential or prophetic message to utter.

Thomas Merton