What is a Benedictine Oblate?
A while back, I wrote here about a course of Benedictine study in which I’m engaged. I’ll share some more reflections on that with you later this week. Meantime, it occurs to me that I’ve never actually written about becoming a Benedictine oblate, which is what I’m moving towards. An oblate (from the Latin, oblation – offering) is someone who associates themselves formally with a particular Benedictine monastic community and, while remaining in the outside world, lives in accordance with the spirit of the Rule of St Benedict. The Benedictine monastic way of life is a balance between prayer, work and study. As an oblate I will seek to reflect that in my own life. The vows a Benedictine takes are threefold: • stability • obedience • conversatio morum Stability commits the monastic to their particular monastery *. Some orders, especially teaching and missionary orders, move from one ‘house’ to another. Benedictines stick with their monastery for the long haul. As an oblate, my commitment
