Ever since Saint Anthony ran off to the Egyptian desert at the end of the third century, many people have been fascinated with the monastic life. Certainly that was true for the practitioners of it, but it was equally the case for those who hiked out to catch a glimpse of these holy men and women.
But when people treked out to the wilderness to talk with Anthony and hundreds of others like him, what did they go out to the desert to see? Well, not a few went out to satisfy their curiosity. Others sought spiritual advice. Still others hoped to get a taste of the holiness of God that had taken root in these holy men and women. And quite naturally a reckless few went out to join them in the quest for God.
If you fast-forward two hundred and fifty years to Saint Benedict, the interest had not cooled. If anything, it was more intense, and Benedict noted that in his monastery guests were never wanting. In fact, by his time guests had become such an important part of the monastic life that he incorporated them into the spiritual experience. He wrote that monks should welcome guests as they would welcome Christ, just as they welcome Christ in the abbot and in their fellow monks.
In our own day people still visit monasteries, though not quite in the same numbers as they do sports stadia and malls and theme parks. However, curiosity about all things spiritual has by no means vanished from the face of the earth, despite our fascination with all things commercial. Maybe it’s precisely because of the latter that people come to monasteries today, as well as for all the reasons that they did in Anthony’s day.
Saint Benedict may have anticipated all of this, but he likely never imagined the birth and growth of oblate programs in the twentieth century. So it is that he made no provision for people who might want to associate themselves with a particular monastery, and who would promise to live according to the principles of the Rule of Saint Benedict. Given their circumstances, such people today promise to live according to the Rule, “insofar as their state in life permits.” However, that means they don’t have to ditch their spouse or abandon their children. Nor do they have to give up their day jobs to spend all of their time in prayer. But it does involve a commitment to weave the sacred into their lives. It entails a life in which they see the face of Christ in their neighbors, and they commit themselves to daily prayer to sustain this vision and way of life.
At Saint John’s Abbey the oblate program has grown significantly in the last few years. Today some five hundred-thirty oblates are affiliated with the abbey, and this last weekend ninety of them gathered at Collegeville for an annual three-day retreat.
Who are our oblates? For one, they are a diverse lot. They come from all walks of life and professions, and they include alumni from our University and prep school as well as people who only discovered Saint John’s much later in life. And despite the existence of oblate programs that are bound to be located nearer to their homes, our oblates come from all over the place. In a short space of time on Saturday I chatted with one oblate who had flown in from Santa Rosa, CA; another from San Antonio; and I spied one from Toronto. Of course the majority of our oblates come from the midwest, but these days geography seems to matter little. Technology allows people to share in our community life in so many ways, and for many the mere awareness of that spiritual communion is enough to sustain them.
So what in the world do people do on a three-day retreat in a monastery? Well, for those who’ve never done it, it can be a total mystery. But boring it is not. Nothing to do? Definitely not. The fact of the matter is, most participants find there’s too much to do and not enough time to do it.
The entire retreat schedule entwines around the liturgy of the hours, and our oblates join the monks for the entire schedule of prayer. And if the addition of ninety voices sounds like it could throw the recitation of the Psalms out of kilter, be assured that it works okay, at least most of the time. And I have to imagine Saint Benedict’s pleasure at seeing so many joining his monks in the praise of God.
Then there are the conferences. Monks take turns on this, and two years ago I delivered the talks. This year Brother David-Paul, the subprior, delivered four conferences.
In between prayer and conferences there are festive and not-so-festive meals, and woven throughout is camaraderie. A lot of these oblates have gotten to know many other oblates as well as many of the monks. This is the time to renew those ties, so everyone savors the moments of holy leisure that allow friendships to renew and deepen.
If the time at Saint John’s replenishes the oblates, it also nourishes them for life after the journey home. After all, the whole point of being an oblate is to live according to Saint Benedict’s vision, but not to move in with us to do it. So it is that people wishing to become oblates go through a one-year probation, at the end of which they make their commitment to this way of life. This year eight people made their oblation, and they did so to Abbot John, in the presence of the monastic community, at evening prayer on Saturday. In a parallel to the rite of monastic profession, each promised to live according to the Rule of Saint Benedict, “insofar as their state in life allowed.” Then they signed their document on the altar, as oblate director Fr. Michael Peterson looked on.
For two and a half years Fr. Michael has worked with the oblates, and he followed Fr. Don Tauscher as director. In place is a schedule that includes Advent and Lent days of reflection, as well as monthly meetings both at Saint John’s and elsewhere. Fr. Michael sees value in a program that creates a connection between the monks and the oblates. It’s mutually beneficial; and it answers a spiritual need that is as great today as it was in the days of Saint Anthony.
“People look for a spiritual tradition that is ancient and fresh, and practical for life,” he says. “They want tools to foster their discipleship.” And after 1,500 years, the Benedictine way of life is still capable of that.
+On July 13th I presided at the Eucharist for the students and faculty of the School of Theology at Saint John’s. You can access my sermon, Stretching the Limits of Love, through this link.
+From July 17th through the 19th the Oblates of Saint John’s Abbey were here on their annual retreat. The pictures in today’s post illustrate their gathering. In the fifth picture Fr. Michael demonstrates his unique way of calling the audience to order. It’s a bit more elegant that the customary “shut up!” At bottom is Brother David-Paul, waiting for his turn at the podium.
+On July 18th I presided at the interment of Cheryl Dobberstein, wife of Saint John’s University alumnus Mark Dobberstein. This took place in the abbey cemetery.