Oblate Retreat: Prayer in the Life of an Oblate

July 18-20

Summer 2014

The Oblate Volume 58:2

Newsletter of the Oblates of Saint Johns Abbey

In four conferences, Abbot John Klassen, OSB, will focus on the many faceted

experience of praying to a living, Triune God. He will explore some foundational

understandings of faith in God; our language about God and the limits of such

language; the joy and the challenges of praying the Psalms; being faithfully silent

at times; making progress and falling down; all of this while standing in the life-

giving river of Benedictine tradition.

Abbot John taught in the chemistry department of CSB-SJU from 1983-2000, taught

courses in applied ethics, and served the monastic community as formation director

from 1993-1999. He was elected abbot in November of 2000.

Registrations are arriving both by surface mail and online. Oblates planning

to attend the retreat are encouraged to register as soon as possible, no later than

July 10, to allow for adequate preparations of food and facilities.

Self-Evaluation Before Renewal of Oblation

Retreat time is renewal of promises time. To see how well you are fulfilling your vocation as an oblate of Saint Johns

Abbey, reflect on the following questions, which are for your personal consideration and evaluation. If you sincerely reflect

on these questions, you can only deepen your relationship with God and truly grow in Benedictine spirituality.

What have I done during the past year to continue ongoing formation as an oblate?

What do I plan to do during the coming year? If I need to improve in any of the following areas, what do I plan to do?

(On the following, rate yourself on a scale of 1-5, with 1 as needing improvement and 5 as doing well.)

How well do I see myself living the oblate promises:

Stability of heart? 1 2 3 4 5

Fidelity to the spirit of the monastic life? 1 2 3 4 5

Obedience to the will of God? 1 2 3 4 5

How well do I see myself fulfilling the oblate duties:

Praying the Liturgy of the Hours? 1 2 3 4 5

Daily practice of lectio divina? 1 2 3 4 5

Reading from the Rule of St. Benedict? 1 2 3 4 5

Participating in the Sacraments of the Eucharist

and Reconciliation or in my own faith tradition of church and prayer? 1 2 3 4 5

Attentiveness to Gods presence in my ordinary, daily life? 1 2 3 4 5

In what ways can I offer my time, talent and treasure to the services of the Oblate community of Saint Johns Abbey?

Adapted from a form used by oblates of Saint Meinrads Archabbey. Used with permission.

2

Letter from Abbot John

Dear Oblates,

Three in One and One in

Three: God for Us

Question: Is the Holy Spirit origi-

nal to Christian experience?

Not by a long shot. The Spirit is

clearly present in the creation, is

recognized in the description of

the work of the prophets such as

Elijah, Elisha, Ezekiel; in Saul

and David and some of the other kings, in the wisdom

literature. However, the Spirit is at work in Egypt, Rome,

Assyria, Babylon, China, India, in the cosmos beyond the

Milky Way galaxy.

Already in the great commission, the Trinitarian formula is

present: Go out into the whole world and proclaim the

Gospel baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and

the Holy Spirit. This formula is part of the tradition and is

spoken and used long before the Church has articulated

what it means.

A lively Trinitarian faith tells us that God is for the world,

God is for the creation, for us. God is oriented massively

and dynamically toward the world. The Trinitarian God is

an extrovert: the one who continues to create in the world,

the God who so loves the world that the Word is made

Flesh, the God whose Spirit continues to bring love into

the world, who gives gifts to the human community, to the

Church, and to us as believers.

Through our baptism each person in the Church is invited

to share in the life of the Trinity.

Our call as Christians and as oblates is to be drawn into

the life, the mystery of the Trinity.

As we receive holy gifts of blessed bread and cup, we are

receiving the life of the Risen and Ascended Lord, and our

communion with him takes us right into the heart of the

Trinity.

When we do centering prayer, in silence and stillness, as

we give consent to God to transform us, we are drawn

into the mystery of the Trinity.

When we recognize Christ in our children, in our mom or

dad, in our spouse, and in each other in our families and

friends, we claim the fundamental insight that God dwells

in a communion of persons, and that our communities and

families will be places where we encounter this mysteri-

ous, surprising Triune God.

The feast of Trinity is an invitation to us to know that we need a robust, lively Trinitarian faith and imagination. If we dont pay attention to this, we are living our faith as if the incarnation didnt matter. It is like having a smart phone and using it only to make phone calls.

Letter from Father Don

Dear Oblates,

As I at least try to progress in

this way of life and in faith (RB

Prol 49), nature keeps remind-

ing me how much I need the

guidance of that Advocate Je-

sus promised to send to the

disciples. If I live by the Spirit,

as St. Paul writes in Galatians

5, that means that my life is a

gift of God. Think baptism and

its covenant commitments: You will be my child, and I will

be your God. If I receive my eternalspiritual, supernatu-

ral, gracedlife from the Spirit, then I simply must commit

myself to be guided by the Spirit. This is something I may

never forget. Not even in summer when so many people

think about loosening the ties that bind them to work, clas-

ses, meetings, even worship. So how to ensure openness

to Spirit guidance?

Assistant oblate director, Fr. Michael Peterson, on page

11, has an eloquent reply. Be sure to read it and meditate

on it. Certainly by now every oblate knows of his valuable

contributions to the oblate community and program, espe-

cially his work with inquirers and candidates. He knows

how much I appreciate him and his excellent ministry.

Speaking of Fr. Michael, his petition to transfer his vows

to our monastic community was enthusiastically approved

by the abbey chapter. Welcome, officially, Michael!

An oblate recently wrote to say that she appreciates hear-

ing about good books that other oblates are reading. Its a

great idea, so when you find a choice book, tell us about it

and well gladly share your recommendations with the rest

of the oblate family. Even secular publications tout the

custom and value of summer reading. So do we. Find a

few good suggestions on page 9.

On the weekend preceding our patronal feast of St. John

the Baptist (June 24), the abbey hosts family days. We

invite siblings and their dependent children to spend a

Saturday and Sunday with us, praying, playing, eating (of

course!), and bonding. My six eldest sibs are in their 80s

and not traveling far, but I do have a few in their 60s and

70s so they are part of the celebration.

We are looking forward to the retreat in July. The advisory

committee will do a lot of work to provide a hospitable and

enjoyable weekend. Others, too, will have their share of

activity. If done well, the participants will hardly notice

what has gone into the plans.

Finally, praise and thank God for the gift of Fathers Brad-

ley Jenniges and Michael Leonard Hahn, two monks who

were ordained priests on May 31. Then on July 10 Natha-

nial Putnam and Bradford Rothrock will enter the novitiate.

Allelluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. Amen.

3

News Bits / Reports

Lenten Day of Reflection

On Sunday, March 30, forty oblates participated in the Len-

ten Day of Reflection. Fr. John Meoska, OSB, who is cur-

rently the abbeys formation director, offered a creative and

visually powerful approach to the parable of the Prodigal

Son. Response from the oblates to this in-depth look at the

parable was very positive. The visuals were ably accompa-

nied by Assistant Oblate Director, Fr. Michael Peterson,

OSB, on his Native American flute.

In addition to a spiritual conference, the Day of Reflection

always includes informal fellowship before Eucharist with

the monastic community and other guests, a meal togeth-

er, and group lectio divina (prayer with Scripture). This time

the lectio text was Romans 5:1-8; groups were led by

Brothers David Paul Lange and Dan Morgan, and Fathers

Simeon Thole and Michael Peterson.

The next Oblate Day of Reflection will be in November,

with an Advent focus.

Candidate Investiture and Final Oblation

At the March Day of Reflection, four new candidates were

invested, beginning their year of initial formation, and two

final oblations were received. Congratulations!

Volunteer Bill Muldoon Combs the Archives

Bill Muldoon is developing

a necrology of Saint

Johns oblates. He is re-

searching final oblation

documents as well as

recent death notifications

for whom we have certifi-

cates of oblation.

Why this project? Bene-

dictine spirituality includes

the remembrance of the

deceased in prayer. This

list will allow all our ob-

lates to commemorate

deceased oblates on the anniversary of their death.

Oblates who have attended morning prayer with the

monks will be familiar with the communitys custom of

commemoration of the deceased. For example, a monk of

Saint Johns or of any monastery in the American Cas-

sinese Congregation is commemorated for thirty days

after they die. The Sisters of Saint Benedict Monastery

and monasteries in their federation are commemorated

for seven days after they die. This seven day practice is

also true for other persons related to the abbey, such as

oblates, alumni, employees, and members of monks im-

mediate families. Then, every year on the anniversary of a

monks death he is mentioned at morning prayer. There-

fore, on March 27 we include Fr. Demetrius Di Marogna

who died on this date in 1869.

Once we are able to print a list of known deceased ob-

lates and their dates of death, everyone will be invited to

review and notify us of any oblate missing from the list. Newly invested candidates: Jeanne and John Fraune, John Koenig, and Paul Elwell.

Photo

: Fr. M

ichael P

ete

rson, O

SB

Bill at work

Saint Johns Bible

Because of renovation in HMML, the exhibition gallery for

The Saint John's Bible has been closed and a new gallery

is being planned, but it will not open until some point in the

future. In the interim, a small display of original pages from

The Saint Johns Bible has been installed on Alcuin Li-

brary's main floor. Visitors are welcome to view the display

during summer hours: M-F 8:00-4:30.

Money Matters

As you might imagine, the oblate program incurs signifi-

cant expenses: supplies, phone, computer, food, meeting

space, printing/mailing, and more. The abbey subsidizes

the directors salaries and more. It gets to be a bit much so

the donations received in support of programs and fellow

oblates who cannot, for good reasons, afford to attend

events are deeply appreciated. Thank you very much! Sheila Hannon reads her final oblation promises in the

presence of Father Don, as Jeff Reed waits his turn.

Photo

s: P

eg G

aw

ne

-Mark

, OblS

B

4

I recently had two wonderful opportunities to meet with

other people, like myself, who are dedicated to interreli-

gious dialogue. My first experience was at a conference in

Brussels for a

four day gath-

ering of lead-

ers of interre-

ligious dia-

logue. I was

especially

inspired by

the life-long

dedication of

so many of

the members

present. Sure-

ly this was a

gathering of

those dedicated to listening deeply to others in a spirit of

peace and respect.

My second meeting was as a representative of the organi-

zation of Monastic Interreligious Dialogue (MID). Mem-

bers of the North American and European chapters of this

group met together with members of the Pontifical Council

for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID). I reported on the recent

and future activities of MID in North America. At the end

of the meeting we asked the PCID what monks and nuns

can do to help the cause of dialogue. The PCID encour-

aged us by saying, For those in a different religious tradi-

tion, simply respect and befriend them. Create encounters

and spaces without agenda other than transparent dia-

logue. Benedictines can do this for the Rule calls us to

honor everyone and to listen with the ear of the heart.

MID pledges its collaboration and offers its prayers for

Gods continued blessings of a ministry of dialogue with

the followers of other religions so that all who look to

Christ as the Way, the Truth, and the Life may also recog-

nize, preserve, and promote the good things, spiritual and

moral, as well as the socio-cultural values that are found

in other religious traditions.

Pope Francis has said, When leaders in various fields

ask me for advice, my response is always the same: dia-

logue, dialogue, dialogue. Today, either we stand togeth-

er with the culture of dialogue and encounter, or we all

lose, we all lose; from here we can take the right road that

makes the journey fruitful and secure.

During my stay in Rome, I was very blessed to concele-

brate at Mass on Pentecost Sunday and even get up

close to Pope Francis, who has inspired so many people

to befriend those who are different than themselves.

Happy to be back!

From TuAhn Holm: As a new oblate candidate I am required to read and to reflect on the book Reaching for

God by Sister Roberta Werner, OSB. In chapter 3, one of

the Benedictine Life Gifts/Values for Oblates that started

my thoughts pounding over and over is Authenticity.

Hearing or seeing the word authentic makes me think of

cuisine. Authentic cuisine is like when I ate the foods

made by my grandmother, who had no education, and

when she cooked, she followed no cookbook, nor could

she write down the ingredients or how to measure them.

Her recipes, passed down from generation to generation,

speak of suffering, joy and love of the person who pre-

pares that dish.

Now what does being authentic mean? C.G Jung put it

this way: The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you

truly are! Lao Tzu says: Knowing others is intelligence,

knowing yourself is true wisdom. Being authentic is not

only about what you see is what you get, tell it like it is,

or say what you mean and mean what you say. It is also

about how one accepts her suffering, her joy, and her

love without shame, without bitterness and without anger.

An authentic person does not radiate a glow of superiority

or perfection; those who meet or have the privilege of sit-

ting next to such persons will sense solidarity and equality

with them.

I can go a step further and cite the Eucharist as an exam-

ple. The wine and bread on the altar are authentic. They

tell us of the suffering and the love of Christ, and no mat-

ter who we are, rich or poor, saint or sinner, we are all

equals as soon as we come to the table to share the au-

thenticity of Christ.

~~~~~~~~~

Father Michael and his camera were within 40 feet of Pope

Francis and his ministers at the altar in St. Peters Basilica in

Rome on Pentecost Sunday.

Fr. Nicholas Becker, OSB, studying in

Rome, catches Fr. Michael in a happy

moment high above the city of Rome.

Interreligious Dialogue Meetings

Michael Peterson, OSB

Oblate Correspondence

5

From Israel, by Oblate Pat DeGroot: What am I doing in Israel? Just last month, March, I was at the Len-

ten meeting for Oblates listening to and watching a won-

derful presentation on the Prodigal Son. Just last month,

March, I walked from Stella Maris across the ice back to

the Guest House. And today, April 25, our thermometer hit

113 degrees Fahrenheit. Just last month, March, we had

gathered together in the Abbey Church, hundreds strong,

to celebrate Sunday Liturgy. Tomorrow we will go to an

unmarked chapel in Ailot for Liturgy, perhaps 40 strong.

The chapel is unmarked to avoid a Muslim attack. What

am I doing here?

Right now I'm wearing the black shirt I bought in the gift

shop of the Great Hall. It's the one that quotes the Pro-

logue of Benedict's Rule. Just a minute, I have to look in

the mirror to read it. Listen carefully, my son (daughter),

to the master's instructions. LISTEN . . . and attend to

them with the ear of your heart. That's why I'm here.

Because I came to the Holy Land about five years ago,

I'm on the mailing list with the company that led our tour.

Blossoming Rose, Inc. is located in Cedar Falls, MI. The

newsletter I read on March 16 was asking for volunteers

to work at Biblical Tamar Park in Israel for three months. I

noticed that but kept reading. Then the words jumped off

the page. Suddenly, the first reading from Mass that

morning boomed in my ears: The Lord said to Abram, 'Go

forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father's

house to a land that I will show you. Bouncing back and

forth in my cranium were the words Go forth! Go forth!

Go forth! So here I am. I listened and I have gone forth!

Another message came while I was at Saint John's. We

were singing a hymn at morning or evening prayer, I don't

remember which, when I glanced at the hymn on the op-

posite page. It was Hosea, one of my favorites. Those

words shot off the page, The wilderness will lead you to

your heart where I will speak. Long have I waited for your

coming home to me and living deeply our new life. So I

listened and have gone forth into the wilderness.

Yes, this place is in the wilderness. Tamar is located

about a 40 minute drive south of the Dead Sea. It is a

park of some sort, with restrooms, picnic tables and trees

in the middle of the Negev Desert. Springs, here, have

drawn people for over 5,000 years. Moses and the Israel-

ites probably came through. Abraham fought the four

kings and their armies here. Sodom isn't far. King Solo-

mon built a fort here and named it after his sister, Tamar.

The Romans built a fort on the same site. Closer to our

time, this was a British outpost, then a kibbutz and now an

archaeological dig with ruins from all these occurrences.

Sometimes, when the dog is barking at night, we wonder

if there are ghosts walking out in the desert. When the

wind blows a door open, I welcome Father Abraham.

Welcome! That's part of what we are here for . . . to wel-

come people. That touches on Benedictine hospitality.

During Passover week it seemed that the whole of Israel

was on vacation. We had so many visitors. One day there

were six huge buses here. Another day there were peo-

ple, wandering all through the private areas where we live,

looking for a little shade and a place to have a picnic. I

brought chairs out of my bedroom for one family. Our su-

pervisor looked at me like I was crazy. You don't have to

do that! But I did, because of Benedict. The people I have

met are something else. We sit around at night under

Abraham's stars and talk . . . talk about everything. With

one Jewish family, sitting outside at dusk, we lit a candle

and sang with their five young children as they concluded

Shabbat. Then they left to return to Jerusalem.

Every morning I sit on the porch of my caravan and pray

morning prayer. As I pray the intentions of the day I al-

ways add, for all Benedictines, for the oblates, Father

Don and Father Michael, and especially for anyone in

special need. The time of these prayers in the Midwest is

about 11:00 pm. So you are prayed for while you sleep.

I'm coming home July 5 and hope to be at the retreat on

the 18th. See you then.

More Oblate Correspondence

Pat and her faithful friend Nahmer

6

The canonization of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II

has generated a cottage industry of articles about saint-

hood lately. Most of these have not been the traditional

sort about personal piety and holiness, since that is a

pretty narrow niche market these days. Instead, reflecting

our obsession with issues of utility and return-on-

investment and the like, the questions are of a decidedly

different tone. "Do we really need saints today?" "What's

the point of having saints?" "Are saints obsolete?" In so

many cases the questions have been largely rhetorical,

and they assume there can be only one answer. Happily,

this has allowed me to cover a lot of material without actu-

ally having to read the articles. That's a lot more than I

can say about those other articles that I feel obliged to

read all the way to the end.

Still, as a group these essayists raise a lot of important

points, not all

of which ne-

gate the val-

ue of saints in

the 21st cen-

tury. Among

the most

compelling of

arguments is

the economic

one, which of

course

trumps all

others these

days. As

even the ag-

nostic mem-

bers of the

Rome Cham-

ber of Commerce will be quick to note, Sunday's canoni-

zations were great for business. Hotels for fifty miles

around were jammed to overflowing, and sites

like Priceline had nary a discount to offer. Restaurants

needed troughs to feed the millions of hungry pilgrims.

And petty thieves and pick-pockets likely had a field day.

The crime figures for the week have yet to be reported,

but I predict that this latter trade association will join with

the Association of Agnostic Innkeepers in the general

clamor for more saints, subito, and pronto.

If the argument from economic utility appeals to some, it

doesn't carry any weight at all with the purists who con-

tend that the very idea of saints is inherently unegalitari-

an. To give them their due, the process of canonization

isn't very democratic, and it may well be true that the out-

come is skewed in favor of candidates from the ranks of

the unmarried. But worse still, some have argued, the

process generates too many saints who are unworthy of

imitation by the general public. They note that way too

many saints pursued careers marked by utter tedium,

consumed as they were with endless rounds of prayer

and meditation and thinking good thoughts. They scarcely

faced any of the issues that bedevil ordinary people. Nor

did they get in the daily average of 4+ hours with eyes

glued to cable television. How dare anyone canonize

such people as examples for the rest of us?

Among the remaining complaints is perhaps the only one

with which I really have some sympathy. The truth of the

matter is, all saints started out as real-life flesh-and-blood

human beings. Along the way to becoming venerated,

however, they often lose something. And what they tend

to shed in canonization is their humanity. As was the case

with Lenin and Mao, who rested in state if not in peace,

they leave off being persons and become demigods. In

the process they ascend beyond the reach of us mere

mortals. No longer are they brothers and sisters to us, at

least in the minds of some.

I'm not sure anyone could put a stop to that, but I will give

the Church credit for one thing. Unlike other religious tra-

ditions which have deified the living, we've never canon-

ized people until they were good and dead. No matter

how big the personality, we've always allowed a decent

interval after the death before we rush to the piazza to

bestow the laurel wreath of sainthood. To my mind that

gives them the chance to remain our brothers and sisters

for as long as possible.

It also serves to remind us that people do not cross the

threshold into sainthood at death. It is a pilgrimage that

begins long before. In the Creed we profess our belief in

the communion of the saints. Obviously that includes the

saints who have gone before us, the saints who walk

among us, and the saints who are yet to come. If that's

the case, then it's safe to assume that our own paths to

sanctity cross those first boundaries and only then

continue into eternity.

We Need More Saints, Now Fr Eric Hollas, OSB P

hoto

s th

is a

rticle

: Fr. E

ric H

olla

s, O

SB

7

Oblates and Prison Ministry Saint Benedict alludes to this in his commentary on the instruments of good works. In a chapter that begins

with the command to love both God and neighbor, he

continues with a laundry list of practices that would

make for a good monastery, a good parish, or even a

good neighborhood. Each and every functional com-

munity rests on a bedrock of individuals who answer

the call to holiness. "Do not aspire to be called holy

before you really are, but first be holy that you may be

more truly called so." In this Benedict anticipates the

correct order of the canonization process, since holi-

ness should come well in advance of canonization. But

this is also an invitation to live a decent life, without

expectation of reward. Ironically, however, the saints

reap the reward of a good life both here and in eterni-

ty. Even better, their neighbors will share in the re-

wards as well.

So do we really need saints? I know I do. If my broth-

ers in the monastery were not saints, I'm sure my own

life would be unbearable. And if our neighborhoods

were not peopled by those who are already far along

the road to sainthood, life would be a lot more difficult

than it normally is. We need saints because we will

never outgrow our need for decency and mutual re-

spect in our communities. We need saints because we

depend upon people to help and care for each other.

And if the reward for these saints is communion with

the divine in the next life, well, I'm not going to be-

grudge that to my brothers in the monastery, or to any

of the other saints, wherever they might be living. I'm

just glad they got started on the path to sainthood while

I was around to enjoy the benefits of living next to

them.

So that's why I believe that we still need saints. The

more, all the better. And subito, and pronto.

~~~~~~~~~~

Father Erics blog, A Monks Chronicle, is posted every

Monday at http://monkschronicle.wordpress.com/

Liturgical Press (LP) has been overwhelmed by requests

from prisoners and prison ministers around the country for

free copies of Give Us This Day. In recent months, subscrib-

ers to Give Us have been asked to make a donation to a

special fund that goes toward providing this valuable re-

source to inmates. The response from subscribers has been

tremendous, and LP can respond with an enthusiastic Yes!

to many requests from prisoners and prison chaplains.

Volunteers Needed

Dedicated volunteers collaborate with LP by contacting

chaplains and arranging for copies to be sent monthly for

them to use in their ministry. Now there is a need for more

volunteer help, and the assistance of oblates will be wel-

come and even necessary. The only cost to the volunteer is

service for 8-10 hours per month.

Fr. Diaz is one prison chaplain who struggles to find mean-

ingful resources for the inmates he visits. Through the help

from Liturgical Press he says, I am able to help these men

to foster positive Godly habits and to learn how to respect

and love others.

Words from Inside the Walls

John: Most of society sees us as lost or not worthy of

their time and especially money, but by your generosity and

willingness to assist us in our spiritual journey, you show us

that you see us as Jesus truly does as wayward sheep who

lost our way, and who are in need of assistance to guide us

back to the flock. For this we are truly grateful.

Steven recently turned 60 years old and has spent al-

most 40 of those years incarcerated. Of Give Us This Day

he says, My faith has been a great stabilizer for my health,

sanity, and humanity. Your publication has greatly helped in

the solidification of my faith.

Trayce: I read an old copy of Give Us This Day. I really

enjoyed it. I really see the world differently than I did before.

This was a gift that I needed.

Joseph: I have always been a person who needs struc-

ture in my life. Using the Liturgy of the Word from daily Mass

readings has been my guide to a life of prayer over these

last few years. Now, having been truly blessed to receive

Give Us This Day my communion with God has been greatly

improved. The structure of the morning and evening prayer

found in this resource has encouraged my continual prayer

all throughout the day. I have also enjoyed the meditations,

reflections on the Saints and other various articles. Simple

words may not convey my appreciation; still a thank you is

definitely in order. Thanks.

Interested oblates please contact Cathy Donovan at

320.363.3655, or cdonovan@litpress.org

8

We may never have been in a room with Jesus, or heard

him say to his disciples, Peace be with you, but we all

recognize our deep need for Gods peace. All too often

peace seems unattainable in our hectic lives. We are

filled with gears that keep our minds anxious and doors

locked. We suffer painful estrangement from others, even

friends and family members who were once close to us.

Usually it is wordsmisused, misheard, misunderstood

that fuel the dissension that drives us apart. But the Holy

Spirit can seize us and work through us in such a way

that we are able to offer each other words that bless,

heal, and remind us that we are all beloved children of

God. Maybe we suddenly encounter that person weve

learned to avoid, or have even come to detest, and she

will say or do something that comes out of pure love,

straight from the heart of God. Thus humbled and re-

freshed, we feel that a weight has been lifted from our

weary hearts. Such holy moments are the work of the

Spirit.

I suspect the first Pentecost was like that, a powerful ex-

perience of divine grace removing the seemingly insur-

mountable obstacles that separate uslanguage, race,

ethnicityso that people could hear and understand each

other in a new way. When it comes to listening to God, or

to other people, it takes a lot for us to shed our fears and

loosen our stiff necks. On Pentecost, God got the crowds

attention with a loud, strong wind and tongues of flame.

But Jesus offered his disciples the Holy Spirit in a more

quiet manner, breathing on them to open what St. Bene-

dict calls the ear of the heart.

Where does it lead, this Pentecost of listening, of sudden-

ly being graced with the ability to hear and comprehend

the disparate languages of strangers and even friends

(people we often think we understand but in fact take for

granted)? I believe it leads us straight into Trinity Sunday.

It is only when we can accept the possibility of establish-

ing community with the disparate and sometimes disa-

greeable people we encounter in our lives, and in our

faith communities, that we can begin to understand the

perfect community of the Holy Trinity. Such divine perfec-

tion is not possible for us, but the Trinity allows us to im-

agine it: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, existing as separate

persons with different gifts, operating in complete unity.

With this as our model, we can begin to mend our ways

and try harder to live in peace in our own families and

communities. We can welcome with open minds the di-

verse gifts that each person brings and learn from the

other persons point of view, even if it differs from our own

perspective and experience.

The peace that passes understanding may come with

noisy flashes of insight or in a quiet intake of breath, but it

always comes from God alone. We prepare ourselves to

accept it by first accepting one another. This is how we

demonstrate that we accept Jesus Christ, the Prince of

Peace, as savior of the world.

Kathleen Norris, From Pentecost to Trinity, in

Search of Peace, from the June 2014 issue of

Give Us This Day, www.giveusthisday.org

(Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2014).

Used with permission.

~~~~~~~~~~

From Pentecost to Trinity, in Search of Peace

Henry Nouwen, the great spiritual writer from Notre

Dame, notes: Andrei Rublev painted this icon not only

to share the fruits of his own meditation on the mystery of

the Holy

Trinity but

also to

offer his

fellow

monks a

way to

keep their

hearts

centered

on God

while liv-

ing in the

midst of

political

unrest.

The more

we look at

this holy

image

with the

eyes of

faith, the more we come to realize that it is painted not as

a lovely decoration for a convent church, nor as a helpful

explanation of a difficult doctrine, but as a holy place to

enter and stay within.

Kathleen Norris, OblSB

9

Michael Casey, OCSO, Seventy-Four Tools For Good

Living: Reflections on the Fourth Chapter of Benedict's

Rule (Liturgical Press, 2014).

There is more in Benedict's

Rule than meets the eye.

Based on the rules of life of

John Cassian and Saint Basil,

Benedict invites us to go further

back to the scriptural basis of

all Christian and monastic living

and pursue our spiritual journey

by the guidance of the Gospel.

This book of reflections on the

tools for good living is intended

to be read very slowly, one sec-

tion at a time. In addition to

communicating reflections on each verse of chapter 4,

Casey invites readers to:

continue the process of reflection for themselves

apply what is written to their own lives

draw on their own wisdom and insight

broaden their experience of monastic spirituality

Michael Casey, OCSO, is a monk of Tarrawarra Abbey

(Australia). In recent decades he has been engaged in

exploring different aspects of monastic spirituality, writing

and giving conferences throughout the English-speaking

monastic world. His books include The Road to Eternal

Life: Reflections on the Prologue of Benedict's

Rule (Liturgical Press, 2011).

~~~~~~~~~~

Larry Haeg, OblSB, recently released his new book

Harriman vs. Hill (University of MN Press, 2013).

In 1901, the Northern Pacific

was an unlikely prize: a twice-

bankrupt construction of the fed-

eral government, it was a two-bit

railroad (literallyfive years

back, its stock traded for twenty-

five cents a share). But it was

also a key to connecting eastern

markets through Chicago to the

rising West. Two titans of Ameri-

can railroads set their sights on

it: James J. Hill, head of the

Great Northern and largest indi-

vidual shareholder of the North-

ern Pacific, and Edward Harri-

man, head of the Union Pacific and the Southern Pacific.

The subsequent contest was unprecedented in the history

of American enterprise, pitting not only Hill against Harri-

man but also Big Oil against Big Steel and J. P. Morgan

against the Rockefellers, with a supporting cast of enough

wealthy investors to fill the ballroom of the Waldorf Asto-

ria.

The story, told here in full for the first time, transports us

to the New York Stock Exchange during the unfolding of

the earliest modern-day stock market panic.

~~~~~~~~~~

Brendan Freeman, OCSO, Come and See: The Monas-

tic Way for Today (Liturgical Press, 2010).

Come and See is a look inside the

mind of a monk. The vision of mo-

nastic life proposed here is not new;

it is a vision going back to the De-

sert Fathers of the fourth century.

And yet, it is new because it is root-

ed in a place in the soul that never

grows old. Come and see where I

live, Jesus said to the disciples who

were following him. He could just as

well have said, come and see where you live; where your

real life is being lived. Monastic spirituality is a treasure

hidden in the field of your own heart; it is a universal spir-

ituality that is the common inheritance of every human

being; it is a search for God. From the atheist to the saint

there is in the heart of all creatures a desire for ultimate

meaning, a desire for God. In this sense everyone has the

heart of a monk.

Abbot Freeman treats some of the great themes of mo-

nastic life: silence, solitude, community life, prayer. A sub-

theme running through ancient monasticism conceives of

the monastery as a hospitala place for healing the soul,

the spirit, the heart. The place of the heart is highlighted

in these conferences and homilies as an ancient theme

still relevant to the modern person.

Abbot Brendan Freeman entered New Melleray Abbey in

Peosta, Iowa, in 1958 at the age of twenty. He received a

masters degree in liturgical studies from The Catholic Uni-

versity of America in 1973. Fr. Brendan was elected abbot

of his community in 1984 and continues in that position.

Recommended Reading

I first read about the Northern Pacific Corner

when I was ten years old. When I opened my

office on January 1, 1962, I put on the wall a

framed copy of The New York Times of May 10,

1901, describing the fateful prior day. Larry

Haeg now tells the full story, and I enjoyed

every word of it.

Warren Buffett

10

In Memoriam

Dr. Gerald Kavanaugh,

age 86, died on March 1,

2014, in Fargo, ND. Jerry

was born in 1927 in Far-

go and grew up during

the Great Depression. An

excellent student, he at-

tended Notre Dame.

While there he enlisted in

the Navy. After two years

of military service he re-

sumed studies at Notre

Dame, then attended the

University of North Dako-

ta School of Medicine. He completed medical studies at

Northwestern University in 1954, practiced Internal

Medicine in Fargo, and later changed his specialty to

Cardiology.

As an oblate he regularly attended the Red River Valley

Chapter in Fargo until his health failed a year ago.

Nicholas Spaeth, age

64, died in Fargo, ND

on March 16, 2014. He

had just begun the pro-

cess of becoming an

oblate of Saint Johns

Abbey.

Nick was elected ND

Attorney General in

1984. He was re-

elected in 1988, where

he argued three cases

before the U.S. Su-

preme Court. In 1992,

he waged an unsuccessful campaign to become governor

of North Dakota. Invoking his characteristic self-

deprecating sense of humor, Nick always said he "was

retired by the voters."

Throughout his life Nick received many awards and hon-

ors, but nothing meant more to him than his family and

friends. His wife and children were the joy of his life, and

he loved spending time with them. A big kid himself, he

was the first to organize family games and activities and

over the years taught dozens of kids and adults to water

ski, play pinochle, poker, bocce ball, croquet or any board

game known to man.

Fr. Don met Nick at the Red River Valley Chapter of ob-

lates in Fargo, when he requested prayers for his family

just weeks before his untimely death. Nicks son Will grad-

uated from Saint Johns Prep in May of this year.

Ervin J. Deering, age 87, of

Shakopee, died on May 9,

2014. Erv and his wife, Pat,

were very active oblates, at-

tending most retreats and

Days of Reflection, as well as

the regular monthly Joan of

Arc chapter meetings.

Above all, Erv valued family

and an unwavering commit-

ment to his wife of 65 years.

He instilled many loyalties

and traditions to ensure his large, close-knit family will con-

tinue to carry on his legacy and love of family values.

Numerous tributes flowed into the oblate office after Erv

died, testifying to the affection and esteem in which his fel-

low oblates held him.

Lynda Meirick, wife of Oblate Michael Meirick, age 70,

died on March 14, 2014, in Saint Cloud, MN.

Fr Daniel Durken, OSB, age 85, monk of Saint Johns

Abbey, died on March 29, 2014, in the Abbey Retirement

Center.

Jeanne Frances Pysdrowski, age 92, mother of Oblate

candidate Jeanne Fraune, died on May 26, 2014.

~~~~~~~~~~

Prayer to Saint Benedict for a Happy Death

In chapter 4

of the Rule,

St. Benedict

lists as an

instrument of

good works:

Keep death

daily before

your eyes. A

good daily

prayer is the

following:

O holy Father Benedict, blessed by God both in grace and

in name, while standing in prayer with your hands raised to

heaven, you did most happily yield your angelic spirit into

the hands of your Creator. You have promised zealously to

defend against all the snares of the enemy in the last strug-

gle of death those who shall daily remind you of your glori-

ous departure and heavenly joys. Protect me, O glorious

Father, this day and every day, by your holy blessing, that I

may never be separated from our dear Lord, from your

company, and from that of all the blessed. Through the

same Christ our Lord. Amen.

11

Many people,

when they ini-

tially inquire

about the oblate

life, often say, I

just want to

have a daily

discipline of

prayer, or I

want my day-to-

day life to feel

more holy. The

backbone of

Benedictine

prayer is the

daily liturgical

gatherings Ben-

edict calls The Work of God. Also known as the Liturgy of

the Hours, this form of prayer life is the way so many ob-

lates are able to fulfill the questions that are asked above.

Many oblates have found our Liturgical Press monthly

prayer publication, Give Us this Day, a very useful and

user-friendly resource for prayer and spiritual reading.

Benedict knows that each person is responsible for their

own individual prayer outside the communal prayer times.

The fervency and dedication of each individual persons

prayer life will affect positively or negatively their commu-

nal prayer experience. No one can have a prayer life that

is just one hour Sunday morning. Community was essen-

tial for Benedict as it should be for the oblate. Prayer that

is merely individualistic, unless anchored in the local, wor-

shiping community, can often become shallow and self-

indulgent. My praying must not become so hidden and so

secret that it becomes an entire private affair, no longer

supported by others and by mutual learning which contact

with other people brings. Communal and individual prayer

are very complementary to one another.

To help us image both community and individual prayer in

our life, lets look at the structure of a bridge. The towers

are those strong moments when we pray together in com-

munity. The cables are the many ways we speak and pray

to God individually. Piers root us in a strong faith tradition.

The deck (road) is that journey from our heart to Gods

heart. This bridge is our whole life, really. We need many

ways to keep this bridge structurally sound and accessible

for travel. Prayer involves daily intentionality.

Thomas Merton wrote, Being attentive to the times of the

day: when the birds began to sing, and the deer came out

of the morning fog, and the sun came up. Today time is

commodity, and for each one of us time is mortgaged. We

experience time as unlimited indebtedness. We are threat-

ened by a chain reaction: overworkoverstimulation

overkill. We must approach the whole idea of time in a

new way. We live in the fullness of time. Every moment is

Gods own good time. The whole thing boils down to giv-

ing ourselves in prayer a chance to realize that we have

what we seek. We dont have to rush after it. It is there all

the time, and if we give it time it will make itself known to

us.

To pray daily is to be steeped in the spirit of reverence --

an important word for Benedict! It is part of his regular vo-

cabulary in the Rule, signifying a worshipful adoration by

the creature to the Creator of the universe. Reverence is

virtually synonymous with other basic Benedictine virtues

like humility and awe of the Lord. A traditional Celtic pray-

er says it well:

God to enfold me, God to

surround me, God in my

speaking, God in my think-

ing. God in my sleeping,

God in my waking, God in

my watching, God in my

hoping. God in my life,

God in my lips, God in my soul, God in my heart. God in

my sufficing, God in my slumber, God in mine ever-living

soul, God in mine eternity.

May the Holy Spirit, who prays in us when we do not know

how to pray (Rom 8:26), fill your heart with peace.

Fr. Michael Peterson, OSB, Assistant Oblate Director

Rule of Saint Benedict: Chapter 20,

Reverence in Prayer

12

The Oblate

THAT IN ALL THINGS GOD MAY BE GLORIFIED

NEWSLETTER OF THE OBLATES OF SAINT BENEDICT

SAINT JOHNS ABBEY, COLLEGEVILLE, MINNESOTA 56321

SUMMER 2014 VOLUME 58, NUMBER 2

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

Non-Profit Org

U.S. Postage

PAID

Collegeville, MN 56321

Inside this issue:

Summer Retreat 1

Letters from Abbot John

and Father Don

2

News Bits / Reports 3-4

Oblate Correspondence 4-5

Father Eric Hollas Blog 6

Prison Ministry 7

Kathleen Norris Article: From Pentecost to Trinity

8

Recommended Reading 9

In Memoriam 10

Oblate Connection 11

Oblate Director/Editor: Production: Circulation: Printing and Mailing:

Donald Tauscher, OSB Josie Stang Cathy Wieme Mary Gouge

Contact Oblate Office: 320.363.2018 oblates@osb.org www.saintjohnsabbey.org/oblates/