{"id":90024,"date":"2018-09-10T05:15:09","date_gmt":"2018-09-10T12:15:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/?p=90024"},"modified":"2018-09-05T22:48:12","modified_gmt":"2018-09-06T05:48:12","slug":"a-dozen-years-of-amateur-monasticism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/a-dozen-years-of-amateur-monasticism\/","title":{"rendered":"A Dozen Years of Amateur Monasticism"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

Saint Benedict. Detail from a fresco by Fra Angelico.<\/p><\/div>\n

T<\/span>welve years ago, on September 10th 2006, I made my final oblation<\/a> to Saint Martin\u2019s Abbey in Lacey. I am an Oblate of the Order of Saint Benedict<\/a>. Much has happened in those years, but much remains the same.<\/p>\n

As an Oblate, I promise to follow the Rule of Saint Benedict<\/a> inasmuch as it applies to my state in life.<\/p>\n

\nWhen we made our Oblation, we promised in the presence of our Abbot or of his delegate \u2018the reformation of our life,\u2019 which means a turning away from the world in order to live in Jesus Christ. The Lord appeared to us then as the solid rock on which we wanted to \u2018build our house.\u2019 We knew that He alone has the promises of eternal life and that none of those promises is empty….<\/p>\n

Let us recall to mind often the promises of our Oblation, in order to maintain or to reestablish the harmony between our actions and the divine will. Dominus exspectat quotidie …<\/em> \u2018The Lord is waiting every day for us to respond by our works to His holy lessons.\u2019<\/p>\n

(COMMENTARY FOR BENEDICTINE OBLATES, September 5, Prologue)\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I am also required to pray some form of the Liturgy of the Hours<\/a> and, as I was reminded by my spiritual director recently, to practice Lectio Divina<\/a><\/em>. For this is the charism of the monk, amateur or otherwise.<\/p>\n

I remember that Lectio<\/a><\/em> was one of my great initial loves of Benedictine Spirituality. I’m not entirely sure when it was that I lost the habit, but it has been a joy to return to it. It is as though I am returning to the springs that nourished me at the start of my journey.<\/p>\n

Although my spiritual life is grounded in the Breviary<\/em> and the Rule<\/em>, its foundation is the Holy Scriptures and the Sacred Liturgy. Of course, the Breviary<\/em> is a liturgy in itself, and the Rule<\/em> nothing more than Saint Benedict’s guide for living the Scriptures and Tradition.<\/p>\n

So twelve years later, I continue to wear the black scapular and try to live in the spirit of Saint Benedict in the modern world.<\/p>\n

O<\/span> holy Father, Saint Benedict,<\/em>
\nblessed by God both in grace and in name,
\nwho, while standing in prayer, with hands raised to heaven,
\ndidst most happily yield thy angelic spirit
\ninto the hands of thy Creator,
\nand hast promised zealously to defend
\nagainst all the snares of the enemy
\nin the last struggle of death,
\nthose who shall daily remind thee
\nof thy glorious departure and heavenly joys;
\nprotect me, I beseech thee, O glorious Father,
\nthis day and every day, by thy holy blessings,
\nthat I may never be separated
\nfrom our dear Lord,
\nand from the society of thyself,
\nand of all the blessed.<\/p>\n

Through the same Christ our Lord.<\/p>\n

Amen.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Twelve years ago, on September 10th 2006, I made my final oblation to Saint Martin\u2019s Abbey in Lacey. I am an Oblate of the Order of Saint Benedict. Much has happened in those years, but much remains the same. As an Oblate, I promise to follow the Rule of Saint Benedict inasmuch as it applies to my state in life. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5823,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[15,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-90024","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-meditations","category-moments-in-time"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Fra_Angelico_Benedict.jpg?fit=2024%2C2468&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1aGBK-nq0","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9,"url":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/oblation\/","url_meta":{"origin":90024,"position":0},"title":"Oblation","author":"Thom","date":"28 September 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"On September 10th, I made my final oblation to Saint Martin's Abbey in Lacey. I am an Oblate of the Order of Saint Benedict. It is quite an indescribable thing to be a monk in the world.As at confirmation, one is expected to take on a new name. I chose\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Moments in Time"","block_context":{"text":"Moments in Time","link":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/category\/moments-in-time\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":100124,"url":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/thirteen\/","url_meta":{"origin":90024,"position":1},"title":"Thirteen","author":"Thom","date":"10 September 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Saint Benedict. Detail from a fresco by Fra Angelico. is the thirteenth anniversary of my final oblation to Saint Martin\u2019s Abbey in Lacey. As an Oblate, I promise to follow the Rule of Saint Benedict inasmuch as it applies to my state in life. we made our Oblation, we promised\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Meditations"","block_context":{"text":"Meditations","link":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/category\/meditations\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Fra_Angelico_Benedict.jpg?fit=984%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Fra_Angelico_Benedict.jpg?fit=984%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Fra_Angelico_Benedict.jpg?fit=984%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Fra_Angelico_Benedict.jpg?fit=984%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":105766,"url":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/instability\/","url_meta":{"origin":90024,"position":2},"title":"(In)stability","author":"Thom","date":"10 September 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"is the fourteenth anniversary of my final oblation to Saint Martin\u2019s Abbey in Lacey. Recently, Francine and I have considered the idea of transferring our promise of stability to Mount Angel Abbey in St. Benedict, Oregon. Just another moment of uncertainty in this uncertain age. Saint Benedict. Detail from a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2020 - the end of Holy Rosary"","block_context":{"text":"2020 - the end of Holy Rosary","link":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/category\/2020-the-end-of-holy-rosary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Servers.png?fit=387%2C419&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":106472,"url":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/emperor-oblate-saint\/","url_meta":{"origin":90024,"position":3},"title":"Emperor, Oblate, Saint","author":"Thom","date":"13 July 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"going to go out on a limb and say that vanishingly few American churches have an image of today's saint. But our old parish of Holy Rosary does. Let me explain. It's a pretty rare thing when Kings become saints, or at least become canonized saints. I can only think\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Annual"","block_context":{"text":"Annual","link":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/category\/annual\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/w1a.jpg?fit=875%2C1172&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/w1a.jpg?fit=875%2C1172&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/w1a.jpg?fit=875%2C1172&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/w1a.jpg?fit=875%2C1172&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":107950,"url":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/emperor-oblate-saint-2023\/","url_meta":{"origin":90024,"position":4},"title":"Emperor, Oblate, Saint","author":"Thom","date":"13 July 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"going to go out on a limb and say that vanishingly few American churches have an image of today's saint. But our old parish of Holy Rosary does. Let me explain. It's a pretty rare thing when Kings become saints, or at least become canonized saints. I can only think\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Annual"","block_context":{"text":"Annual","link":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/category\/annual\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/HRR_10Jh.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/HRR_10Jh.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/HRR_10Jh.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/HRR_10Jh.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/HRR_10Jh.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/HRR_10Jh.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1545,"url":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/drowning-in-divine-mercy\/","url_meta":{"origin":90024,"position":5},"title":"Drowning in Divine Mercy?","author":"Thom","date":"05 October 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"By an extraordinary coincidence, today is the feast day of both the saint who gave the Divine Mercy devotion to the world, and of one of the disciples of Saint Benedict. Interestingly, neither of these feasts are on the universal calendar. Saint Mary Faustina Kowalska (1905 - 1938) was a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Saints"","block_context":{"text":"Saints","link":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/category\/saint\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/200px-Faustina-218x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90024","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90024"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90024\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":90035,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90024\/revisions\/90035"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5823"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90024"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90024"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90024"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}