Who is an Oblate of St. Benedict?
Oblates of St. Benedict are
Christian individuals or families who have associated themselves with a
Benedictine community in order to enrich their Christian way of life. Oblates
shape their lives by living the wisdom of Christ as interpreted by St. Benedict
in the Rule he wrote for monks.
Oblates seek God by striving to become holy in their chosen way of life. By
integrating their prayer and work, they manifest Christ's presence in society.
The role of oblates is to live in the world, to
become holy in the world, to do what they can to bring the world to God by being
witnesses of Christ by word and example to those around them.
Oblates concern themselves with striving to be
what they are, people of God and temples of the Holy Spirit. Their prayer life
will flow from this awareness, and from their willingness to offer themselves
(that is the meaning of the word oblate) for the service of God and
neighbor to the best of their ability.
Oblates do not take on a new set of religious
practices and are not required to say a certain number of prayers or engage in
special devotions. They do not live in a religious community or take vows.
The obligations assumed by the oblate do not bind
under any pain of sin whatever, for St. Benedict prefers that his children serve
God with love rather than with fear.
For further information, please contact:
Fr.
David Turner, OSB
DIRECTOR OF OBLATES
St. Procopius Abbey
5601 College Road
Lisle, IL 60532
(630) 829-9209 (voice)
(630) 969-6426 (fax)
email:
When you contact us, please be sure to include your full name, address, city, state, zip and telephone number. We thank you for your interest and look forward to hearing from you.
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