A little while ago, I posted on the
Oblates of Saint Benedict and I wrote a little about what it meant to be an Oblate. Here I would like to republish some of the Rule, starting with the Prologue and going through all of the chapters. I may also post some of the reflections with my abbot's blessing.
Listen carefully, my son, to the master's instructions, and attend to them with the ear of your heart. This is advice from a father who loves you; welcome it, and faithfully put it into practice.
The labor of obedience will bring you back to him from whom you has drifted through the sloth of disobedience.
This message is for you, then, if you are ready to give up your own will, once and for all, and armed with the strong noble weapons of obedience to do battle for the true King, Christ the Lord.
First of all, every time you begin a good work, you must pray to him most earnestly to bring it to perfection.
In his goodness, he has already counted us as his sons, and therefore we should never grieve him by our evil actions.
With his good gifts which are in us, we must obey him at all times that he may never become the angry father who disinherits his sons,
nor the dread lord, enraged by our sins, who punishes us forever as worthless servants for refusing to follow him to glory.
Let us up then, at long last, for the Scriptures rouse us when the say:
It is high time for us to arise from sleep (Rom 13:11).
Let us open our eyes to the light that comes from God, and our ears to the voice from heaven that every day calls out this charge:
If you hear his voice today, do not harden your hearts (Ps 94 [95]:8).
And again:
You that have ears, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches (Rev 2:7).
And what does he say?
Come and listen to me, sons; I will teach you the fear of the Lord (Ps 33 [34]:12).
Run while you have the light of life, that the darkness of death
may not overtake you (John 12:35).
Seeking his workman in a multitude of people, the Lord calls out to him and lifts his voice again:
Is there anyone here who yearns for life and desires to see good days? (Ps 33 [34]:13)
If you hear this and your answer is, "I do," God them directs these words to you: If you desire true and eternal life,
keep your tongue free from vicious talk and your lips from all deceit; turn away from evil and so good; let peace be your quest and aim (Ps 33 [34]:14-15).
Once you have done this, my
eyes will be upon you
and my
ears will listen for your
prayers; and even before you ask me, I will say to you:
Here I am (Isa 58:9).
What dear brothers, is more delightful than this voice of the Lord calling to us?
See how the Lord in his love shows us the way of life.
Clothed then worth faith and the performance of good works, let us set out on this way, with the Gospel for our guide, that we may deserve to see him
who called us to his kingdom (1Thess 2:12).
If we wish to dwell in the tent of this kingdom, we will never arrive unless we run there by doing good deeds.
But let us ask the Lord with the Prophet:
Who will dwell in your tent, Lord; who will find rest upon your holy mountain? (Ps 14 [15]:1)
After this question, brothers, let us listen well to what the Lord days in reply, for he shows us the way to his tent.
One who walks without blemish, he says,
and is just in all his dealings;
who speaks the truth from his heart and had not practiced deceit with his tongue;
who has not wronged a fellowman in any way, nor listened to slanders against his neighbor (Ps 14 [15]:2-3).
He has
foiled the
evil one, the devil, at every turn, flinging both him abs his promptings far
from the sight of his heart. While these temptations were still
young, he caught hold of them and dashed them against Christ (Ps 14 [15]"4; 136 [137]:9).
These people
fear the Lord, and do not become elated over their good deeds; that brings about the food in them.
They praise (Ps 14 [15]:4) the Lord working in them, and say with the Prophet:
Not to us, Lord, not to us give the glory, but to your name alone (Ps 113 [115:1]:9).
In just this way Paul the Apostle refused to take credit for the power of his preaching. He declared:
By God's grace I am what I am (1 Cor 15:10).
And again he said:
He who boasts should make his boast in the Lord (2Cor 10:17).
That is why the Lord says in the Gospel:
Whoever hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise man who built hid house upon rock;
the floods came and the winds blew and beat against the house, but it did not fall: it was founded on rock (Matt 7:24-25).
With this conclusion, the Lord waits for us daily to translate into action, as we should, his holy teachings.
Therefore our life span had been lengthened by way of a truce, that we may amend our misdeeds.
As the Apostle says:
Do you not know that the patience of God is leading you to repent (Rom 2:4)?
And indeed the Lord assures us in his love:
I do not wish the death of the sinner, but that he turn back to me and live (Ezek 33:11).
Brothers, now that we have asked the Lord who will dwell in his tent, we have heard the instruction for dwelling in it, but only if we fulfill the obligations of those who live there.
We must, then, prepare our hearts and bodies for the battle of holy obedience to his instructions.
What is not possible to us by nature, let us ask the Lord to supply by the help of his grace.
If we wish to reach the eternal life, even as we avoid the torments of hell,
then - while there is still time, while we are in this body and have time to accomplish all of these things the light of life -
we must run and do now what will profit us forever.
Therefore we intend to establish a school for the Lord's service.
In drawing up its regulations, we hope to set down nothing harsh, nothing burdensome.
The good of all concerned, however, may prompt us to a little strictness in order to amend faults and to safeguard love.
Do not be daunted immediately by far and run away from the road that leads to salvation. It is bound to be narrow at the outset.
But as we progress in this way of life and in faith, we shall run on the path of God's commandments, our hearts overflowing with the inexpressible delight of love.
Never swerving from his instructions, then, but faithfully observing his teachings in the monastery until death, we shall through patience share in the sufferings of Christ that we may deserve also to share in his kingdom. Amen.
*
NOTE*
The Prophet being referred to is King David.
