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What We Learn from Monasteries—and What It Means to Be a Benedictine Oblate

Tradition and Sanity

Although I had known or seen Benedictines before, it wasn’t until my visits to the monastery of Norcia that I felt as if I had encountered monks who truly lived by the spirit and letter of the Rule. Their enthusiasm for divine worship (the opus Dei or “work of God,” as the Rule calls it), their quiet joy, and their example of simple fraternity and sincere hospitality drew me back again and again. Such visits led me to discern becoming an oblate. I made my oblation on May 22, 2014. In this article, I talk about why we should visit monasteries, and what being an oblate entails. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.traditionsanity.com/subscribe