Notes to Oblates of Mount Angel Abbey

Fr. John Paul Le, OSB, director of the oblates of Mount Angel Abbey, writes frequent notes to the oblates of Mount Angel Abbey. The oblates are a vibrant and active community of lay people and priests who strive to live the Holy Rule of St. Benedict in the spirit of Mount Angel Abbey, as far as their state in life permits. The notes are a mix of spiritual reflection, instruction, and updates on current events within the community of monks and oblates.

A Note to Our Dear Oblates
February 14, 2025

Dear Oblates,

Sts. Cyril and Methodius

Father Ralph likes to quip, “celebrating Valentine’s Day in the monastery is like celebrating Father’s Day at an orphanage.” Therefore, inspired by this, I would like to focus on the two saints Mount Angel Abbey celebrates in the liturgy today, St. Cyril and St. Methodius. St. Cyril and St. Methodius (9th century) are perhaps most well known for their missionary activity among the Slavic peoples and translating the Bible into Old Church Slavonic using a newly created alphabet known today as Cyrillic.

For the Office of Readings for today, we read a selection from the old Slavonic life of Constantine (Cyril’s former name before becoming a monk). The reading points to his unwavering faith as he is struck with an illness that will eventually take his life. A phrase that he uttered as death approached was this, “From now on, I am not the servant of the emperor or any man on earth but of almighty God alone. Before I was dead, now I am alive and I shall live forever.”

There are two points of this statement. The first focuses on Cyril’s mission as a servant of God. He did not serve the emperor, his friends or any bishop. No, he could say with all confidence that he lived for God alone. His whole life of preaching and writing was a testament to this truth. The second part of the quote speaks of his faith in the eternal. St. Cyril saw the reality of life on earth as short and transitory, full of death and decay. He knew full well that death was the springboard to eternity, where he would be alive in a way never possible on earth. Thus, he could say, “Before I was dead, now I am alive.”

May we, like St. Cyril, live our lives for God alone and fix our eyes on eternity.

I will be giving an Oblate Lenten Day of Recollection at St. Andrew parish in Sumner, WA (near Tacoma) on March 29, 2025 from 9am-2pm. To sign up, please click here. Schedule as follows:
9:30am – Mass
10:15 – refreshments
10:45 – talk
11:45 – Noon Prayer and lunch
12:45 – talk 2

For those of you are interested in following the Abbey liturgical year, here is the liturgical calendar for the Abbey for the year 2025.

You should have received your Lenten Bona Opera by now. Please get this back to me by February 28, so you can receive it back with my blessing. If for some reason you did not receive it, please click here for the PDF. You can just print it out and mail it back to me.

Happy feast day! Say a little prayer for Br. Cyril.

Prayer request. Please pray for the 10 men who will be with us on the monastic discernment retreat this weekend. Please know that you can always send your prayer requests through our Oremus program.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. John Paul, OSB
Director of Oblates

New Oblates. Kyrria “Paula” Martinez, Bryce “Micah” Webster, Kaitlyn “Zelie” Edmonds and Matthew “Joseph” Edmonds.

New Novices.

More new Novices.

Oblate Calendar

2025
February
7-9 – Oblate Retreat: Br. Cyril – Oblate Saints and Notables.
9 – Oblate Sunday: Fr. John Paul on the 8 Evil Thoughts, On Avarice, Anger, Acedia and Sadness.
March
5 – Ash Wednesday
9 – Oblate Sunday: Fr. John Paul on the 8 Evil Thoughts, On Vainglory and Pride
9 – St. Frances of Rome (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates).
21 – Passing of St. Benedict (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates).
April
20 – Easter Sunday
May
11 – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part I.
23-25 – Oblate Retreat. Fr. Charles
June
15 – Oblate Picnic
July
11 – Solemnity of St. Benedict. (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates)
12 – St. Benedict Festival
August
10 – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part II.
27 – Oblate Day of Prayer
September
14 – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part III.
19-21 – Oblate Retreat: Br. Thomas
29 – Solemnity of Archangels (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates).
October
November
7-9 – Oblate Retreat: Abbot Peter
9 – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part IV.
December
8 – Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates)
14 – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part IV

A Note to Our Dear Oblates - February 7, 2025

A Note to Our Dear Oblates
February 7, 2025

Dear Oblates,

Oblate Saints and Notables

A continuation on the saint theme of this year.

Today, Br. Cyril will be leading the oblate retreat entitled, “Oblate Saints and Notables.” Since many of you will not be here for this, I thought it might be good to write a few sentences about some of these figures, whom he will be speaking about.

St. Thomas Aquinas (1224-1274). St. Thomas is arguably the greatest theologian in the history of the Church. His uncle was abbot of Montecassino, and he was a child oblate there before leaving for the Domincans. However, it was through the education he received during his early years at Montecassino that he came to develop his intellectual prowess. We Benedictines refer to him as “the one who got away.”

St. Oliver Plunkett (1629-1681). St. Oliver was born in Ireland and went to Rome to study for the priesthood because of the persecutions happening back home. After some years as a priest, St. Oliver was made Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of Ireland. He remained as a faithful shepherd despite the continued persecution of the Church. In 1679, he was falsely accused of treason and was hanged, drawn and quartered.

Blessed Itala Mela, mystic (1904-1957). Blessed Ita was born in Italy and her upbringing was mostly non-religious. After lodging with nuns for a year, she was drawn to the Church and her liturgy. Ita desired to join a Benedictine monastery, but an unfortunate medical condition did not permit this. In lieu of this, she became an oblate of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls in 1930. She was dedicated to the Mass and the liturgy of the hours. She cared for her ailing family members and offered spiritual advice to many who sought her counsel.

Blessed Hanna Helena Chrzanowska (1902-1973). Hanna was born to a wealthy family in Poland. Through her aunt’s care during an illness, Hanna felt the call to become a nurse. She spent most of her life as a nurse teacher and working for the abandoned and chronically ill. To help her with her exhaustive work, she dug deeply into her spiritual life and became an oblate of Tyniec Abbey. During her life, she worked closely with St. Pope John Paul II.

Servant of God Zita Bourbon-Parma (1892-1989). Zita was born of a distinguished lineage in Italy, her mother being the daughter of King Michael I of Portugal. At the age of 10 she was educated by the sisters of the Visitation, after that, with the Benedictine nuns of Solesmes. She was married to Archduke Charles in 1912, and they had eight children together. She found great spiritual solace praying at Benedictine monasteries and became an oblate of Sainte-Cecile in 1926.

Nadeem Feroze (d. 2012) – Nadeem was born in Pakistan, where the total Catholic population is under 3%, and it is an undisputed fact that there is a persecution of Christians. We know of Nadeem’s life through his emails, in which he writes of the daily cross he had to bear. Eventually, his faith in Christ and the spread of Christ’s message of love led to his martyrdom in 2012.

Here is a more extensive list:
Saints
Saint Henry, King of Holy Roman Empire
Saint Frances of Rome
Saint Rafael Arnáiz Barón (1911-38), oblate with the Trappists in Spain
St. Oliver Plunkett, Archbishop of Armagh (1625-81)
St. Thomas Beckett, Archbishop of Cantebury
St. Thomas Aquinas, doctor of the Church
Blesseds
Bl. Itala Mela (Maria della Trinità), mystic (1904-57)
Bl. Hanna Helena Chrzanowska, nurse (1902-73) [friend of St. John
Paul II]
Bl. Mark Barkworth, Priest (1572-1601)
Bl. Thomas Tunstall, Priest (d. 1616)
Servants of God
Servant of God Dorothy Day, Oblate of St. Procopius Abbey (1897-1980)
Servant of God Zita of Bourbon-Parma, Empress (1892-1989)
Notables
Nadeem Feroze, Martyr
Joris-Karl Huysmans – novelist, including The Oblate
Jacques Maritain – philosopher
Walker Percy – novelist

Prayer request. Please pray for all those on the oblate retreat, especially for the four novices who will be making their final oblation. Please pray also for Br. Cyril, the retreat master. Please know that you can always send your prayer requests through our Oremus program.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. John Paul, OSB
Director of Oblates

If you know of a man who is discerning a monastic vocation, please consider recommending that he visit the Abbey.

Oblate Calendar

A Note to Our Dear Oblates - January 31, 2025

A Note to Our Dear Oblates
January 31, 2025

Dear Oblates,

Viva Don Bosco!

As some of you may know, I volunteered and lived with the Salesians of Saint John Bosco for two years before entering the monastery. As a result, I was thoroughly “indoctrinated” with the love of Saint John Bosco and his educational method. His main concern was the eternal souls of the boys entrusted to his care. He was like a good Abbot teaching by word and example. He would allow them to “run, jump and shout” as long as they did not sin. He said that in correcting the boys “we must lay aside all anger,” and “we are to use mercy for the present and have hope for the future.” All of these quotes show how Saint John Bosco loved the young. They all can be summarized with this one great quote, “It is not enough to love the young. They must know and feel that they are loved.”

In saying this, Saint John Bosco was telling the Salesian family and us that love has to be manifested concretely and effectively communicated. If I am reprimanding a child in anger even if the intention is for the child’s good, and do not have love, the reprimand does little good. If I spend all day making money or cooking and cleaning so my child can have a good life, but do not show them sure signs of affection, the child is being deprived of love due them. Saint John Bosco tells us that the child must know and feel that he is loved and this comes through our actions, words and subtle gestures. A child can easily intuit when he is being loved versus simply being taken care of or addressed as a problem.

I think this concept can also be applied to God’s love. It is not simply enough to tell somebody that God loves them, but they must feel that love and warmth. Sometimes, the love of God is experienced through personal prayer. Other times, God’s love is communicated through people. In a world that is far removed from God and his love, we Christians are called to communicate his love to the world by our kindness and generosity. As Saint John writes, “no one has ever seen God; but if we live love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us” (1 Jn 4:12).

On this feast day of Saint John Bosco, let us take his words to heart and not simply love those around us, but make them know and feel that they are loved. It is a slight nuance, but it makes all the difference.

Our next Oblate Sunday is February 9, and I will be giving the third of four conferences on John Cassian’s Eight Evil Thoughts. This third conference will address the thoughts of avarice, anger, acedia and sadness. The Oblate Sunday begins with Mass at the Abbey at 9am. It is followed by a potluck brunch after Mass in the guesthouse dining room, where you can visit with other Oblates. The conference starts at 11am in the Westminster Room, and the day is concluded with Noon Prayer in the Abbey Church. It is a free event for oblates. To register for in-person, click here; for remote option, click here.

Prayer request. Please pray for the continued healing of Fr. Liem and Fr. Nathan. Please also pray for the Salesian order and all the young people they serve. Please know that you can always send your prayer requests through our Oremus program.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. John Paul, OSB
Director of Oblates

P.S. – The pictures below are from my time with the Salesian priests, brothers and sisters in East Timor.

Oblate Calendar

2025
January
February
7-9 – Oblate Retreat: Br. Cyril – Oblate Saints and Notables.
9 – Oblate Sunday: Fr. John Paul on the 8 Evil Thoughts, On Avarice, Anger, Acedia and Sadness.
March
5 – Ash Wednesday
9 – Oblate Sunday: Fr. John Paul on the 8 Evil Thoughts, On Vainglory and Pride
9 – St. Frances of Rome (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates).
21 – Passing of St. Benedict (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates).
April
20 – Easter Sunday
May
11 – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part I.
23-25 – Oblate Retreat. Fr. Charles
June
15 – Oblate Picnic
July
11 – Solemnity of St. Benedict. (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates)
12 – St. Benedict Festival
August
10 – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part II.
27 – Oblate Day of Prayer
September
14 – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part III.
19-21 – Oblate Retreat: Br. Thomas
29 – Solemnity of Archangels (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates).
October
November
7-9 – Oblate Retreat: Abbot Peter
9 – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part IV.
December
8 – Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates)
14 – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part IV.

A Note to Our Dear Oblates - January 24, 2025

A Note to Our Dear Oblates
January 24, 2025

Dear Oblates,

St. Francis de Sales

The Fridays of this month are replete with amazing saints. Today’s saint, Saint Francis de Sales was a giant in terms of spirituality for the laity. His Introduction to the devout Life is a must read for all serious Christians. However, rather than reflecting on this book, I would like to cite a profoundly powerful quote written by him about the cross. It reads,

“The everlasting God has in his wisdom foreseen from eternity the cross that He now presents to you as a gift from His inmost Heart. This cross He now sends you He has considered with His all-knowing eyes, understood with His divine mind, tested with His wise justice, warmed with loving arms and weighed with His own hands to see that it be not one inch too large and not one ounce too heavy for you. He has blessed it with His Holy Name, anointed it with His consolation, taken one last glance at you and your courage, and then sent it to you from heaven, a special greeting from God to you, an alms of the All-Merciful Love of God.”

For me, this is one of the most beautiful statements about our crosses. Many times people share with me the extreme challenges and difficulties they are facing, whether it be personal struggles, relational hardships, financial insecurities or personal health. The crosses in our life are not always easy to understand, and we ask ourselves, “Why is this happening to me?” Saint Francis with this beautiful quote is giving us the perspective we don’t always take, and it is God’s perspective. I love how he says that this cross you are carrying is a “gift from his inmost heart.” It is as if God is saying, “I am giving you a share of my cross, a share of my heart.” Another phrase that sticks out is “that it [the cross] be not one inch too large and not one ounce too heavy.” We can say that God in his loving Providence has perfectly tailored this cross for us, and nobody else is to carry it.

With this, I am reminded of what Abbot Gregory always taught us novices, “grumbling a rejection of the cross of the present moment.” We can ask ourselves, “When do I grumble and what do I grumble about?” Am I rejecting this cross that God in his love is giving to me, or am I embracing the cross as Jesus did and uniting myself to him through it. With Lent coming up, it might be a good idea to pray this daily as part of your Lenten Bona Opera.

I will be giving an Oblate Lenten Day of Recollection at St. Andrew parish in Sumner, WA (near Tacoma) on March 29, 2025 from 9am-2pm. More details to come.

Our next Oblate Sunday is February 9, and I will be giving the second of four conferences on John Cassian’s Eight Evil Thoughts. This third conference will address the thoughts of avarice, anger, acedia and sadness. The Oblate Sunday begins with Mass at the Abbey at 9am. It is followed by a potluck brunch after Mass in the guesthouse dining room, where you can visit with other Oblates. The conference starts at 11am in the Westminster Room, and the day is concluded with Noon Prayer in the Abbey Church. It is a free event for oblates. To register for in-person, click here; for remote option, click here. THE LINK FROM LAST WEEK DID NOT WORK.

Prayer request. Please pray for Fr. Liem, who had heart surgery this morning. Please know that you can always send your prayer requests through our Oremus program.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. John Paul, OSB
Director of Oblates

Oblate Calendar

A Note to Our Dear Oblates – January 17, 2025

A Note to Our Dear Oblates
January 17, 2025

Dear Oblates,

St. Anthony (250-356) “Father of Monasticism”

St. Benedict in chapter 73 of the Holy Rule recommends reading books by the “catholic Fathers” and “their lives”. St. Anthony is one of the greatest of the desert fathers and his life written by St. Athanasius was the torch that set Western monasticism aflame. The wisdom of St. Anthony and the desert fathers is imbedded throughout the Holy Rule. There is a collection of the sayings of the Desert Fathers that is very practical and keen in spiritual and psychological insight. I will provide a few examples from the sayings of St. Anthony.

ON STABILITY
“He said also, ‘Just as fish die if they stay too long out of water, so the monks who loiter outside their cells or pass their time with men of the world lose the intensity of inner peace. So like a fish going towards the sea, we must hurry to reach our cell, for fear that if we delay outside we will lose our interior watchfulness.’”

ORA ET LABORA (PRAY AND WORK)
When the holy Abba Anthony lived in the desert he was beset by accidie, and attacked by many sinful thoughts. He said to God, ‘Lord, I want to be saved but these thoughts do not leave me alone; what shall I do in my affliction? How can I be saved?’ A short while afterwards, when he got up to go out, Anthony saw a man like himself sitting at his work, getting up from his work to pray, then sitting down and plaiting a rope, then getting up again to pray. It was an angel of the Lord sent to correct and reassure him. He heard the angel saying to him, ‘Do this and you will be saved.’ At these words, Anthony was filled with joy and courage. He did this, and he was saved.

ON MODERATION
A hunter in the desert saw Abba Anthony enjoying himself with the brethren and he was shocked. Wanting to show him that it was necessary sometimes to meet the needs of the brethren, the old man said to him, ‘Put an arrow in your bow and shoot it.’ So he did. The old man then said, ‘Shoot another,’ and he did so. Then the old man said, ‘Shoot yet again,’ and the hunter replied If I bend my bow so much I will break it.’ Then the old man said to him, ‘It is the same with the work of God. If we stretch the brethren beyond measure they will soon break. Sometimes it is necessary to come down to meet their needs.’

Prayer request. Please pray for Br. Anthony on his first namesday (picture below). Please pray also for the many events happening here tomorrow: Ecumenical Encounters, Santo Nino celebration and Ukranian Divine Liturgy. Please know that you can always send your prayer requests through our Oremus program.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. John Paul, OSB
Director of Oblates

Please check our new vocation video “A Day in the Life [of a monk]”

Oblate Calendar

2025
January
February
7-9 – Oblate Retreat: Br. Cyril – Oblate Saints and Notables.
9 – Oblate Sunday: Fr. John Paul on the 8 Evil Thoughts, On Avarice, Anger, Acedia and Sadness.
March
5 – Ash Wednesday
9 – Oblate Sunday: Fr. John Paul on the 8 Evil Thoughts, On Vainglory and Pride
9 – St. Frances of Rome (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates).
21 – Passing of St. Benedict (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates).
April
20 – Easter Sunday
May
11 – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part I.
23-25 – Oblate Retreat. Fr. Charles
June
15 – Oblate Picnic
July
11 – Solemnity of St. Benedict. (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates)
12 – St. Benedict Festival
August
10 – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part II.
27 – Oblate Day of Prayer
September
14 – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part III.
19-21 – Oblate Retreat: Br. Thomas
29 – Solemnity of Archangels (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates).
October
12? – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part IV.
November
7-9 – Oblate Retreat: Abbot Peter
December
8 – Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates)

A Note to Our Dear Oblates – January 11, 2025

A Note to Our Dear Oblates
January 11, 2025

Dear Oblates,

The Baptism of the Lord

Why would Christ have to be baptized if he is the holy one who purifies the world from sin? The Church Fathers tell us that the rivers of the Jordan and all the waters were polluted by the filth of our sins. They were like laundry water after washing muddy soccer socks. Therefore, Christ by his baptism was not cleansed of sin, but rather, he purified all the waters of the world, and indeed, even the very waters with which we were baptized. This act by the eternal Son of God shows the depth of his humility, for the bystanders would have thought of Christ as a sinner like the rest of humanity. Why this humility? Blessed Marmion notes, “the humiliations of the Incarnate Word are always accompanied by a revelation of His Divinity” (Christ in His Mysteries, 174). Through this baptism by water, the divine nature of our Lord was explicitly proclaimed by the voice of the Father when the heavens opened up saying, “you are my beloved son, with you I am well pleased.” This happened when Jesus was baptized, that is, plunged into the waters, which symbolic of his descent into darkness, sin and death. His coming up out of the water symbolizes the new life, which emerges from death and decay.

This symbolic act of being plunged into the baptismal waters is a prefiguration of the life of our Lord in his public ministry. As we read in the gospels, Jesus is plunged into the darkness of the world of sin. He enters fully into it knowing full well how tainted are the waters, yet he does not fail to immerse himself into it. A few examples confirm this truth. Christ eats with tax collector and sinners; he touches the lepers, and he pardons the woman caught in adultery. In nearly every instance of Jesus’s public life, he is plunging himself, baptizing himself, into the reality of sin, but as surely as he comes forth from the waters of baptism, so too in his contact with sinners metamorphoses results. Tax collectors are pardoned, lepers are cleansed and sinners are given a second chance. New life flows forth from Christ’s baptism-like ministry.

Today would be a good day to renew your baptismal vows.

Prayer request. Please pray for some of the monks who are sick. Please also pray for the students, faculty and staff as we begin a new semester. Also, please pray for Abbot Jeremy, who is taking a few weeks of rest. Please know that you can always send your prayer requests through our Oremus program.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. John Paul, OSB
Director of Oblates

P.S. Pictures below from the SEEK conference.

Oblate Calendar

2025
January
February
7-9 – Oblate Retreat: Br. Cyril – Oblate Saints and Notables.
9 – Oblate Sunday: Fr. John Paul on the 8 Evil Thoughts, On Avarice, Anger, Acedia and Sadness.
March
5 – Ash Wednesday
9 – Oblate Sunday: Fr. John Paul on the 8 Evil Thoughts, On Vainglory and Pride
9 – St. Frances of Rome (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates).
21 – Passing of St. Benedict (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates).
April
20 – Easter Sunday
May
11 – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part I.
23-25 – Oblate Retreat. Fr. Charles
June
15 – Oblate Picnic
July
11 – Solemnity of St. Benedict. (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates)
12 – St. Benedict Festival
August
10 – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part II.
27 – Oblate Day of Prayer
September
14 – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part III.
19-21 – Oblate Retreat: Br. Thomas
29 – Solemnity of Archangels (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates).
October
12? – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part IV.
November
7-9 – Oblate Retreat: Abbot Peter
December
8 – Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates)

A Note to Our Dear Oblates – January 3, 2025

A Note to Our Dear Oblates
January 3, 2025

Dear Oblates,

Jubilee Year 2025

Once every 25 years, the Church celebrates a jubilee year in which she grants special graces to her members. For Christians, this practice began in the year 1300 with Pope Boniface VIII. However, many centuries before with the Jewish people as we read in the Sacred Scriptures, there was already the concept of the Jubilee Year. In Leviticus, it is read, “You shall treat this fiftieth year as sacred. You shall proclaim liberty in the land for all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to your own property, each of you to your own family” (25:10). There were three key elements of the jubilee year. First, all debts are forgiven. Two, there is restitution on the land (land returned to original owners). Last, servants are set free. Now, while we may not practice these exactly, we can see how sacred this jubilee year would have been for the Jewish people and how this jubilee year of 2025 should be sacred for us as well.

One of the major elements of the Jubilee year is the opening of the Holy Doors. The four major basilicas in Rome all contain a holy door, and each bishop can establish pilgrimage sites for his diocese. For the Archdiocese of Portland, there are 10 sites. A plenary indulgence can be obtained by making a pilgrimage to Rome or one of the local diocesan sites. The Holy Father desired that the plenary indulgence for this jubilee be more readily available.

In addition, it is important to note that the theme for the Jubilee Year is “Pilgrims of Hope.” Yes, we who are here on earth are a pilgrim people making our journey toward our true and native homeland. While there are countless things that disappoint us, we are not without hope knowing that in Christ we have already won the victory.

I like to think that when Christ began his ministry, it was a jubilee year. May his words in the temple ring true for us throughout the year, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord” (Lk 4:18-19)

Prayer request. Please pray for Fr. Odo, Fr. Charles and Br. Isaiah who are at the SEEK conference (national youth gathering) in Salt Lake City. Please pray also for the bishops of Region XII who will be here on retreat this week. Please know that you can always send your prayer requests through our Oremus program.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. John Paul, OSB
Director of Oblates

Fr. Charles at SEEK conference with an oblate family.

Oblate Calendar

2025
January
February
7-9 – Oblate Retreat: Br. Cyril – Oblate Saints and Notables.
9 – Oblate Sunday: Fr. John Paul on the 8 Evil Thoughts, On Avarice, Anger, Acedia and Sadness.
March
5 – Ash Wednesday
9 – Oblate Sunday: Fr. John Paul on the 8 Evil Thoughts, On Vainglory and Pride
9 – St. Frances of Rome (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates).
21 – Passing of St. Benedict (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates).
April
20 – Easter Sunday
May
11 – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part I.
23-25 – Oblate Retreat. Fr. Charles
June
15 – Oblate Picnic
July
11 – Solemnity of St. Benedict. (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates)
12 – St. Benedict Festival
August
10 – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part II.
27 – Oblate Day of Prayer
September
14 – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part III.
19-21 – Oblate Retreat: Br. Thomas
29 – Solemnity of Archangels (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates).
October
12? – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part IV.
November
7-9 – Oblate Retreat: Abbot Peter
December
8 – Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates)

A Note to Our Dear Oblates – December 24, 2024

A Note to Our Dear Oblates
December 24, 2024

Dear Oblates,

Merry Christmas!

I would like to wish all of you a wonderful and blessed Christmas Day and Christmas season (the Christmas season ends on January 12th with the Baptism of the Lord). The collect for tomorrow morning’s Mass shares with us an essential point of today’s feast. It speaks about our “sharing in the divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity”. The eternal Son of God became the Son of Man so that we who are mere mortals might be partakers in the divine nature. This is our calling and goal as Christians. May we never forget the wonderful vocation we have because of the mystery of the Lord’s Incarnation. In a season of gift-giving, let us never forget that the loving Father has sent us the best gift in giving us his Son wrapped in swaddling cloths.

Tonight, at midnight, Abbot Jeremy will be celebrating the Christmas midnight Mass. In the morning of the 25^th we will have a joint Mass/Lauds liturgy at 10am. To see the rest of the Christmas schedule, please click here.

May the Lord bless you and all your loved ones during this wonderful Christmas season.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. John Paul, OSB
Director of Oblates

A Note to Our Dear Oblates – December 20, 2024

A Note to Our Dear Oblates
December 20, 2024

Dear Oblates,

The O Antiphons, Part II
Come, Lord Jesus

December 21. O Radiant Dawn. How beautiful and how wonderful is the dawn. It is for us a sign of hope telling us that darkness has not triumphed, and for many of us, this is simply all we need. We do not need to see the full glory of the sun in its zenith, but only a ray of light, a ray of hope reminding us that goodness can still prevail. When Christ came into the world, he was a prophecy pointing our mind’s gaze and our heart’s desires heavenward. This light is warm and gentle; it is a light that shines upon those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death and guides our feet into the way of peace.

December 22. O King of the Nations. Christ is king, and he is king over ALL the nations, so that the two may be one, Jews and Greeks, men and women, slaves and freeborn. All those who thought that they could have never been united or come together in any way are in Christ made one. Yes, this is the prayer of Christ himself, that all may be one (Jn 17:21) How can we all be one? There is only one way, and it by making Christ the “cornerstone” of our lives, of our families, our communities and our country. May Christ truly be king of our lives, so that he may be king of all nations.

December 23. O Emmanuel. This is the last and the climax of the O antiphons. The other antiphons compared to this one or as a footnote to the glory of this title, for if “God is with us” what more do we need. Having God, we who are poor possess all things. Emmanuel means that we are not alone. Emmanuel means God does care about our happiness. This cry of “O Emmanuel, Come” is no a childish Advent hymn but a deep and urgent longing of our heart. This desire finds its realization in a little baby born in a manger in Bethlehem. In the silent night when all is calm, Christ our savior is born.

Where does he need to be born in our life?

Br. Ambrose’s latest article, just in time for Christmas, entitled, “When Came the West’s Frist Christmas Carol? (Or: The Birth of an Ambrosian Hymn) is now available.

Prayer request. Let us keep one another in prayer during this Christmas season. Please know that you can always send your prayer requests through our Oremus program.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. John Paul, OSB
Director of Oblates

Oblate Calendar

2025
January
February
7-9 – Oblate Retreat: Br. Cyril – Oblate Saints: St. Henry, St. Frances of Rome, Servant of God Dorothy Day and Nadeem Feroze (d. 2012)
9 – Oblate Sunday: Fr. John Paul on the 8 Evil Thoughts, On Avarice, Anger, Acedia and Sadness.
March
5 – Ash Wednesday
9 – Oblate Sunday: Fr. John Paul on the 8 Evil Thoughts, On Vainglory and Pride
9 – St. Frances of Rome (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates).
21 – Passing of St. Benedict (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates).
April
20 – Easter Sunday
May
11 – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part I.
23-25 – Oblate Retreat. Fr. Charles
June
15 – Oblate Picnic
July
11 – Solemnity of St. Benedict. (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates)
12 – St. Benedict Festival
August
10 – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part II.
27 – Oblate Day of Prayer
September
14 – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part III.
19-21 – Oblate Retreat: Br. Thomas
29 – Solemnity of Archangels (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates).
October
12? – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part IV.
November
7-9 – Oblate Retreat: Abbot Peter
December
8 – Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates)

A Note to Our Dear Oblates – December 13, 2024

A Note to Our Dear Oblates
December 13, 2024

Dear Oblates,

The O Antiphons, Part I

Last week, I spoke about the Advent cry “Come, Lord Jesus,” that resounds fiercely in our hearts during this Advent season, and indeed, throughout the year. The O antiphons of these last days of the Advent season (December 17-23) echo this cry in a slightly different timbre. These are sung during Vespers before the Magnificat and each antiphon gives us an image of an Old Testament reference to Christ. Before each title is the expression “O”. It is a cry, a longing of the heart for a deep desire to be fulfilled. After each title of Christ is the desperate cry “come”. The verses in the popular Advent hymn, “O come, O come Emmanuel” allude to these 7 images. I will touch upon a few of them here.

December 17. O Wisdom of God, Come. The prophet Isaiah tells us that the spirit of wisdom will rest upon the Messiah. Like Solomon, who in his wisdom, governed all things well, we pray that our Lord would come and guide “creation with power and love”. We read that God’s ways are not our ways, and God’s thoughts are not our thoughts (Is 55:8-9), so we ask for the Lord to come “and teach us the path of knowledge”. How necessary is this wisdom of God in our own age, where people are led by lies and half truths, and up end up in the darkness of error. Come Lord with your saving truth.

December 19. O Root of Jesse, Come. This phrase alludes to the book of Isaiah that reads, “a shoot shall come out of the stump of Jesse” (11: 1). If we have ever seen a tree stump before, we know how dead and lifeless it can be, but from this very stump, God will raise up a savior for us. The Davidic line was indeed a stump, with no one on the throne, but through Christ’s coming as a little baby, a shoot begins to sprout. How lovely is this image! How much hope this can give us! There is no hopeless situation, not even in a death. Therefore, no matter the barrenness of our circumstances, let us know that when Christ comes, he will bring new life.

December 20. O Key of David, Come. In the Book of Revelation we read, “these are the words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.” (Revelation 3:7). Christ, as the key of David, opens the gates of the Kingdom, and sets “free the prisoners of darkness”. Because we have sinned, we are slaves of the devil. The devil keeps us in prison, but by Christ’s coming He opens the prison doors. Of our own accord we are helpless to set ourselves free, so we cry, “O Key of David, Come.”

On Sunday, we will be celebrating the Golden Jubilee of monastic profession for Abbot Jeremy, Father Nathan and Brother Claude. Please considering offering some prayers for their spiritual bouquet. For example, you can pray the rosary, do a holy hour, pray one of the hours of the divine office or offer some other prayer for them. Please let me know if you can do this and what prayer you can offer by tomorrow night.

Also, please consider filling out an oblate survey for Fr. Ryan Jones, a doctoral student at Nashota House Theological Seminary. It will take about 10 minutes. Thank you ahead of time.

You can now view my Oblate Sunday talk on The Thoughts of Gluttony and Lust online. If you are too busy to view the video, you can also access the notes.

Prayer request. Please pray for our Jubilarians. Please know that you can always send your prayer requests through our Oremus program.

Happy Feast of St. Lucy! I heard from a visiting priest from Northern Italy that she is their Santa Claus and gives gifts to children today.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. John Paul, OSB
Director of Oblates

Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration.

Please pray for Br. Matthew who was instituted as acolyte this week.

Oblate Calendar

December
15 – Hispanic Oblate Posada.

A Note to Our Dear Oblates – December 6, 2024

A Note to Our Dear Oblates
December 6, 2024

Dear Oblates,

An Advent People

Saint Augustine famously coined the term, “we are an Easter people and alleluia is our song.” Although I am not arguing with this declaration, I think we can also say, “we are an Advent people and maranatha [Come, Lord Jesus] with our song.” I think this because, unfortunately, in many areas of our life, we do not experience the glory and new life wrought by our Lord’s resurrection. Indeed, we seem to be waiting for the Lord to act decisively in our life and bring about a change. We can sympathize with the Israelites, who thousands of years ago, longed for the coming of the Messiah and longed for a savior. They knew what it was like to walk in darkness and be in bondage, and their cry was, “Come, O Lord.” We too experience, at least in some areas of our life, that darkness and that bondage. We also know that our efforts will fall/have fallen short of bringing about a remedy. As a result, we cry out maranatha, “Come Lord Jesus”.

Come, Lord Jesus into this area of sin in which I am trapped and can find no way out. Come, Lord Jesus into this relationship that is beset with anger, bitterness and resentment. Come, Lord Jesus into this impossible situation in my workplace or my family. Come, Lord Jesus and alleviate at least a fathom of this unbearable cross. The cry for help can go on and on. I believe that each one of us has one or several areas of our life where we need a profound advent of the Lord. Consequently, we pray and wait and wait and wait. Yes, indeed, we are truly an Advent people and maranatha is our song. May we wait patiently and with hope.

It is not too late to start an Advent lectio calendar. For each day, simply do your lectio divina and write down a word or phrase that strikes you. In this way, you can listen with the ear of our heart to what God is saying to you during this Advent. Here is a copy of my personal lectio calendar.

I am hoping to start a group consisting of oblate spiritual directors. If you are a spiritual director and are interested in being a part of this support/discussion group, please let me know.

Prayer request. Please pray for our seminarians who are taking finals today and next week. Please know that you can always send your prayer requests through our Oremus program.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. John Paul, OSB
Director of Oblates

Fr. Jeff decorating the tree in Annunciation.

Cold morning overlooking the valley.

Oblate Calendar

December
8 – Oblate Sunday: Fr. John Paul on the 8 Evil Thoughts, On Glutton and Lust
9 – Immaculate Conception (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates)
15 – Hispanic Oblate Posada.

A Note to Our Dear Oblates – November 30, 2024

A Note to Our Dear Oblates
November 30, 2024

Dear Oblates,

Advent Saints, Week 1

Tomorrow we begin a new liturgical year with the season of Advent. As Benedictines, the liturgical year ought to be nourishment for our spiritual life and a source of deepening our walk with Christ. The Christological mystery that we celebrate during the Advent season has a twofold character. During this season, we are preparing both for Christ’s coming in the flesh (Incarnation) and for his second coming in glory (Parousia). The season is marked by a quasi-penitential character and expectant delight.

A way for us to enter more fully into this season of Advent is to journey with the saints, whose feast day resides during this season. As I say, it is nearly impossible to keep an Advent spirit because our culture starts to celebrate Christmas right after Thanksgiving. However, let us do the little we can to keep the season of Advent focused on Christ’s twofold coming. The following paragraphs are reflections on how the saints during this week can help us make the season of Advent more substantial.

December 3 – Saint Francis Xavier. He was born in Spain in the 16th century and was one of the original founders of the Jesuit order along with Saint Ignatius. Saint Francis left his homeland and proclaimed the Gospel in India, China and Japan. Through his efforts, he brought 30,000 souls to Christ. This feast of Saint Francis Xavier reminds us that Christ was the first missionary. He was the one who was sent by God the Father to leave his heavenly homeland and to become a foreigner in a strange land. Christ left behind all that was familiar to him to proclaim the good news to a people in need. He had to undergo much sacrifice and endure many trials like every missionary. Our Lord did this because it was the Father’s will and he loved us.

December 4 – Saint John Damascene. Saint John lived in Damascus around the year 700. He is a doctor of the church and was known for his defense of sacred images. The use of sacred images in prayer is both licit and laudatory because of the mystery of the Lord’s incarnation. We read in Colossians that Christ “is the image of the invisible God” (1:15). While some Christians wanted to prohibit the use of icons due to the Old Testament prohibition against graven images (Ex 20:4), Saint John knew that because the eternal Word of God became man, God now has a face, and we can paint his image and venerate it. Today, let us gaze intently upon an icon or image of Christ, and say a prayer of thanksgiving for his incarnation.

December 6 – Saint Nicholas. We really don’t know much about Saint Nicholas, a.k.a. Santa Clause, except that he was bishop of Myra, attended the First Council of Nicea and showed compassion toward the poor. Legend has it that he tossed three bags of gold coins into the home of a man who was on the verge of selling his daughters. St. Nicholas is a reminder for us to practice the virtue of generosity. Oftentimes, the Advent season can be marked with a selfish attitude. What do I want? Saint Nicholas reminds us that life is not about us but about serving Christ in others, especially in the poor.

Another way of keeping the Advent spirit is by keeping an Advent lectio calendar. For each day, simply do your lectio divina and write down a word or phrase that strikes you. In this way, you can listen with the ear of our heart to what God is saying to you during this Advent.

Our next Oblate Sunday is December 8, 2024, and I will be giving the second of four conferences on John Cassian’s Eight Evil Thoughts. You can view the first conference, which was a General Introduction, online. This second conference will address the thoughts of gluttony and lust. The Oblate Sunday begins with Mass at the Abbey at 9am. It is followed by a potluck brunch after Mass in the guesthouse dining room, where you can visit with other Oblates. The conference starts at 11am in the Westminster Room, and the day is concluded with Noon Prayer in the Abbey Church. It is a free event for oblates. To register for in-person, click here; for remote option, click here.

The Hispanic Oblates are putting on their annual Posada on Sunday, December 15^th. It begins with Vespers in the Abbey Church and is followed by a meal in the Damien Center. To register for the event, please click here. Please sign up by today.

Br. Ambrose’s latest article entitled, “Monastic Life: Tragedy or Comedy?” can be accessed here.

Prayer request. Please pray for Fr. Andrew on his namesday. Please also pray for all those who are near death. A number of people have asked me to pray for this intention. Please know that you can always send your prayer requests through our Oremus program.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. John Paul, OSB
Director of Oblates

Oblate Calendar

December
8 – Oblate Sunday: Fr. John Paul on the 8 Evil Thoughts, On Glutton and Lust
9 – Immaculate Conception (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates)
15 – Hispanic Oblate Posada.

A Note to Our Dear Oblates – November 22, 2024

A Note to Our Dear Oblates
November 22, 2024

Dear Oblates,

“You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world”
– Gospel for Sunday

This Sunday, we celebrate the feast of Christ the King. At the Abbey it is known as an OS (Order of Subprior) feast, so I’ll be the main celebrant for Mass. We also have OP (Order of Prior) and OA (Order of Abbot) feast days. The next OA feast is Thanksgiving Mass at 9am.

In establishing the feast of Christ the King, Pope Pius XI wanted us to place our hope not in secular kings and governments, but in the true King, Christ the Lord. It would be an error to believe that we can establish the Kingdom of God through political maneuvering or social activity. No, while we are on earth, the prince of the world, that is the devil, holds sway. Christ came to establish a spiritual kingdom through his Church. He does not reign through fear and terror as world leaders of old did, but as Revelation states, he is a King who loves us and has freed us by his blood. He was a king who did not live for himself, but rather was a king who gave his life for the people on Mount Calvary, and because of that, we can truly say that he is the true King of the mountain.

However, his “Kingdom does not belong to this world”. Saint Therese tells us that Christ is the king of hearts and his kingdom resides within each one of us. Christ did not come into this world to reign over nations, but as Pope Pius XI wrote, “He must reign in our minds, which should assent with perfect submission and firm belief to revealed truths and to the doctrines of Christ. He must reign in our wills, which should obey the laws and precepts of God. He must reign in our hearts, which should spurn natural desires and love God above all things, and cleave to him alone.”

How is Christ’s reign visible in our life?

Prayer request. Please pray for the eternal rest of oblate Lillian “Ita” Davidson. She died earlier this week. Please pray for our alumnus, Fr. Chi-Nan Vo (picture below), who was ordained to the priesthood last weekend. Please know that you can always send your prayer requests through our Oremus program.

Happy Feast of St. Cecilia!

Fr. John Paul, OSB
Director of Oblates

Fr. Chi-Nan Vo

Oblate Calendar

December
8 – Oblate Sunday: Fr. John Paul on the 8 Evil Thoughts, On Glutton and Lust
9 – Immaculate Conception (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates)
15 – Hispanic Oblate Posada. To register for the event, please click here. Please sign up by November 30^th.

A Note to Our Dear Oblates – November 15, 2024

A Note to Our Dear Oblates
November 15, 2024

Dear Oblates,

On Dryness in Prayer

As you know, I was out most of last week due to an illness, and my experience of prayer during that time was quite dry and difficult. Perhaps, it was due to the lack of sleep or the bodily exhaustion, but whatever the case, whenever I was praying my brain was like a foggy morning hovering over in the valley. I would finish my prayer–silent prayer, the rosary or lectio divina–and wonder what just happened. Then I would ask myself how fruitful that prayer actually was. This experience of dryness or difficulty during prayer does not merely have to take place when one is sick but can happen in our regular prayer routine.

What I found quite helpful was reading what Saint Francis de Sales writes concerning this. He writes, “it is then a great mistake . . . to imagine that a tasteless, emotionless, cold service is less acceptable to God; since our actions are like the rose which is more pleasing when it is fresh, but has a more powerful scent when it is dry. So although those works which we perform with a kindled heart are more agreeable to us, who consider only our own gratification, yet, if they are performed amidst drought and barrenness, they are more costly and fragment unto God.” In short, Saint Francis is telling us that even dry or difficult prayer can be quite pleasing to God. I think this can be applied not only to prayer but to the good works that we do as well. Sometimes, we have to do something but don’t really feel like doing it. The activity is not pleasing to us. That is okay. Not everyone likes changing diapers, but if we still do it, no matter how unpleasant it may be for us, we can think of it as offering a dry rose to God. That is something beautiful in His eyes. Therefore, during your day or week, think about those dry and difficult moments and offer it up to God as a sacrifice of love. He welcomes with delight the love you show him whether it is pleasant to you or not.

The videos for Br. Ambrose’s September Oblate retreat can now be viewed here. His talks were entitled, “Luminous Darkness, Encountering Christ in the Uncomfortable Scriptures.” Talk titles are as follows:

“First Things” First: Rules for Reading the Bible.
The Wars that are Waged through Jesus”: Joshua 10 and Origen of Alexandria.
“Destroy Them in Anger . . . Destroy Not”: Psalms 57-59 and Gregory of Nyssa.
“Not Every Adultery Must be Condemned”: 2 Samual 11 and Ambrose of Milan.

The Hispanic Oblate are putting on their annual Posada on Sunday, December 15^th. It begins with Vespers in the Abbey Church and is followed by a meal in the Damien Center. To register for the event, please click here. Please sign up by November 30^th.

Prayer request. Please pray for the seven new oblates and the five new novices. Please pray for Abbot Jeremy and Abbot Peter McCarthy as they go on retreat next week. Please know that you can always send your prayer requests through our Oremus program.

Yours in Christ,
Fr. John Paul, OSB
Director of Oblates

Four new novices. Annie, Angela, Gabriela and Matthew.

Late novice addition. Seminarian Victor Amador.

Seven new oblates with Abbot Jeremy. Barbara “Therese”, Joanne “Teresa [of Calcutta]”, Bethany “Teresa Benedicta”, Travis “Peter”, Laura “Mary”, Allen “Thomas” and Michael “Ephrem”.

Oblate Calendar

A Note to Our Dear Oblates – November 1, 2024

A Note to Our Dear Oblates
November 1, 2024

Dear Oblates,

“Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.”
– Matthew 5:8

God is everywhere and in every situation and circumstance of life, but due to the consequences of sin, we fail to see the God who is always present to us. The saints, whom we celebrate today, were able to see God with the eyes of faith in their daily lives. We, who are trying to make our way to heaven, are less faithful. We don’t see the hand of God in our daily life, and there are several reasons for this.

One reason is because we are too busy and do not make the time to place ourselves in the presence of God. Saint Francis de Sales always recommended to begin prayer with this practice. The second reason is that we simply prefer the glamour of sin to the cross of Christ. It is easier to sin, more enjoyable to do it, and it makes us feel happy, at least momentarily. As a result, we blind ourselves from the loving gaze of the Father and intentionally place shades over our eyes. We do not have that purity of heart that Jesus speaks about. Lastly, we do not see God because our experience of life is so painful, and we say to God, “Lord do you not care?” “Where were you when my loved one died? Where were you when I got into a major accident? Where were you when I was stonewalled by my spouse?” Those are all legitimate questions, so in such circumstances, we need to dig down deeper in faith. “Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.” God is present everywhere. Yes, even in the heavy crosses we carry. Oftentimes, we have a narrow vision and a limited perspective. The saints, however, had a broad vision, in which they were able to see the providential hand of God guiding every circumstance of life. Hence, they would have been able to pray the preface of the Mass with all honesty “It is truly right and just, always and everywhere to give you thanks, Lord Holy Father almighty and eternal God.”

We can be confident knowing that all things work for the good of those who love God (Rm 8:28), and that we can give thanks to the Lord because he is good, for his mercy endures forever (Ps 136:2). The saints, all the saints, are witnesses that we can see God in all the circumstances of our life. They themselves lived through extremely difficult times of great distress and came out victorious. May we open wide our eyes of faith today that we may see Christ everywhere, in everyone and in every circumstance.

Last week I gave a homily on the anniversary of Br. Gregory’s death. Some of you mentioned how much you appreciated, and my guess is that about 300 of the oblates benefited from his hospitality in the guesthouse. If you would like to listen to the homily, please click here. It starts at the 21:25 minute mark.

Br. Ambrose’s latest article entitled, “Novels Are Not Just for Literature Professors… (Or: What Is Br. Ambrose Reading Now?)” is now available on the oblate articles page.

Our next Oblate Sunday is November 10, 2024, and I will be giving the first of four conferences on John Cassian’s Eight Evil Thoughts. This first conference will be a general introduction, and I will address the following:

What is a thought? What other words can help us with this understanding?
The similarities and differences between the eight evil thoughts and the seven deadly sins.
The relationship between the evil thoughts.
Understanding our principal vice.
Cultivating the opposing virtue as a way to overcome the evil thoughts.
The concept of anti-rhetikos, that is, talking back to the evil thought using Sacred Scripture.
Other general remedies to overcoming the evil thoughts.

The Oblate Sunday begins with Mass at the Abbey at 9am. It is followed by a potluck brunch after Mass in the guesthouse dining room, where you can visit with other oblates. The conference starts at 11am in the Westminster Room, and the day is concluded with Noon Prayer in the Abbey Church. It is a free event for oblates. To register for in-person, click here; for remote option, click here.

Prayer requests. Please pray for the eternal rest for all the holy souls in purgatory. Also, please pray for Abbot Peter McCarthy, O.C.S.O., who is with us for a 3-week retreat. Please know that you can always send your prayer requests through our Oremus program.

A Blessed Feast of All Saints,
Fr. John Paul, OSB
Director of Oblates

From Seminary Benefit Gathering.

From Seminary Benefit Gathering.

Sanctuary during Foundation Day. 142 years and still flourishing.

Oblate Calendar

November
8-10 – Oblate Retreat: Br. Matthew. Listening with the Ear of Your Heart: Meditations on the Prologue of the Holy Rule.
10 – Oblate Sunday: Fr. John Paul on the 8 Evil Thoughts, General Overview. To register for in-person, click here; for remote option, click here.
December
8 – Oblate Sunday: Fr. John Paul on the 8 Evil Thoughts, On Glutton and Lust
9 – Immaculate Conception (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates)
15 – Hispanic Oblate Posada

A Note to Our Dear Oblates – October 25, 2024

A Note to Our Dear Oblates
October 25, 2024

Dear Oblates,

“The heavens proclaim the glory of God”
– Psalm 19:1

As you know, I flew out last week to North Dakota to visit the oblates. I won’t write about that experience here but rather say a little bit about my trip back.

Two days ago, I flew back to Portland from North Dakota via Minneapolis. Oftentimes, flying is not the most pleasant experience for me, waiting in long lines, cramped seats, loud and obnoxious passengers and two pieces of pretzel for lunch. However, the flight from Minneapolis to Portland was quite different and grace-filled. It was a sunny afternoon day when the plane took off in Minneapolis, and as we ascended to the skies, I looked out my window and saw a majestic scene, brilliant fall colors of sunny yellow, glowing orange and fiery red. Different hues of greens and a multitude of placid lakes decorated the landscape. As the flight continued, I looked out my window once more and saw another remarkable sight, fluffy clouds in dazzling white reflecting the sun’s brilliance and an open blue sky that stretch as far as the eye could see. After dozing in and out of consciousness for some time, we began our descent as the sun was beginning its descent. I looked out my window again, and I saw Mt. Adams in all her glory, snowcapped, floating on the clouds and shimmering in the evening light. In the distance was mount Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Rainier joining the lovely procession. As the downward climb continued, I gazed upon the rugged desert landscape along the Columbia River, which slowly gave way to a blanket of fir trees and lush green foliage.

I saw in all this beauty a sign of God’s love and was truly grateful to see what billions of people have never seen. The words of the psalm rang loud and clear, “The heavens proclaim the glory of God.” God is alive! He is good and loves us immensely!

May we open our eyes today to the marvelous love of God through his numerous signs and give thanks to Him with all our hearts.

What is a thought? What other words can help us with this understanding?
The similarities and differences between the eight evil thoughts and the seven deadly sins.
The relationship between the evil thoughts.
Understanding our principal vice.
Cultivating the opposing virtue as a way to overcome the evil thoughts.
The concept of antirrhetikos, that is, talking back to the evil thought using Sacred Scripture.
Other general remedies to overcoming the evil thoughts.

The Oblate Sunday begins with Mass at the Abbey at 9am. It is followed by a potluck brunch after Mass in the guesthouse dining room, where you can visit with other Oblates. The conference starts at 11am in the Westminster Room, and the day is concluded with Noon Prayer in the Abbey Church. It is a free event for oblates. To register for in-person, click here; for remote option, click here.

Prayer requests. Please pray for the eternal of Br. Gregory Benavidez, whose anniversary Mass we will celebrate tomorrow. Please also pray for the success of the Seminary Benefit Gathering, which is tomorrow. Please know that you can always send your prayer requests through our Oremus program.

Yours in Christ,
Fr. John Paul, OSB
Director of Oblates

Seminarians presented as candidates for Holy Orders.

Men on discernment retreat last weekend. I am happy to say four of them are students or alumni of Chesterton Academy, where I am chaplain.

Oblate Calendar

A Note to Our Dear Oblates – October 17, 2024

A Note to Our Dear Oblates
October 17, 2024

Dear Oblates,

Whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant
– Mark 10:43

I will be leaving tomorrow for North Dakota to visit some oblates, so this note is early. It is a reflection on the gospel for this Sunday.

How eager we are to claim our rights as friends of the powerful king and Lord. Like James and John, we desire the positive benefits of the name Christian. Like them, we want to share in the glory of the Lord. While this may eventually happen, Jesus tells the apostles and us that the only way to enter into that glory is through the cup of suffering. That must have been quite the blow to the ambitious brothers. It is a blow to us as well. Unfortunately, no matter how much we try to deny it, the cross is our way to glory, our way to salvation, our way to God. As Jesus exhorts the apostles to share in his cup of suffering, so also he calls us to carry our cross daily and follow him.

What does this suffering entail? It means that if we wish to share in Christ’s glory, we must be a servant, for “whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant.” A servant who does what is asked of him and does it with love. It means that we are slaves, continuously denying our own will and looking to the interests of the other; dying to ourselves, so that we can love our neighbor. This cup of suffering is made of humility. Only the humble person is willing to take the lowest place. This is also the way of Christ. As Saint Paul tells us in the letter to the Hebrews, “for we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but one who has similarly been tested in every way” (4:15). Isaiah writes that the Messiah would give his life as an offering for sin and that through his suffering he would justify many (53:10-11). Our Lord, being truly human, understands fully the trial that comes with being a body, and because of this, he has great compassion on us here on earth. Not only does he sympathize with our weaknesses, but if we approach him and ask him for his help, we shall receive mercy and grace for timely help. Yes, the daily rigamarole is a heavy burden, and it seems that extra pieces of wood are laid upon our shoulders. But the Lord can do for us what Simon did for him, that is, he can help us carry our crosses, making our burden light.

Questions for reflection. Am I more interested in the benefits of being a Christian rather than truly being a Christian? What can I do to humbly serve those in need?

The Saint Anselm Online Deanery will begin their fall study on October 24, 2024. They will use the book Pray. Think. Act.: Make Better Decisions with the Desert Fathers by J. Augustine Wetta. If you are interested, please contact Mark Richards at mark.richards.ml@gmail.com.

Prayer request. Please pray for me and the oblates in North Dakota. Please pray also for the men who will be with us on the monastic discernment retreat this weekend. Please know that you can always send your prayer requests through our Oremus program.

Yours in Christ,
Fr. John Paul, OSB
Director of Oblates

Oblate Calendar

November
8-10 – Oblate Retreat: Br. Matthew. Listening with the Ear of Your Heart: Meditations on the Prologue of the Holy Rule.
10 – Oblate Sunday: Fr. John Paul on the 8 Evil Thoughts, General Overview.
December
8 – Oblate Sunday: Fr. John Paul on the 8 Evil Thoughts, On Glutton and Lust
9 – Immaculate Conception (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates)
15 – Hispanic Oblate Posada

2025
January
February
7-9 – Oblate Retreat: Br. Cyril – Oblate Saints: St. Henry, St. Frances of Rome, Servant of God Dorothy Day and Nadeem Feroze (d. 2012)
9 – Oblate Sunday: Fr. John Paul on the 8 Evil Thoughts, On Avarice, Anger, Acedia and Sadness.
March
5 – Ash Wednesday
9 – Oblate Sunday: Fr. John Paul on the 8 Evil Thoughts, On Vainglory and Pride
9 – St. Frances of Rome (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates).
21 – Passing of St. Benedict (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates).
April
20 – Easter Sunday
May
11 – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part I.
23-25 – Oblate Retreat. Fr. Charles
June
15 – Oblate Picnic
July
11 – Solemnity of St. Benedict. (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates)
12 – St. Benedict Festival
August
10 – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part II.
27 – Oblate Day of Prayer
September
14 – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part III.
19-21 – Oblate Retreat: Br. Thomas
29 – Solemnity of Archangels (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates).
October
12? – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part IV.
November
7-9 – Oblate Retreat: Abbot Peter
Decembe
8 – Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates)

A Note to Our Dear Oblates – October 11, 2024

A Note to Our Dear Oblates
October 11, 2024

Dear Oblates,

Go, sell what you have . . . then come, follow me.
– Mk 10:21

This note is a little sneak peak into my Sunday homily.

One day when Saint Anthony walked into a church, he heard the words, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven” (Mt 19:21). With that he sold his possessions, placed his sister in a convent and went into the desert to be with God alone. Soon he drew many admirers and followers, and in the Egyptian desert, there arose a great army of monks. From those monks, Saint Benedict would follow about 200 years later, and the monks here today are witnesses of this monastic tradition.

But it all began with the words of our Lord spoken to the rich young man. He wanted to be saved; he wanted to inherit eternal life. And how did Jesus answer his question? He told the rich young man to keep the commandments. When the young man said that he was already keeping these, Jesus said, “you are lacking one thing.” By saying this Jesus was pointing to the fact that the keeping of the commandments is not enough for salvation. There is more expected of us. What is that more? Jesus continues, “go sell what you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; Then come, follow me.” Our Lord is telling us to let go of our possessions, and even more importantly, our desire to possess. Only by being free from the disordered desires of our hearts will we be free to follow Christ more fully.

Saint Benedict knew this well, and it seems that his chapter on the Tools of Good Works, chapter 4, is an expansion of the gospel passage we heard today. In the first paragraph Saint Benedict essentially quotes the commandments given by Our Lord to the rich young man. However, like our Lord, St. Benedict does not end there. He goes on to spell out what it looks like to follow Christ. As Christ renounced himself, so we must renounce ourselves. As Christ, went to help the troubled, so we should reach out to those in need. As Christ spoke the truth with heart and tongue, so we should speak honestly. Indeed, as we read through the Tools of Good Works, let us think about Christ, the carpenter, as the one who used these tools in his daily living and let us follow in his example.

The Saint Anselm Online Deanery will begin their fall study on October 24, 2024. They will use the book Pray. Think. Act.: Make Better Decisions with the Desert Fathers by J. Augustine Wetta. If you are interested, please contact Mark Richards at mark.richards.ml@gmail.com.

Prayer request. Please pray for Abbot Jeremy and the Fellowship Retreat going on this weekend. Please also pray for the successful dismantling of the monastery water tower (pictures below). Please know that you can always send your prayer requests through our Oremus program.

Yours in Christ,
Fr. John Paul, OSB
Director of Oblates

Oblate Calendar

November
8-10 – Oblate Retreat: Br. Matthew. Listening with the Ear of Your Heart: Meditations on the Prologue of the Holy Rule.
10 – Oblate Sunday: Fr. John Paul on the 8 Evil Thoughts, General Overview.
December
8 – Oblate Sunday: Fr. John Paul on the 8 Evil Thoughts, On Glutton and Lust
9 – Immaculate Conception (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates)
15 – Hispanic Oblate Posada

2025
January
February
7-9 – Oblate Retreat: Br. Cyril – Oblate Saints: St. Henry, St. Frances of Rome, Servant of God Dorothy Day and Nadeem Feroze (d. 2012)
9 – Oblate Sunday: Fr. John Paul on the 8 Evil Thoughts, On Avarice, Anger, Acedia and Sadness.
March
5 – Ash Wednesday
9 – Oblate Sunday: Fr. John Paul on the 8 Evil Thoughts, On Vainglory and Pride
9 – St. Frances of Rome (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates).
21 – Passing of St. Benedict (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates).
April
20 – Easter Sunday
May
11 – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part I.
23-25 – Oblate Retreat. Fr. Charles
June
15 – Oblate Picnic
July
11 – Solemnity of St. Benedict. (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates)
12 – St. Benedict Festival
August
10 – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part II.
27 – Oblate Day of Prayer
September
14 – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part III
19-21 – Oblate Retreat: Br. Thomas
29 – Solemnity of Archangels (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates).
October
12? – Oblate Sunday: Br. Thomas. The Psalms, Part IV.
November
7-9 – Oblate Retreat: Abbot Peter
Decembe
8 – Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates)

A Note to Our Dear Oblates – October 5, 2024

A Note to Our Dear Oblates
October 5, 2024

Dear Oblates,

On The 8 Evil Thoughts

If you have been following the calendar at the end of these weekly Note to Oblates, you will have seen that starting in November, I will be giving a series of four Oblate Sunday conferences on the 8 evil thoughts. These will be taken mostly from John Cassian’s Institutes, which is explicitly mentioned in chapter 73 of the Holy Rule (vs 5). Given that this book is recommended by St. Benedict, it behooves us to familiarize ourselves with this classic text. Indeed, new monks study this text and other works of the Fathers in their Monastic Sources class.

Pope Gregory, being familiar with the 8 evil thoughts, reduced it to 7, and it from this list that we have now what is commonly known as the 7 deadly sins. The understanding of one’s thoughts was important for the early monastics and St. Benedict. These early monks sought to live a life devoted to God; however, they still had to deal with their thoughts, and these could be at times a source of great disturbance. Why did these thoughts arise, what were the varying degrees of the thoughts and how were they to be remedied? In his Institutes, John Cassian gives answers to these questions. While this was originally written for monks, all Christians can benefit immensely from his deep acuity into human nature.

The 8 evil thoughts are the following: gluttony, lust, avarice, anger, acedia, sadness, vainglory and pride. However, John Cassian begins each chapter with the words, “The spirit of . . .”, so we can speak not only of gluttony, but also “the spirit of gluttony.” The monastic tradition teaches us that the one who fasts daily can be more of a glutton than the one who never fasts. Why? Because the one who fasts can actually be thinking of and desiring food more often than the one who does not fast.

In general, the remedy to these evil thoughts are the sacred scriptures. When the devil plants a thought into our minds, we must quickly run to of a verse of sacred scripture. St. Benedict alludes to this in the Holy Rule when he writes, “As soon as wrongful thoughts come into your heart, dash them against Christ” (4:50). Christ is the Word of God made flesh, and by quickly turning to him, we can transform those evil thoughts into thoughts of Christ. Of course, there is much more to say about this subject, but I just wanted to give you a brief introduction. The first one in the series will be on November 10 and it will be a general introduction to the 8 evil thoughts. To register for in-person, click here; for remote option, click here.

Yours in Christ,
Fr. John Paul, OSB
Director of Oblates

Pre-run photo. Click here for video of beginning of race.

Post-run photo. 1st place – Br. Joseph; 2nd place – Br. Ambrose; 3rd place – Fr. Michael.

Oblate Calendar

November
8-10 – Oblate Retreat: Br. Matthew. Listening with the Ear of Your Heart: Meditations on the Prologue of the Holy Rule.
10 – Oblate Sunday: Fr. John Paul on the 8 Evil Thoughts, General Overview.
December
8 – Oblate Sunday: Fr. John Paul on the 8 Evil Thoughts, On Glutton and Lust
9 – Immaculate Conception (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates)
15 – Hispanic Oblate Posada

2025
January
February
7-9 – Oblate Retreat: Br. Cyril – Oblate Saints: St. Henry, St. Frances of Rome, Servant of God Dorothy Day and Nadeem Feroze (d. 2012)
9 – Oblate Sunday: Fr. John Paul on the 8 Evil Thoughts, On Avarice, Anger, Acedia and Sadness.
March
5 – Ash Wednesday
9 – Oblate Sunday: Fr. John Paul on the 8 Evil Thoughts, On Vainglory and Pride
9 – St. Frances of Rome (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates).
21 – Passing of St. Benedict (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates).
April
20 – Easter Sunday
May
23-25 – Oblate Retreat: Fr. Charles
June
15 – Oblate Picnic
July
11 – Solemnity of St. Benedict. (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates)
12 – St. Benedict Festival
August
27 – Oblate Day of Prayer
September
19-21 – Oblate Retreat: Br. Thomas
29 – Solemnity of Archangels (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates).
October
November
7-9 – Oblate Retreat: Abbot Peter
December
8 – Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (plenary indulgence may be obtained by oblates)

Notes to Oblates of Mount Angel Abbey

For more information about the oblate program at Mount Angel Abbey, email oblates@mtangel.edu.