March 15, 2015 Oblate Day of Reflection

How to replenish the well when the well runs dry

The Oblate February 2015 Volume 59, Number 1

Newsletter of the Oblates of Saint John’s Abbey

There's never been a time when people were not busy,

but in living memory the pace has quickened significantly.

To that pace, we as Christians and as people who live in

the shadow of Saint Benedict have added love of and

service to neighbor. But how do we replenish our spiritual

reservoir as we continue to pour out our lives in service?

Lent is a gift that allows us to reflect anew on our human,

Christian, and Oblate life. On this Day of Reflection we

will focus on two areas that can nourish us on our pilgrim-

age. First we will look at the rhythm of spiritual practice

that can replenish us. Second, we will examine the value

of religious community in the Benedictine tradition. To-

gether these two streams help us to keep the well from

running dry.

Fr. Eric Hollas, OSB, a Benedictine monk and priest of

Saint John's Abbey, will give the principal presentation.

Father Eric was born in Oklahoma City, and he received

his B.A. in history at Princeton University. Following semi-

nary studies at Saint John's, he received the Ph.D. in me-

dieval studies at Yale University. His special interests in-

clude the history of Spain in the Middle Ages, the history

of monasticism in medieval

Europe, and the history of the

book. Father Eric is a member

of the Medieval Academy of

America, and he also serves

as a chaplain in the Western

Association of the Order of

Malta, as well as in the Order

of the Holy Sepulchre.

In 1980 he became a member

of the theology faculty at Saint

John's University, and from

1993-2002 he served as the

Executive Director of the Hill Museum & Manuscript Li-

brary. He currently serves as Deputy to the President for

Advancement at Saint John's University. In addition, he

was instrumental in beginning and bringing to completion

The Saint John's Bible, which is the first hand-written,

illuminated and monumental Bible to be produced by a

Benedictine abbey since the 15th century.

Father Eric also publishes a weekly blog that can be ac-

cessed at www.monkschronicle.wordpress.com

A scene from November 2014 Day of Reflection

Well attended, well appreciated.

Registration is necessary for our

preparations, and it is easy: simply

inform the oblate office that you

will attend.

Cost: Free-will offering

09:30 Arrival in Great Hall

10:30 Sunday Eucharist

11:30 Lunch in Q264

12:45 Lectio Divina

1:30 Father Eric’s Conference

2:30 Discussion and Prayer

3:00 Departure

2

Message from Abbot John

Dear Oblates,

In her book Eat Pray Love, Eliz-

abeth Gilbert writes about her

experience at an Ashram in In-

dia. As part of her spiritual prac-

tice her guru insists that she get

up early each morning and join

a group in chanting a long pray-

er called the Gurugita. Gilbert

finds this chant laborious. The Gurugita has 182 verses.

She goes to one of the monks for counsel and tries to

wheedle her way out of this practice.

Look, he tells her, I am not going to tell you that you are

going to hell if you don’t do this. On the other hand your

guru was very clear—the Gurugita is the one essential

text of this Yoga and maybe the most important practice

that you do, next to meditation. If you are staying at the

ashram, she expects you to get up for the chant every

day.

Can’t I use that time to do another practice instead? I

find sometimes if I go to the meditation room during the

Gurugita, it’s good preparation for meditation.

The Gurugita is not supposed to be a fun song to sing,

he says. It has a different function. It is a text of unimagi-

nable power. It is a mighty purifying practice. It burns

away all your junk, all your negative emotions. It is prob-

ably having a positive effect on you if you are experienc-

ing such strong emotions while you are chanting it. This

stuff can be painful but it is awfully beneficial.

How do you keep the motivation to stay with it?

What is the alternative? To quit whenever something

gets challenging? To futz around your whole life, misera-

ble and incomplete? If something is rubbing so hard

against you, you can be sure it is working on you. That’s

what the chant does. It burns away the ego, turns you

into pure ash.

Our Lenten practices are analogous to the discipline of

the Gurugita. The classic practices of Lent: prayer, fast-

ing, almsgiving, turn us into pure ash so that we can go

deeper into the meaning of our baptism and our profes-

sion; to grow into the mystery of the dying and rising of

Jesus Christ. Our purpose is to be part of what the

whole Church is doing, to burn away self-will, what we

think of as success and failure, the false self.

For the monastic community, the horarium of prayer,

lectio, and work functions like the Gurugita--we give our-

selves to it and to God. For the oblate who designs a

personal horarium, the same holds true. The practices of

Lent are meant to turn us into pure ash so that we can

know with keen awareness and clearer desire our com-

mitment to Christ, our belonging to a saving community.

Message from Father Michael

Dear Oblates,

When a man enters our community as a novice he is

asked by the abbot, “What do you seek?” His ritualized

response is powerful, “I seek the mercy of God and fellow-

ship in this community.” That’s it. We keep it simple. Of

course, many of us make our life much more complex than

it needs to be. Benedictine spirituality tells us to keep what

we seek direct and simple. As one desert father said, “Give

to the heart what satisfies the heart.”

I see in our oblates the same type of seeking as in monks.

Oblates are people who are looking for what is really im-

portant in life. Oblates are people who know that God

needs to be sought in a community context (even though

that community may be varied). I was recently driving

down a road and saw a billboard advertising a specific

church. Normally I don’t like billboards; I think they’re an

eyesore. But this one was different. All it said was, “Love

God. Love Neighbor.”

That’s it. Deeply grounded in scripture, Benedictine spiritu-

ality calls us to what is most important in life, and to that

which is truly worth seeking — God and one another. The

two cannot be separated, even though so many religious

people try to separate them. Love of God is entering that

beautiful, expansive mystery. One monk’s definition of

mystery is: “That which is oh, so knowable, and that which

is utterly inexhaustible.” Love of God broadens us. Jesus’

own expansive view of neighbor would have us love even

our enemies.

Benedictine spirituality is best when it’s shared. Recently, I

was at our Collegeville Oblate Chapter. Our group dis-

cussed how divine providence guided their lives in both the

good times and the bad times. We shared real, human sto-

ries and we honored those stories — we all have them.

Is God perhaps calling you to reinvigorate your oblation by

visiting Saint John’s Abbey, staying at our Guesthouse,

attending one of the oblate Days of Reflection and/or re-

treats, or participating in one of

our oblate chapters?

One oblate wrote, “I was so

grateful for the group that gath-

ered for our meeting. I felt the

presence of the Holy Spirit as

everyone shared something of

their spiritual journey. The stories

of our pilgrimage to this monastic

community were varied, but each

in their own way revealed how

they had said ‘yes’ to God and

followed their heart and the call of

the Spirit.” Love God. Love

neighbor. That’s it.

Fr. Michael

3

News and Notes

The Advisory Committee met at the abbey guesthouse

on 17 January for their annual day of retreat. Candace

Kropp and Lucy Fallon, new members, joined ten “veteran”

members. Father Michael played reflective flute music and

Father Don led morning prayer and gave a conference on

divine providence. After Mass, lunch and some personal

time, Candace led group lectio, after which the group

shared reflections on the theme of the day. The committee

rated the day as “very good.”

Speaking of Prayer, oblates praying the Liturgy of the

Hours “on the go” may be happy to know that Give Us This

Day is soon going to put out an app to pray the Liturgy of

the Hours on electronic devices. If this works for you,

check out the web site: www.giveusthisday.org/

New abbey project: SJA Market At the heart of the

1500 year Benedictine monastic tradition, "Worship and

Work" succinctly describes the daily rhythm and spiritual

dynamic of the monks of the Order of St. Benedict. Wor-

ship inspires Work and Work reveals Worship. Daily Work

among the Benedictine monks articulates and punctuates

the spiritual life of the community, giving physical expres-

sion to the spiritual fruits of a life of worship. Numerous

examples of monks’ labors of love are available for pur-

chase at: www.sjamarket.com

Oblation

After successfully completing candidacy formation, Darrel

Syler, OblSB, made his final oblation on October 9,

2014 in the presence of the chaplain, Fr. Jim Harvey, at a

Tennessee correctional institution. His address:

Darrell W. Syler #359606

BCCX Site 2, Unit 5

1045 Horsehead Road

Pikeville, TN 37367

Darrel and Chaplain, Father Jim Harvey

Oblate Survey

Like other monasteries with oblates, we very much want a

correct and complete list of our oblates. However, many

things have happened over the past 25 or 30 years to our

oblate membership and mailing lists. We have lost contact

with some, and some have lost contact with us, so that in

the past four years, at least, we haven’t heard a word from

several hundred, still on the mailing list. Some may have

died and some may have withdrawn or requested remov-

al. Sadly, we have no documentation. This situation is

what prompts us to ask you to complete the enclosed sur-

vey, pop it in the self-addressed envelope provided, and

send it back to us. All it costs is a few minutes and a post-

age stamp, willingly done in the spirit of your love and de-

votion. Many thanks. Ed.

Area Chapters

Red River (Fargo/Moorhead)

The only chapter to take winter off (December through

February), they will resume 2nd Saturday of the month

meetings in March and go through November. Winter in

North Dakota provides challenges to those who travel a fair

distance. One member offers to lead the discussion each

month. The group expects to finish Casey’s Road to Eter-

nal Life in September. Father Don attends meetings when

he is in Fargo for spiritual direction ministry.

Collegeville

Membership continues to grow and discussions of The

Road to Eternal Life are consistently lively and meaningful-

ly deep. The meeting on January 18 (3rd Sunday, right

after Eucharist and lunch) saw 19 participants sharing re-

flections and personal stories relating to divine providence.

Oblate Dan Finn led this time. Meetings are scheduled

through May, then resume in September.

Joan of Arc, Minneapolis

Ron Joki continues to prepare and send to members a text

along with reflection questions. Meetings are usually the

3rd Sunday, September through May, at Joan of Arc

Church at 3:30 p.m.

More Chapters

Oblate Director Michael Peterson, OSB, is hopeful that

more oblates will consult him about forming area chapters

in their geographical area. He offers his assistance with

creation and leadership of new chapters.

The abbey web site has contact information along with

schedules and can be accessed at:

http://www.saintjohnsabbey.org/monastic-life/oblates/reg/

4

“Let your life be like an observance of Lent”—St. Benedict

If you had one week to live, how would you spend

it? We’ve all read stories of people who’ve gotten the bad

news, thrown caution to the wind, and then frantically tried

to cram a life-time of living into a few days. That is the sub-

ject of one of my favorite movies: Last Holiday, starring

Queen Latifah. In it she plays Georgia Byrd, a New Orle-

ans sales clerk who had worked hard all her life and had

time for little else—or so she thought. She looked forward

to the day when everything would be perfect. But for now

life was a constant grind — a book filled with unrealized

dreams.

Day after day she brushed aside the opportunities that

came her way, until one day she got the dreadful news.

She had only weeks to live. Hit hard by reality, she

dropped everything in order to live the dream she had al-

ways put off.

There’s more to the movie than that, but it’s enough to say

that her life was transformed. And that transformation hap-

pened just before she learns that her death-sentence was

in fact a misdiagnosis. But by then it was too late to put life

back in the box. She had come to realize a wonderful

truth: you need not wait until you are at death’s door to

start living.

In his Rule St. Benedict

asks the monks to keep

death daily before their

eyes, and years ago we

stumbled on a very literal

way of doing it. We had

converted the attic into ad-

ditional housing, and as we

moved in we still lacked

several pieces of furni-

ture. Little by little we found

them, until we were down

to one last item: in the tele-

vision room we had no

stand on which to enshrine

the sacred box.

We were resigned to mak-

ing something, when one

monk remembered an extra wooden coffin in the carpenter

shop. Sure enough, it worked beautifully, until the day

when someone finally had need of it. But in the meantime,

the more television we watched, the more we kept death

daily before our eyes. What good monks we were in those

days. I imagine there are a lot of people who must think

that the monastic life is some sort of vale of tears, or at

least a trail of tedium. St. Benedict doesn’t help the cause

when he writes that a monk’s life should be like a Lenten

observance, on top of keeping death daily before our eyes.

To the casual reader this sounds absolutely depressing,

and to the average Christian it doesn’t seem like this par-

ticular path to God is terribly rewarding. But looks can be

deceiving, especially when your observations are based

on one or two sound bytes.

You can better appreciate what Benedict means if you

look at the larger context of the Rule. St. Benedict is dead-

set against depression and unhappiness because his goal

is union with God. And that union should happen here and

not just in the hereafter. Joy is what he’s after, and the

monk should experience that joy now, and not years later

when he’s dead. At that point it’s just a little late to be mak-

ing plans. I would submit that this course of action applies

to non-monks just as well as it does to monks.

If you’ve been putting off going to your own version of Dis-

neyland, or if you’re waiting to tell your spouse or kids that

you love them, don’t put it off until you’re practically

dead. If you do it today, it can be a lot more fun, and you’ll

have the strength to enjoy it. And if you’re not attending to

life’s challenges each day, then you will likely leave an

awful lot of things undone as you commence on your

grand departure.

That goes double for our observance of Lent. Lent is all

about taking an

inventory of our

lives and where we

are going—or not

going. If we

choose not to pur-

sue our dreams,

then that is sad,

both for monks

and for everybody

else. Benedict sug-

gests that monks

don’t get many

second chances

so they must live

with awareness

and intensity. They

should keep their

eyes and their

minds open, and

they should act as if today may be their last day. And if

that were true for you, how would you want to spend it?

Editor’s Note: Father Eric, as noted on page 1, will be giving the

conference at the March 15 Oblate Day of Reflection. His blog,

“The Monk’s Chronicle,” appears every Monday, no matter where

his travels take him. For a free subscription, go to web site:

monkschronicle.wordpress.com/ — on the right column find

Email Subscription. Enter your email address and click “Sign me

up” — Join 1,705 other followers, and yes, it’s free.

Observing Lent Eric Hollas, OSB

Monks processing to the Saint John’s Cemetery

for the burial of Br. Dietrich Reinhart, OSB.

5

Making a Mess in the Abbey Church: Foot Washing 2014 Anthony Ruff, OSB

Pope Francis famously said at the last World Youth Day

that he wants a mess in the Church: “What is it that I ex-

pect as a consequence of World Youth Day? I want a

mess. We knew that in Rio there would be great disorder,

but I want trouble in the dioceses!”

That line came to mind as we planned in the abbey for a

revised foot washing [last] year at the Holy Thursday

Mass. Drawing on the inspiration of Pope Francis’s prac-

tice of breaking the rules and washing the feet of women

as well as men, Abbot John called for us to open up the

rite even further and invite the entire congregation to

wash one another’s feet. We monks know from his past

addresses to the community that he is drawing also on

his very powerful experience of foot-washing with

“Bridgefolk,” the Mennonite-Catholic dialogue group.

“The Son of Man has come to serve, not to be served,”

Abbot John reminded us in his homily [that] night.

Preaching freely and without a prepared text, the abbot

continued: “And Jesus said, just as I have washed your

feet, so you must wash each other’s feet.” That’s what he

says to us. And because of that incredible action, and

because of those wonderful liberating words, that’s why

we’re washing each other’s feet tonight. It’s why we’ve

changed our practice. We think we can have a greater

sense and share in the actual teaching and words of Je-

sus.

“The abbey church is a challenging space for this type of

communal ritual, with lots of steps, and upper choir stalls

and lower choir stalls, and closely-packed rows of regi-

mented pews. A certain Anthony Ruff suggested at chap-

ter that we move the Mass to the neighboring Great Hall,

the beautiful neo-Romanesque former Abbey Church that

was deconsecrated in 1961 when the new concrete

church was built. We could all be on the same level

there, with no steps for guests to navigate, and we could

sit on chairs to avoid the constriction of the pews.” (And

better acoustics for singing, he might have added but

didn’t.)

“Move to the Great Hall? No,” schola conductor Brother

Nick said in an email. “I’d like us to make a mess in the

abbey church.” And so it was.

The abbot concluded his homily with an invitation for all

to join in the foot-washing, and gave instructions for the

set-up of foot-washing stations. “Washing feet can stay

solemn only so long. So as we do that, there will be six

stations. We really intend this to be one space. So please

move up into the sanctuary, confreres [monks] come

down to these stations.…”

This mess in the abbey church is perhaps one of the

most moving rituals I’ve been part of there. People were

moving about freely, with shoes and socks all over, and

the kind of funny sight of bare-footed vested concele-

brants and acolytes walking around. Among us were sev-

eral Mennonite Catholics who bring their previous experi-

ence of Mennonite foot-washing into their Catholic piety.

The people sang throughout – the Psallite “A new com-

mandment,” Steve Janco’s “I give you a new command-

ment,” and a piece I got from the Sistine choir and

adapted to English after I heard it sung at the installation

of Pope Benedict XVI, “May these three remain in us.”

The spontaneous practice arose here and there of wash-

er and washee embracing each other after the washing.

So much was going on at the same time: washing, sing-

ing, hugging, wiping feet, putting on and taking off shoes,

restocking the towel supply, wiping up spilled water.

I looked around and said to myself, “This is a place of

love. This is a place of joy. This is a place of beauty.”

As is our custom, the Liturgy of the Eucharist on this day

is rather solemn. We sang Christopher Mueller’s beautiful

Missa pro edition tertia Mass setting, giving all four parts

to the congregation. Latin chants Agnus Dei, Pange lin-

gua alternating in Latin and English, with polyphonic Latin

Tantum ergo by the schola at the Altar of Repose.

It all fit together quite well, I thought. Our spontaneous

and active involvement in the foot-washing drew us all

the more deeply into the mystery and meaning of the

Blessed Eucharist.

It left me grateful for many things: the free spirit of Pope

Francis, the spiritual leadership of Abbot John, and of

course above all, the example and teaching of Our

Savior.

Anthony Ruff, OSB, a

monk of Saint John's Ab-

bey, teaches liturgy, litur-

gical music, and Gregori-

an chant at the School of

Theology-Seminary. He is

the founder of the Nation-

al Catholic Youth choir.

He is widely published

and frequently presents

across the country on liturgy and music. His publica-

tions include Sacred Music and Liturgical Reform:

Treasures and Transformations, and Responsorial

Psalms for Weekday Mass: Advent, Christmas, Lent,

Easter.

Father Anthony also ministers at the local county jail

and the neighboring community of Benedictine sisters

in St. Joseph.

His blog is found at: www.praytellblog.com

6

With the Joy of Holy Easter

Lent without faith and joyful hope in Easter is pointless. St. Benedict

wisely draws our attention to Easter in RB 49:7 on the observance of

Lent. “Let each one deny himself [abstain from] some food, drink,

sleep, needless talking and idle jesting, and look forward to holy

Easter with joy and spiritual longing.”

In the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 647 we find: “O truly

blessed Night, sings the Exultet of the Easter Vigil, which alone de-

served to know the time and the hour when Christ rose from the

realm of the dead! But no one was an eyewitness to Christ's Resur-

rection and no evangelist describes it. No one can say how it came

about physically. Still less was its innermost essence, his passing

over to another life, perceptible to the senses. Although the Resur-

rection was an historical event that could be verified by the sign of

the empty tomb and by the reality of the apostles' encounters with

the risen Christ, still it remains at the very heart of the mystery of

faith as something that transcends and surpasses history. This is

why the risen Christ does not reveal himself to the world, but to his

disciples, ‘to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem,

who are now his witnesses to the people’" (Acts 13:31).

St. Paul proclaims emphatically in one of his earliest letters: "If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain

and your faith is in vain" (1 Cor 15:14).This is extremely strong language. The Catechism (651) adds, “Resurrection

above all constitutes the confirmation of all Christ's works and teachings. All truths, even those most inaccessible to hu-

man reason, find their justification if Christ by his Resurrection has given the definitive proof of his divine authority,

which he had promised.”

It is no accident that we often hear, at a funeral service, the assurance of Paul to the Romans (6:3-9): “Do you not know

that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried

with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too

might walk in newness of life. For, if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him

in a resurrection like his...If we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ,

being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.”

“Caritas Abundat in Omnia,” chant by Hildegard

von Bingen (1098 – 1179)

Loving tenderness abounds for all

from the darkest

to the most eminent one beyond the stars,

Exquisitely loving all

she bequeaths the kiss of peace

upon the ultimate King.

Image: The Resurrection of Christ by Jacopo Tintoretto (1580)

“The Resurrection of Christ affects the forgiveness of human

sinfulness, thus having relevance for soteriology, the study of

salvation (see Rom. 4:25; 1 Cor. 15:17; Acts 13:38-39; Acts

5:30, 31; Acts 10:43; Lk 24:46-47).The Resurrection conquers

sin and defeats death, but the consequences remain; these

benefits are ours through being incorporated into Christ.”

~ Glenn B. Siniscalchi

7

"Exultet" is the opening word in Latin of The Easter

Proclamation, an ancient hymn sung by the deacon

over the Easter candle which is lit at the start of the

Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday evening, celebrating the

Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Exultet

appears to have been in use in the Roman Catholic

Easter liturgy from between the 5th and 7th centuries.

Rejoice heavenly pow-

ers! Sing choirs of angels!

Exult, all creation around

God's throne!

Jesus Christ, our King is ris-

en! Sound the trumpet of sal-

vation! Rejoice, O earth, in

shining splendor, radiant in

the brightness of your King!

Christ has conquered! Glory

fills you! Darkness vanishes

forever!

Rejoice, O Mother Church! Exult in glory!

The risen Savior shines upon you!

Let this place resound with joy,

echoing the mighty song of all God's people!

It is truly right that with full hearts and minds and voices

we should praise the unseen God, the all powerful Father,

and his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

For Christ has ransomed us with his blood,

and paid for us the price of Adam's sin

to our eternal Father!

This is our Passover feast,

when Christ, the true Lamb,

is slain, whose blood conse-

crates the homes of all be-

lievers.

This is the night

when first you saved our

fathers: you freed the peo-

ple of Israel from their slav-

ery and led them dry-shod

through the sea.

This is the night

when the pillar of fire destroyed the darkness of sin!

This is the night

when Christians everywhere, washed clean of sin

and freed from all defilement, are restored to grace

and grow together in holiness.

This is the night

when Jesus Christ

broke the chains of

death and rose trium-

phant from the grave.

What good would life

have been to us,

had Christ not come as

our Redeemer?

Father, how wonderful your care for us!

How boundless your merciful love!

To ransom a slave you gave away your Son.

O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam,

which gained for us so great a Redeemer!

Most blessed of all nights,

chosen by God to see Christ rising from the dead!

Of this night scripture says:

"The night will be clear as day:

it will become my light, my joy."

The power of this holy night

dispels all evil, washes guilt away,

restores lost innocence, brings mourners joy;

it casts out hatred, brings us peace,

and humbles earthly pride.

Night truly blessed when heaven is wedded to earth

and man is reconciled with God!

Therefore, heavenly Father, in the joy of this night

receive our evening sacrifice of praise,

your Church's solemn offering.

Accept this Easter candle, a flame divided but undimmed,

a pillar of fire that glows to the honor of God.

Let it mingle with the lights of heaven

and continue bravely burning

to dispel the darkness of this night!

May the Morning Star which never sets

find this flame still burning:

Christ, that Morning Star,

who came back from the dead,

and shed his peaceful light on all mankind,

your Son who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

Amen.

THE EXULTET (THE EASTER PROCLAMATION)

8

The Reading Room Don Tauscher, OSB

Oblates may find this re-

cent publication from Litur-

gical Press of interest and

delight. Following is the

description provided by

the publisher: At the heart

of the Christian message

stands the proclamation of

the resurrection: the good

news that God raised Je-

sus from the dead. In Res-

urrection: The Origin and

Goal of the Christian Life,

Frank Matera explains

why the Resurrection was

so important to the early church and why it remains

important for Christians today.

He writes: “As important as Jesus’ teaching is, it is not

his teaching that is the essence of Christianity but his

resurrection from the dead. Faith in Christ is not simply

faith in his teaching; it is faith in God who raised him

from the dead.

“The incarnation and the resurrection are the two pillars

on which Christianity stands. If Jesus was not the incar-

nate Son of God, he could not save humanity from the

powers of Sin and Death. If God did not raise Jesus from

the dead, God will not raise from the dead those who

believe in Jesus. Apart from the resurrection, there is no

eternal life. Apart from the resurrection, Sin and Death

are victorious.”

Beginning with the gospels, then moving to the Acts of

the Apostles, the Pauline Epistles, and concluding with

Hebrews,1 Peter,1 John, and the book of Revelation,

Matera provides a comprehensive overview of how the

different writings of the New Testament proclaimed the

Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Building on this mes-

sage, he shows that the resurrection of Jesus enables

and empowers believers to live in the world today and

provides them with the assurance that God will raise

them from the dead as well.

Frank J. Matera was for many years the Andrews-Kelly-

Ryan Professor of Biblical Studies at the Catholic Uni-

versity of America. A former president of the Catholic

Biblical Association of America, he is presently the pas-

tor of St. Mary's Church in Simsbury, Connecticut. He

has written previous works published by Liturgical Press

including Galatians in the Sacra Pagina series, Strate-

gies for Preaching Paul, Preaching Romans: Proclaim-

ing God's Saving Grace, and most recently The Sermon

on the Mount: The Perfect Measure of the Christian Life.

A scholar and a pastor, he has now produced a worthy

book for Lent, Easter, and always.

For Christmas I received a

book I had not heard of yet.

This unexpected gift is enti-

tled The Great Reformer, a

recent biography of Pope

Francis. It did not take long

for me to get hooked, partly

because yes, I’m a fan of

Pope Francis from the day

he was elected and ap-

peared on the famous bal-

cony in Rome. But the au-

thor, Austen Ivereigh, a jour-

nalist and historian, spent

years in Argentina and has

known Jorge Bergoglio for a long time. Ivereigh conducted

innumerable interviews as part of his research and has the

skill to weave reports of early events together with current

words and actions of Pope Francis.

Some critics find fault with the book because the author is

unashamedly a big fan of Francis and does not give

enough space to the pope’s “faults.” But I find numerous

examples in the book where Francis admits mistakes and,

yes, sins. So for me this book is delicious.

In her review, Elizabeth Tenety, the engagement and com-

munity editor at America magazine and a former editor of

The Washington Post’s religion web site, does not share

the critic’s complaint: “Who is this larger-than-life man?

What are Francis’s origins, how did he come to his beliefs

and where is he taking his church? The Great Reformer, a

new biography of the man born Jorge Mario Bergoglio,

offers an illuminating guide.

“Church insider Austen Ivereigh has carefully parsed

church documents and the pope’s early speeches and writ-

ings and has spoken to dozens of Francis’s friends, associ-

ates and parishioners to take readers beyond the front

page. Amid a wave of new books about this unpredictable

pope, Ivereigh helps fill in the biography of a man who has

long been reluctant to embrace the spotlight. This pope,

who delivers stellar morning sermons and seems to ques-

tion long-established doctrine in off-the-cuff remarks,

seems less surprising — but no less remarkable — when

viewed through Ivereigh’s lens.

“The author immerses us in daily life on the outskirts of

Buenos Aires, where Francis grew up and lived for many

years. He emphasizes the influence of Bergoglio’s grand-

mother Rosa, . . . less puritanical than his parents, who

would not allow divorced people into their home. Rosa in-

troduced the future pope to a version of Catholicism that

affirms holiness where one finds it, even outside traditional

religious boundaries.” I for one am grateful for this Christ-

mas gift.

9

Four years ago, I became a Bene-

dictine oblate of Saint John’s Ab-

bey. The journey began many

years prior, as my spiritual direc-

tor from my home town encour-

aged me to take time away from

my busy professional life in order

to allow for personal growth and

prayer. He encouraged me to visit

Saint John’s Abbey.

I trusted his advice and drove the

4.5 hours to the place I now call my spiritual home. The

campus was empty as the students were on spring break.

I had the opportunity to enjoy the fragrances of the trees

and flowers as they unfurled their new colors, colors that

had remained silent and hidden under white snow.

Despite growing up in the Catholic faith and 12 years of

Catholic education, my heart was filled with uncertainty. I

questioned my relationship with God and had doubts

about my faith. Admittedly, I realized that time for prayer

and resolving that uncertainty was being lost to the de-

mands of the many hats I wear each day. It was time to

slow down, learn about myself, and nurture my relation-

ship with God.

In the guesthouse library I selected a small book with

words of wisdom bound in a blue cover. I read 3 pages

that I had found at random, but which proved to be pages

that God had chosen. The weight of the ball and chain that

had anchored me from growth was cut, and I began a new

journey of faith. It is a journey I am proud to say continues

today, yet now with more excitement, humility, and the

grace of God’s guidance.

My studies began as I grew in faith and learned more

about St. Benedict and his teachings. My enthusiasm for

learning even more about Benedictine life was only super-

seded by my yearning to return to Saint John’s Abbey. I

had to find a balance in life that allowed for more quiet

alone time and prayer. I struggled with working full-time as

physician who also spent hundreds of hours outside of the

office in the role of “team physician”. My first priority, then

and now, was my family: my spouse and 3 children. God

blessed me with twins who entered this world 22 months

after the birth of my first child. I had just finished my resi-

dency, moved to Marshfield, WI with my spouse and infant

child, started a new job, and learned that my role as a

mother was going to grow. Admittedly, I was feeling some-

what overwhelmed; but with time and God’s grace, I

learned to balance my roles as a wife, mother, clinician,

and team physician.

Though many miles separate me from the Abbey and oth-

er oblates, I remain close through emails, cards, phone

calls and letters.

Remaining strong to the commitments I made at my obla-

tion is not always easy. I yearn to be able to pray with the

many members of the Abbey and the wonderful people

who serve in daily ministry of Benedictine life. Each day I

strive to incorporate Benedictine teachings in my daily life.

My oblate life has opened up new doors of communication

with my patients. Some have inquired about the St. Bene-

dict medallion I wear, and I openly share my story. The

conversation changes from musculoskeletal pain to listen-

ing to their personal journeys of faith. With each story, with

each patient, God is present.

The teachings of St. Benedict have helped me in my role

as a team physician. I pray before each game that God will

allow fair play and keep the athletes free from harm. Inju-

ries are a part of sports and not all injuries are of physical

origin. Student-athletes often confide in me, trusting that I

will listen without judgment. Coaches and parents know

that I respect an athlete’s desire to play, and with time

have learned to trust my professional judgment that I often

have to make tough decisions and not allow an athlete to

continue. Though such decisions reflect my concern for

the health of the athlete, the decision may not always be

accepted. However, I know that God is with me and living

is not about popularity, but authenticity and truth.

I often reflect back on the day I made my oblation. I was

blessed to have my family and close friends join me at a

weekday Mass in the hospital chapel where my spiritual

director works. Few were familiar with teachings about St.

Benedict and the role of an oblate, so that day proved to

be a great opportunity to share my spiritual joy and edu-

cate others. As my spiritual director led and I responded

with my promises, my mind and heart functioned as one.

Tears slowly streamed down my face as not only had I

returned to my faith, but I was joining other oblates who

share in the challenges of growing in faith and living life

according to God’s Word.

My spouse continues to provide his support as we both

learn more about Benedictine life. Our son attends college

at UND-Grand Forks, so a night at the Abbey guesthouse

provides a welcome break to the long travel. Each visit

yields new growth and new learning. Though I may not

know someone’s name, there are no strangers at Saint

John’s Abbey, but rather only people of God who are will-

ing to guide and share God’s blessings and love.

Though I reside many miles from Collegeville, I do not feel

distant. The “Doors of Saint John’s” poster that hangs

above my office desk provides a daily reminder of my love

and connection to my spiritual home – Saint John’s Abbey.

I am blessed to be an oblate, to share my journey of faith

with other oblates and the many wonderful monks of the

Abbey. I pray that God will bless each of you with good

health and his boundless love.

Called to Be an Oblate Laurel Rudolph-Kniech, OblSB

10

Remember the Deceased

~From St. Hildegard von Bingen, 1098—1179

Scivias Book Two: The Redeemer and Redemption

At the Incarnation of the Word of God the great counsel

was seen: And in the earth too appears a radiance like

the dawn, into which the flame is miraculously absorbed,

without being separated from the blazing fire. This is to

say that God set a great splendor of light in the place

where He would bring forth His Word and, fully willing it,

sent Him there, yet not so as to be divided from Him; but

He gave that profitable fruit and brought Him forth as a

great fountain, so that every faithful throat could drink and

never more be dry. And thus in the radiance of that dawn

the Supreme Will is enkindled; for in the bright and rose-

ate serenity was seen the fruitfulness of the great and

venerable counsel, so that all the forerunners marveled at

it with bright joy.

Christ by His death brought back His elect to their inher-

itance: And you see a serene Man coming forth from this

radiant dawn, Who pours out His brightness into the dark-

ness; and it drives Him back with great force, so that He

pours out the redness of blood and the whiteness of pal-

lor into it, and strikes the darkness such a strong blow

that the person who is lying in it is touched by Him, takes

on a shining appearance and walks upright.

This is the Word of God, imperishably incarnate in the

purity of unstained virginity and born without pain, and yet

not separated from the Father. How? While the Son of

God was being born in the world from a mother, He was

still in Heaven in the Father; and at this the angels sud-

denly trembled and sang the sweetest praises of rejoic-

ing. And, living in the world without stain of sin, He sent

out into the darkness of unbelief His clear and blessed

teachings and salvation; but, rejected by the unbelieving

people and led to His Passion, He poured out His beauti-

ful blood and knew in His body the darkness of death.

And thus conquering the Devil, he delivered from Hell his

elect, who were held prostrate there, and by His redeem-

ing touch brought them back to the inheritance they had

lost in Adam.

The Son of God rising from the dead showed Humanity

the way from death to life: And, as you see, the serene

Man who has come out of that dawn shines more brightly

than human tongue can tell, which shows that the noble

body of the Son of God was touched by the glory of the

Father, received the Spirit and rose again to serene im-

mortality, which no one can explain by thought or word.

And so joy unmeasurable by the human mind arose in the

celestial choirs, for forgetfulness of God was brought low,

and human reason was uplifted to the knowledge of God;

for the way to truth was shown by the Supreme Beati-

tude, and in it we were led from death to life.

Josephine E. “Josie” Burkman,

79, of Brandon, SD died Tuesday,

January 13. Mother of Oblate Bob-

bie Osterberg, she often told sto-

ries of times spent with her Men-

nonite grandparents on the farm at

Bridgewater, SD. Being the oldest

child of the oldest child of the old-

est child, she was the mother in a

five generation photograph taken

with her first child, Bobbie. Four

more children followed, and Josie was an integral part of

the family farm business, in which she excelled at getting

the kids to work together to get any job done.

Norbert “Norb” W. Jansen,

father of Josie Stang, production

manager of this newsletter, died at

his home farm on January 15. He

was 84. Norb was born August 16,

1930 in Eden Lake Township,

where he attended the local coun-

try school and lived in the same

house all of his life. He retired from

dairy farming in 1999. Farming

was his passion and faith was very important to him. He

and his wife Clara (d. 2002) raised five daughters as mem-

bers of Assumption Catholic Church, the site of his funeral

on January 19, with 85-year-old Rev. Richard Gross, (Ret),

officiating.

Prayers Requested

Surely there are many who desire prayers, but of these we

know. Benedict begins chapter 36 of the Rule, “Care of the

Sick,” with the words: “Before all things and above all

things, care must be taken of the sick.”

That in all things God may be glorified.

Joe Mullen, OblSB, who transferred from Blue Cloud

Abbey, spent most of December in ICU with a major

lung infection. His doctor says full recovery will take at

least 4 months. He joins the RRV chapter.

Irene Hoffman, OblSB, learned that her femur, injured

four years ago, has not healed and cannot be repaired with

surgery.

Speaking of surgery, Father Don, as-

sistant oblate director, will have surgery to

replace an earlier defective replacement

on 16 February, two days before Ash

Wednesday. “The timing lets me consider

rehab as my Lenten asceticism this year,”

he says.

A Voice from our Monastic Heritage

11

Many of our oblates are people who

care for the sick in their families,

churches, and communities. This is

good Benedictine spirituality! Bene-

dict begins chapter 36, Care of the

Sick, of the Rule by writing, “Before

all things and above all things, care

must be taken of the sick.” Infirmus

(the sick) is the first word in this chap-

ter thus reinforcing that the sick come

first. "Sick" in this chapter's context

probably means the sickness of the

body. Sickness, as taken in the whole

of the Rule, connotes a much broader

and modern understanding of sick-

ness or general weakness of the per-

son. For example: weakness of mind

(RB 42:4); weakness of character and

behavior (RB 72:5); weakness of soul

(RB 27:9 and 28:5).

The monastery has been called a

“school,” but it has also been called

an “infirmary” for each person — the

place where the soul experiences the

healing power of Jesus Christ. The

words of Jesus are powerful: “It is not

the healthy who need a doctor, but

the sick. I have not come to call the

righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17).

Does care of the sick really take prec-

edence above all else? What about

personal holiness, evangelizing, fi-

nancial security, and what about the

healthy? It must be remembered what

Benedict thinks the whole Christian

project is about. The ultimate goal for

Benedict is to get to heaven, while

avoiding the dangers of hell. The path

in which we get to heaven is to en-

counter Christ through attentiveness

to the “least,” and to minister to Christ

who places himself in the suffering in

the world.

To minister to the sick is not merely

functional —that is, getting the sick to

health so they can be a productive

person once again. Care of the sick is

an essential spiritual practice. Christ

himself is served in the person of the

sick (Matt 25). Simply that! Some

would say, ”The people who lived in

Christ’s days were fortunate, they

could lavish care on him! But we?"

The Church Fathers responded by

saying, "No, we have the same privi-

lege through the promises of Christ in

the scripture."

Benedict was so proactive about the

care of the sick that he had a special

place (infirmary) where the sick would

be cared for. Terence Kardong writes,

"perhaps in the first time in cenobitic

history, he arranges for a separate

room for the sick and also a special

attendant for their needs." Back in the

Pachomian monasteries (3rd centu-

ry), we see infirmaries being built, but

nowhere does that monastic literature

assign a qualified monk whose work it

is to care for the sick monks. Benedict

is one of the monastic pioneers of

careful and serious health care.

We’ve inherited that ministry in our

American Benedictine heritage which

has built many of our hospitals and

care centers in the past two centuries.

The monk who would care for the sick

was to be "God fearing, devoted and

careful." He was "God-fearing" be-

cause he not only had the ability to

recognize Christ in the sick but to rec-

ognize Christ's own warning about not

helping the sick: "Then he will say to

them on the left, ‘Depart from me, you

cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared

for the devil and his angels, [for I was]

sick...and you did not visit me.’” He

was devoted and careful, because by

his care and expertise, he enabled his

brother monks to serve Christ also in

him, and he was able to care for the

infirm monks to the best of his ability.

He is named as a servant, servitor.

He also works with the abbot and the

cellarer (the monk in charge of getting

and storing supplies) so the sick, who

may need special medicine or food,

may receive them readily.

Today, care of the sick is frequently

long-term because people are living

longer and can be kept alive longer

as more professional care is availa-

ble, in the areas of both physical and

mental health. So, then, how are we

best able to keep the infirm connect-

ed to the healthy community—in wor-

ship celebrations, meaningful work,

and authentic fellowship? Christ's

promise that he is truly present in the

sick still holds true. A powerful virtue

in Benedictine spirituality might be

simply fulfilled by thoughtful kindness

shown to persons in need, while still

allowing them the dignity of being

unique persons capable of contrib-

uting to the community and family to

which they belong. How do I see

Christ in those for whom I care?

Peace, Fr. Michael Peterson, OSB

RB Chapter 36, “Care of the Sick”

12

The Oblate

THAT IN ALL THINGS GOD MAY BE GLORIFIED

NEWSLETTER OF THE OBLATES OF SAINT BENEDICT

SAINT JOHN’S ABBEY, COLLEGEVILLE, MINNESOTA 56321

FEBRUARY 2015 VOLUME 59, NUMBER 1

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

Non-Profit Org

U.S. Postage

PAID

Collegeville, MN 56321

Inside this issue:

March Day of Reflec- 1

Letters from Abbot

John and Father Mi-2

News and Notes 3

Observing Lent 4

Foot-washing 5

The Joy of Holy Easter 6

The Exultet 7

The Reading Room 8

Called to be an Oblate 9

Deceased / Sick 10

Oblate Connection 11

Publisher: Abbot John Klassen, OSB; Oblate Director: Michael Peterson, OSB;

Editor: Donald Tauscher, OSB; Editorial Assistant: Aidan Putnam, OSB;

Production: Josie Stang; Printing/Mailing: Mary Gouge; Circulation: Cathy Wieme.

Contact Oblate Office: 320.363.3022 320.363.2018 e-mail: oblates@osb.org

Website: saintjohnsabbey.org/oblates

Photo

: Mo

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