Frank R. Fisher, Obl OSB
 
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"Let us then rise at length, since the Scripture arouseth us, saying: "It is now the hour for us to rise from sleep" (Rom 13:11); and having opened our eyes to the deifying light, let us hear with awestruck ears what the divine voice, crying out daily, doth admonish us, saying: "Today, if you shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts" (Ps 94[95]:8). And again: "He that hath ears to hear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches" (Rev 2:7). And what doth He say? -- "Come, children, hearken unto me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord" (Ps 33[34]:12). "Run whilst you have the light of life, that the darkness of death overtake you not" (Jn 12:35)." - Prologue to the Rule of St. Benedict.

    As an interim pastor I find there are times when I am not actively serving a congregation. I have left one, but not yet begun at the next. For awhile that's OK. I usually can use a bit of a rest after the intensity of saying goodbye to a congregation I have grown to love. But after awhile, I seem to be getting a bit spiritually sleepy. It is too easy to not follow the hours of prayer and to let Lectio Devina, a way of reading scripture for transformation instead of information, slip away too. One reason I am looking forward to beginning my next Interim Pastorate is that it will shake away the tendency sleep and allow me to begin growing again.

    Spiritual Sleepiness occurs in many congregations. But pick up the Gospel of Mark sometime and see how many times Mark uses the word "immediately." Everything in the book is fast paced.  Unfortunately we cannot claim that type of pace is normal for congregation spiritual life. Perhaps, for example, there is a good idea to serve open a food pantry. We'll put the idea in committee, bring it to the church board floor to debate it, send it back to the committee for revisions, etc, etc . . .Then when we do get the idea approved we decide to impose rules like ones making people prove they need food. We get so bogged down in rules that we burn out our workers and the food pantry starts to suffer and serve fewer people. BTW, there is a rule of thumb here folks, if they are overcoming our culture's shame about having to ask for help, especially help to feed families, they really do need the food. Dump the forms, You make get conned once in awhile but didn't Jesus say to give to anyone who asks?  

    Our congregations are asleep and society is changing rapidly around us. If we are to do the work Jesus calls us to, we have to jump in and do it immediately. And we need to act on what Benedict is pointing out in his paraphrase of John., "Run whilst you have the light of life, that the darkness of death overtake you not" (Jn 12:35)." -

    In our running may we more closely follow the path of our Lord and Savior.

PAX,

Brother Oscar Romero
aka Pastor Frank Fisher
Oblate of
St. Benedict's Abbey
Bartonville, IL
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God's Oblation 12/25/2009
 
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"If it happen that a nobleman offereth his son to God in the monastery and the boy is of tender age, let his parents execute the written promise which we have mentioned above; and with the oblation let them wrap that document and the boy's hand in the altar cloth and thus offer him.

As to their property, let them bind themselves under oath in the same document that they will never give him anything themselves nor through any other person, nor in any way whatever, nor leave a chance for his owning anything; or else, if they refuse to do this and want to make an offering to the monastery as an alms for their own benefit, let them make a donation to the monastery of whatever goods they wish to give, reserving to themselves the income of it, if they so desire. And let everything be so barred that the boy remain in no uncertainty, which might deceive and ruin him (which God forbid) -- a pass we have learned by experience.

Let those who are poor act in like manner. But as to those who have nothing at all, let them simply make the declaration, and with the oblation offer their son in the presence of witnesses." - Rule of St. Benedict, Chapter 59.

    This is one of the chapters that is the basis for Oblates. In Benedict's time a younger child of the nobility, or the child of the poor, would be offered to the monastery. The child was expected to follow the rule. When that child became of age, the child could decide if he or she was to continue in the monastic life. Today, Oblates offer themselves to God and promise to follow the rule as their way of beginning their life with God.

    At this time of the year we remember the offering of another Child, the only begotten Child of God who came to earth as a helpless baby. In time this Child offered himself up for us sundered the barrier of death, and reconnected a broken humanity with the Creator.  It is unlikely that Jesus' birth happened on this day.  Many think Christ's birth actually occurred in the Spring, the time when new born lambs would require shepherds to remain in the field with their flocks.

    In the end of course, the time of Jesus' birth does not matter. What does matter is that the Noblest One of all cared enough for us to allow this birth to happen, to allow, if you will, an oblation to humanity; a promise that God would not the separation we created with God to remain. To this, all one can say is may eternal praise, and eternal thanks, be given to God.
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