Oblate Retreat: Prayer in the Life of an Oblate

July 18-20
Summer 2014
The Oblate
Volume 58:2
Newsletter of the Oblates of Saint Johns Abbey
In four conferences, Abbot John Klassen, OSB, will focus on the many faceted
experience of praying to a living, Triune God. He will explore some foundational
understandings of faith in God; our language about God and the limits of such
language; the joy and the challenges of praying the Psalms; being faithfully silent
at times; making progress and falling down; all of this while standing in the life-
giving river of Benedictine tradition.
Abbot John taught in the chemistry department of CSB-SJU from 1983-2000, taught
courses in applied ethics, and served the monastic community as formation director
from 1993-1999. He was elected abbot in November of 2000.
Registrations are arriving both by surface mail and online. Oblates planning
to attend the retreat are encouraged to register as soon as possible, no later than
July 10, to allow for adequate preparations of food and facilities.
Self-Evaluation Before Renewal of Oblation
Retreat time is renewal of promises time. To see how well you are fulfilling your vocation as an oblate of Saint Johns
Abbey, reflect on the following questions, which are for your personal consideration and evaluation. If you sincerely reflect
on these questions, you can only deepen your relationship with God and truly grow in Benedictine spirituality.
What have I done during the past year to continue ongoing formation as an oblate?
What do I plan to do during the coming year? If I need to improve in any of the following areas, what do I plan to do?
(On the following, rate yourself on a scale of 1-5, with 1 as needing improvement and 5 as doing well.)
How well do I see myself living the oblate promises:
Stability of heart? 1 2 3 4 5
Fidelity to the spirit of the monastic life? 1 2 3 4 5
Obedience to the will of God? 1 2 3 4 5
How well do I see myself fulfilling the oblate duties:
Praying the Liturgy of the Hours? 1 2 3 4 5
Daily practice of lectio divina? 1 2 3 4 5
Reading from the Rule of St. Benedict? 1 2 3 4 5
Participating in the Sacraments of the Eucharist
and Reconciliation or in my own faith tradition of church and prayer? 1 2 3 4 5
Attentiveness to Gods presence in my ordinary, daily life? 1 2 3 4 5
In what ways can I offer my time, talent and treasure to the services of the Oblate community of Saint Johns Abbey?
Adapted from a form used by oblates of Saint Meinrads Archabbey. Used with permission.
2

Letter from Abbot John
Dear Oblates,
Three in One and One in
Three: God for Us
Question: Is the Holy Spirit origi-
nal to Christian experience?
Not by a long shot. The Spirit is
clearly present in the creation, is
recognized in the description of
the work of the prophets such as
Elijah, Elisha, Ezekiel; in Saul
and David and some of the other kings, in the wisdom
literature. However, the Spirit is at work in Egypt, Rome,
Assyria, Babylon, China, India, in the cosmos beyond the
Milky Way galaxy.
Already in the great commission, the Trinitarian formula is
present: Go out into the whole world and proclaim the
Gospel baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit. This formula is part of the tradition and is
spoken and used long before the Church has articulated
what it means.
A lively Trinitarian faith tells us that God is for the world,
God is for the creation, for us. God is oriented massively
and dynamically toward the world. The Trinitarian God is
an extrovert: the one who continues to create in the world,
the God who so loves the world that the Word is made
Flesh, the God whose Spirit continues to bring love into
the world, who gives gifts to the human community, to the
Church, and to us as believers.
Through our baptism each person in the Church is invited
to share in the life of the Trinity.
Our call as Christians and as oblates is to be drawn into
the life, the mystery of the Trinity.
As we receive holy gifts of blessed bread and cup, we are
receiving the life of the Risen and Ascended Lord, and our
communion with him takes us right into the heart of the
Trinity.
When we do centering prayer, in silence and stillness, as
we give consent to God to transform us, we are drawn
into the mystery of the Trinity.
When we recognize Christ in our children, in our mom or
dad, in our spouse, and in each other in our families and
friends, we claim the fundamental insight that God dwells
in a communion of persons, and that our communities and
families will be places where we encounter this mysteri-
ous, surprising Triune God.
The feast of Trinity is an invitation to us to know that we
need a robust, lively Trinitarian faith and imagination. If we
dont pay attention to this, we are living our faith as if the
incarnation didnt matter. It is like having a smart phone
and using it only to make phone calls.
Letter from Father Don
Dear Oblates,
As I at least try to progress in
this way of life and in faith (RB
Prol 49), nature keeps remind-
ing me how much I need the
guidance of that Advocate Je-
sus promised to send to the
disciples. If I live by the Spirit,
as St. Paul writes in Galatians
5, that means that my life is a
gift of God. Think baptism and
its covenant commitments: You will be my child, and I will
be your God. If I receive my eternalspiritual, supernatu-
ral, gracedlife from the Spirit, then I simply must commit
myself to be guided by the Spirit. This is something I may
never forget. Not even in summer when so many people
think about loosening the ties that bind them to work, clas-
ses, meetings, even worship. So how to ensure openness
to Spirit guidance?
Assistant oblate director, Fr. Michael Peterson, on page
11, has an eloquent reply. Be sure to read it and meditate
on it. Certainly by now every oblate knows of his valuable
contributions to the oblate community and program, espe-
cially his work with inquirers and candidates. He knows
how much I appreciate him and his excellent ministry.
Speaking of Fr. Michael, his petition to transfer his vows
to our monastic community was enthusiastically approved
by the abbey chapter. Welcome, officially, Michael!
An oblate recently wrote to say that she appreciates hear-
ing about good books that other oblates are reading. Its a
great idea, so when you find a choice book, tell us about it
and well gladly share your recommendations with the rest
of the oblate family. Even secular publications tout the
custom and value of summer reading. So do we. Find a
few good suggestions on page 9.
On the weekend preceding our patronal feast of St. John
the Baptist (June 24), the abbey hosts family days. We
invite siblings and their dependent children to spend a
Saturday and Sunday with us, praying, playing, eating (of
course!), and bonding. My six eldest sibs are in their 80s
and not traveling far, but I do have a few in their 60s and
70s so they are part of the celebration.
We are looking forward to the retreat in July. The advisory
committee will do a lot of work to provide a hospitable and
enjoyable weekend. Others, too, will have their share of
activity. If done well, the participants will hardly notice
what has gone into the plans.
Finally, praise and thank God for the gift of Fathers Brad-
ley Jenniges and Michael Leonard Hahn, two monks who
were ordained priests on May 31. Then on July 10 Natha-
nial Putnam and Bradford Rothrock will enter the novitiate.
Allelluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. Amen.
3

News Bits / Reports
Lenten Day of Reflection
On Sunday, March 30, forty oblates participated in the Len-
ten Day of Reflection. Fr. John Meoska, OSB, who is cur-
rently the abbeys formation director, offered a creative and
visually powerful approach to the parable of the Prodigal
Son. Response from the oblates to this in-depth look at the
parable was very positive. The visuals were ably accompa-
nied by Assistant Oblate Director, Fr. Michael Peterson,
OSB, on his Native American flute.
In addition to a spiritual conference, the Day of Reflection
always includes informal fellowship before Eucharist with
the monastic community and other guests, a meal togeth-
er, and group lectio divina (prayer with Scripture). This time
the lectio text was Romans 5:1-8; groups were led by
Brothers David Paul Lange and Dan Morgan, and Fathers
Simeon Thole and Michael Peterson.
The next Oblate Day of Reflection will be in November,
with an Advent focus.
Candidate Investiture and Final Oblation
At the March Day of Reflection, four new candidates were
invested, beginning their year of initial formation, and two
final oblations were received. Congratulations!












Volunteer Bill Muldoon Combs the Archives
Bill Muldoon is developing
a necrology of Saint
Johns oblates. He is re-
searching final oblation
documents as well as
recent death notifications
for whom we have certifi-
cates of oblation.
Why this project? Bene-
dictine spirituality includes
the remembrance of the
deceased in prayer. This
list will allow all our ob-
lates to commemorate
deceased oblates on the anniversary of their death.
Oblates who have attended morning prayer with the
monks will be familiar with the communitys custom of
commemoration of the deceased. For example, a monk of
Saint Johns or of any monastery in the American Cas-
sinese Congregation is commemorated for thirty days
after they die. The Sisters of Saint Benedict Monastery
and monasteries in their federation are commemorated
for seven days after they die. This seven day practice is
also true for other persons related to the abbey, such as
oblates, alumni, employees, and members of monks im-
mediate families. Then, every year on the anniversary of a
monks death he is mentioned at morning prayer. There-
fore, on March 27 we include Fr. Demetrius Di Marogna
who died on this date in 1869.
Once we are able to print a list of known deceased ob-
lates and their dates of death, everyone will be invited to
review and notify us of any oblate missing from the list.
Newly invested candidates: Jeanne and John Fraune,
John Koenig, and Paul Elwell.
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Bill at work
Saint Johns Bible
Because of renovation in HMML, the exhibition gallery for
The Saint John's Bible has been closed and a new gallery
is being planned, but it will not open until some point in the
future. In the interim, a small display of original pages from
The Saint Johns Bible has been installed on Alcuin Li-
brary's main floor. Visitors are welcome to view the display
during summer hours: M-F 8:00-4:30.
Money Matters
As you might imagine, the oblate program incurs signifi-
cant expenses: supplies, phone, computer, food, meeting
space, printing/mailing, and more. The abbey subsidizes
the directors salaries and more. It gets to be a bit much so
the donations received in support of programs and fellow
oblates who cannot, for good reasons, afford to attend
events are deeply appreciated. Thank you very much!
Sheila Hannon reads her final oblation promises in the
presence of Father Don, as Jeff Reed waits his turn.
P
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4

I recently had two wonderful opportunities to meet with
other people, like myself, who are dedicated to interreli-
gious dialogue. My first experience was at a conference in
Brussels for a
four day gath-
ering of lead-
ers of interre-
ligious dia-
logue. I was
especially
inspired by
the life-long
dedication of
so many of
the members
present. Sure-
ly this was a
gathering of
those dedicated to listening deeply to others in a spirit of
peace and respect.
My second meeting was as a representative of the organi-
zation of Monastic Interreligious Dialogue (MID). Mem-
bers of the North American and European chapters of this
group met together with members of the Pontifical Council
for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID). I reported on the recent
and future activities of MID in North America. At the end
of the meeting we asked the PCID what monks and nuns
can do to help the cause of dialogue. The PCID encour-
aged us by saying, For those in a different religious tradi-
tion, simply respect and befriend them. Create encounters
and spaces without agenda other than transparent dia-
logue. Benedictines can do this for the Rule calls us to
honor everyone and to listen with the ear of the heart.
MID pledges its collaboration and offers its prayers for
Gods continued blessings of a ministry of dialogue with
the followers of other religions so that all who look to
Christ as the Way, the Truth, and the Life may also recog-
nize, preserve, and promote the good things, spiritual and
moral, as well as the socio-cultural values that are found
in other religious traditions.
Pope Francis has said, When leaders in various fields
ask me for advice, my response is always the same: dia-
logue, dialogue, dialogue. Today, either we stand togeth-
er with the culture of dialogue and encounter, or we all
lose, we all lose; from here we can take the right road that
makes the journey fruitful and secure.
During my stay in Rome, I was very blessed to concele-
brate at Mass on Pentecost Sunday and even get up
close to Pope Francis, who has inspired so many people
to befriend those who are different than themselves.
Happy to be back!
From TuAhn Holm: As a new oblate candidate I am
required to read and to reflect on the book Reaching for
God by Sister Roberta Werner, OSB. In chapter 3, one of
the Benedictine Life Gifts/Values for Oblates that started
my thoughts pounding over and over is Authenticity.
Hearing or seeing the word authentic makes me think of
cuisine. Authentic cuisine is like when I ate the foods
made by my grandmother, who had no education, and
when she cooked, she followed no cookbook, nor could
she write down the ingredients or how to measure them.
Her recipes, passed down from generation to generation,
speak of suffering, joy and love of the person who pre-
pares that dish.
Now what does being authentic mean? C.G Jung put it
this way: The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you
truly are! Lao Tzu says: Knowing others is intelligence,
knowing yourself is true wisdom. Being authentic is not
only about what you see is what you get, tell it like it is,
or say what you mean and mean what you say. It is also
about how one accepts her suffering, her joy, and her
love without shame, without bitterness and without anger.
An authentic person does not radiate a glow of superiority
or perfection; those who meet or have the privilege of sit-
ting next to such persons will sense solidarity and equality
with them.
I can go a step further and cite the Eucharist as an exam-
ple. The wine and bread on the altar are authentic. They
tell us of the suffering and the love of Christ, and no mat-
ter who we are, rich or poor, saint or sinner, we are all
equals as soon as we come to the table to share the au-
thenticity of Christ.
~~~~~~~~~
Father Michael and his camera were within 40 feet of Pope
Francis and his ministers at the altar in St. Peters Basilica in
Rome on Pentecost Sunday.
Fr. Nicholas Becker, OSB, studying in
Rome, catches Fr. Michael in a happy
moment high above the city of Rome.
Interreligious Dialogue Meetings
Michael Peterson, OSB
Oblate Correspondence

5

From Israel, by Oblate Pat DeGroot: What am I
doing in Israel? Just last month, March, I was at the Len-
ten meeting for Oblates listening to and watching a won-
derful presentation on the Prodigal Son. Just last month,
March, I walked from Stella Maris across the ice back to
the Guest House. And today, April 25, our thermometer hit
113 degrees Fahrenheit. Just last month, March, we had
gathered together in the Abbey Church, hundreds strong,
to celebrate Sunday Liturgy. Tomorrow we will go to an
unmarked chapel in Ailot for Liturgy, perhaps 40 strong.
The chapel is unmarked to avoid a Muslim attack. What
am I doing here?
Right now I'm wearing the black shirt I bought in the gift
shop of the Great Hall. It's the one that quotes the Pro-
logue of Benedict's Rule. Just a minute, I have to look in
the mirror to read it. Listen carefully, my son (daughter),
to the master's instructions. LISTEN . . . and attend to
them with the ear of your heart. That's why I'm here.
Because I came to the Holy Land about five years ago,
I'm on the mailing list with the company that led our tour.
Blossoming Rose, Inc. is located in Cedar Falls, MI. The
newsletter I read on March 16 was asking for volunteers
to work at Biblical Tamar Park in Israel for three months. I
noticed that but kept reading. Then the words jumped off
the page. Suddenly, the first reading from Mass that
morning boomed in my ears: The Lord said to Abram, 'Go
forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father's
house to a land that I will show you. Bouncing back and
forth in my cranium were the words Go forth! Go forth!
Go forth! So here I am. I listened and I have gone forth!
Another message came while I was at Saint John's. We
were singing a hymn at morning or evening prayer, I don't
remember which, when I glanced at the hymn on the op-
posite page. It was Hosea, one of my favorites. Those
words shot off the page, The wilderness will lead you to
your heart where I will speak. Long have I waited for your
coming home to me and living deeply our new life. So I
listened and have gone forth into the wilderness.
Yes, this place is in the wilderness. Tamar is located
about a 40 minute drive south of the Dead Sea. It is a
park of some sort, with restrooms, picnic tables and trees
in the middle of the Negev Desert. Springs, here, have
drawn people for over 5,000 years. Moses and the Israel-
ites probably came through. Abraham fought the four
kings and their armies here. Sodom isn't far. King Solo-
mon built a fort here and named it after his sister, Tamar.
The Romans built a fort on the same site. Closer to our
time, this was a British outpost, then a kibbutz and now an
archaeological dig with ruins from all these occurrences.
Sometimes, when the dog is barking at night, we wonder
if there are ghosts walking out in the desert. When the
wind blows a door open, I welcome Father Abraham.
Welcome! That's part of what we are here for . . . to wel-
come people. That touches on Benedictine hospitality.
During Passover week it seemed that the whole of Israel
was on vacation. We had so many visitors. One day there
were six huge buses here. Another day there were peo-
ple, wandering all through the private areas where we live,
looking for a little shade and a place to have a picnic. I
brought chairs out of my bedroom for one family. Our su-
pervisor looked at me like I was crazy. You don't have to
do that! But I did, because of Benedict. The people I have
met are something else. We sit around at night under
Abraham's stars and talk . . . talk about everything. With
one Jewish family, sitting outside at dusk, we lit a candle
and sang with their five young children as they concluded
Shabbat. Then they left to return to Jerusalem.
Every morning I sit on the porch of my caravan and pray
morning prayer. As I pray the intentions of the day I al-
ways add, for all Benedictines, for the oblates, Father
Don and Father Michael, and especially for anyone in
special need. The time of these prayers in the Midwest is
about 11:00 pm. So you are prayed for while you sleep.
I'm coming home July 5 and hope to be at the retreat on
the 18
th
. See you then.
More Oblate Correspondence
Pat and her faithful friend Nahmer
6

The canonization of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II
has generated a cottage industry of articles about saint-
hood lately. Most of these have not been the traditional
sort about personal piety and holiness, since that is a
pretty narrow niche market these days. Instead, reflecting
our obsession with issues of utility and return-on-
investment and the like, the questions are of a decidedly
different tone. "Do we really need saints today?" "What's
the point of having saints?" "Are saints obsolete?" In so
many cases the questions have been largely rhetorical,
and they assume there can be only one answer. Happily,
this has allowed me to cover a lot of material without actu-
ally having to read the articles. That's a lot more than I
can say about those other articles that I feel obliged to
read all the way to the end.
Still, as a group these essayists raise a lot of important
points, not all
of which ne-
gate the val-
ue of saints in
the 21st cen-
tury. Among
the most
compelling of
arguments is
the economic
one, which of
course
trumps all
others these
days. As
even the ag-
nostic mem-
bers of the
Rome Cham-
ber of Commerce will be quick to note, Sunday's canoni-
zations were great for business. Hotels for fifty miles
around were jammed to overflowing, and sites
like Priceline had nary a discount to offer. Restaurants
needed troughs to feed the millions of hungry pilgrims.
And petty thieves and pick-pockets likely had a field day.
The crime figures for the week have yet to be reported,
but I predict that this latter trade association will join with
the Association of Agnostic Innkeepers in the general
clamor for more saints, subito, and pronto.
If the argument from economic utility appeals to some, it
doesn't carry any weight at all with the purists who con-
tend that the very idea of saints is inherently unegalitari-
an. To give them their due, the process of canonization
isn't very democratic, and it may well be true that the out-
come is skewed in favor of candidates from the ranks of
the unmarried. But worse still, some have argued, the
process generates too many saints who are unworthy of
imitation by the general public. They note that way too
many saints pursued careers marked by utter tedium,
consumed as they were with endless rounds of prayer
and meditation and thinking good thoughts. They scarcely
faced any of the issues that bedevil ordinary people. Nor
did they get in the daily average of 4+ hours with eyes
glued to cable television. How dare anyone canonize
such people as examples for the rest of us?
Among the remaining complaints is perhaps the only one
with which I really have some sympathy. The truth of the
matter is, all saints started out as real-life flesh-and-blood
human beings. Along the way to becoming venerated,
however, they often lose something. And what they tend
to shed in canonization is their humanity. As was the case
with Lenin and Mao, who rested in state if not in peace,
they leave off being persons and become demigods. In
the process they ascend beyond the reach of us mere
mortals. No longer are they brothers and sisters to us, at
least in the minds of some.
I'm not sure anyone could put a stop to that, but I will give
the Church credit for one thing. Unlike other religious tra-
ditions which have deified the living, we've never canon-
ized people until they were good and dead. No matter
how big the personality, we've always allowed a decent
interval after the death before we rush to the piazza to
bestow the laurel wreath of sainthood. To my mind that
gives them the chance to remain our brothers and sisters
for as long as possible.
It also serves to remind us that people do not cross the
threshold into sainthood at death. It is a pilgrimage that
begins long before. In the Creed we profess our belief in
the communion of the saints. Obviously that includes the
saints who have gone before us, the saints who walk
among us, and the saints who are yet to come. If that's
the case, then it's safe to assume that our own paths to
sanctity cross those first boundaries and only then
continue into eternity.
We Need More Saints, Now
Fr Eric Hollas, OSB
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7

Oblates and Prison Ministry Saint Benedict alludes to this in his commentary on the
instruments of good works. In a chapter that begins
with the command to love both God and neighbor, he
continues with a laundry list of practices that would
make for a good monastery, a good parish, or even a
good neighborhood. Each and every functional com-
munity rests on a bedrock of individuals who answer
the call to holiness. "Do not aspire to be called holy
before you really are, but first be holy that you may be
more truly called so." In this Benedict anticipates the
correct order of the canonization process, since holi-
ness should come well in advance of canonization. But
this is also an invitation to live a decent life, without
expectation of reward. Ironically, however, the saints
reap the reward of a good life both here and in eterni-
ty. Even better, their neighbors will share in the re-
wards as well.
So do we really need saints? I know I do. If my broth-
ers in the monastery were not saints, I'm sure my own
life would be unbearable. And if our neighborhoods
were not peopled by those who are already far along
the road to sainthood, life would be a lot more difficult
than it normally is. We need saints because we will
never outgrow our need for decency and mutual re-
spect in our communities. We need saints because we
depend upon people to help and care for each other.

And if the reward for these saints is communion with
the divine in the next life, well, I'm not going to be-
grudge that to my brothers in the monastery, or to any
of the other saints, wherever they might be living. I'm
just glad they got started on the path to sainthood while
I was around to enjoy the benefits of living next to
them.
So that's why I believe that we still need saints. The
more, all the better. And subito, and pronto.
~~~~~~~~~~
Father Erics blog, A Monks Chronicle, is posted every
Monday at http://monkschronicle.wordpress.com/
Liturgical Press (LP) has been overwhelmed by requests
from prisoners and prison ministers around the country for
free copies of Give Us This Day. In recent months, subscrib-
ers to Give Us have been asked to make a donation to a
special fund that goes toward providing this valuable re-
source to inmates. The response from subscribers has been
tremendous, and LP can respond with an enthusiastic Yes!
to many requests from prisoners and prison chaplains.
Volunteers Needed
Dedicated volunteers collaborate with LP by contacting
chaplains and arranging for copies to be sent monthly for
them to use in their ministry. Now there is a need for more
volunteer help, and the assistance of oblates will be wel-
come and even necessary. The only cost to the volunteer is
service for 8-10 hours per month.
Fr. Diaz is one prison chaplain who struggles to find mean-
ingful resources for the inmates he visits. Through the help
from Liturgical Press he says, I am able to help these men
to foster positive Godly habits and to learn how to respect
and love others.
Words from Inside the Walls
John: Most of society sees us as lost or not worthy of
their time and especially money, but by your generosity and
willingness to assist us in our spiritual journey, you show us
that you see us as Jesus truly does as wayward sheep who
lost our way, and who are in need of assistance to guide us
back to the flock. For this we are truly grateful.
Steven recently turned 60 years old and has spent al-
most 40 of those years incarcerated. Of Give Us This Day
he says, My faith has been a great stabilizer for my health,
sanity, and humanity. Your publication has greatly helped in
the solidification of my faith.
Trayce: I read an old copy of Give Us This Day. I really
enjoyed it. I really see the world differently than I did before.
This was a gift that I needed.
Joseph: I have always been a person who needs struc-
ture in my life. Using the Liturgy of the Word from daily Mass
readings has been my guide to a life of prayer over these
last few years. Now, having been truly blessed to receive
Give Us This Day my communion with God has been greatly
improved. The structure of the morning and evening prayer
found in this resource has encouraged my continual prayer
all throughout the day. I have also enjoyed the meditations,
reflections on the Saints and other various articles. Simple
words may not convey my appreciation; still a thank you is
definitely in order. Thanks.
Interested oblates please contact Cathy Donovan at
320.363.3655, or [email protected]
8

We may never have been in a room with Jesus, or heard
him say to his disciples, Peace be with you, but we all
recognize our deep need for Gods peace. All too often
peace seems unattainable in our hectic lives. We are
filled with gears that keep our minds anxious and doors
locked. We suffer painful estrangement from others, even
friends and family members who were once close to us.
Usually it is wordsmisused, misheard, misunderstood
that fuel the dissension that drives us apart. But the Holy
Spirit can seize us and work through us in such a way
that we are able to offer each other words that bless,
heal, and remind us that we are all beloved children of
God. Maybe we suddenly encounter that person weve
learned to avoid, or have even come to detest, and she
will say or do something that comes out of pure love,
straight from the heart of God. Thus humbled and re-
freshed, we feel that a weight has been lifted from our
weary hearts. Such holy moments are the work of the
Spirit.
I suspect the first Pentecost was like that, a powerful ex-
perience of divine grace removing the seemingly insur-
mountable obstacles that separate uslanguage, race,
ethnicityso that people could hear and understand each
other in a new way. When it comes to listening to God, or
to other people, it takes a lot for us to shed our fears and
loosen our stiff necks. On Pentecost, God got the crowds
attention with a loud, strong wind and tongues of flame.
But Jesus offered his disciples the Holy Spirit in a more
quiet manner, breathing on them to open what St. Bene-
dict calls the ear of the heart.
Where does it lead, this Pentecost of listening, of sudden-
ly being graced with the ability to hear and comprehend
the disparate languages of strangers and even friends
(people we often think we understand but in fact take for
granted)? I believe it leads us straight into Trinity Sunday.
It is only when we can accept the possibility of establish-
ing community with the disparate and sometimes disa-
greeable people we encounter in our lives, and in our
faith communities, that we can begin to understand the
perfect community of the Holy Trinity. Such divine perfec-
tion is not possible for us, but the Trinity allows us to im-
agine it: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, existing as separate
persons with different gifts, operating in complete unity.
With this as our model, we can begin to mend our ways
and try harder to live in peace in our own families and
communities. We can welcome with open minds the di-
verse gifts that each person brings and learn from the
other persons point of view, even if it differs from our own
perspective and experience.
The peace that passes understanding may come with
noisy flashes of insight or in a quiet intake of breath, but it
always comes from God alone. We prepare ourselves to
accept it by first accepting one another. This is how we
demonstrate that we accept Jesus Christ, the Prince of
Peace, as savior of the world.
Kathleen Norris, From Pentecost to Trinity, in
Search of Peace, from the June 2014 issue of
Give Us This Day, www.giveusthisday.org
(Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2014).
Used with permission.
~~~~~~~~~~
From Pentecost to Trinity, in Search of Peace
Henry Nouwen, the great spiritual writer from Notre
Dame, notes: Andrei Rublev painted this icon not only
to share the fruits of his own meditation on the mystery of
the Holy
Trinity but
also to
offer his
fellow
monks a
way to
keep their
hearts
centered
on God
while liv-
ing in the
midst of
political
unrest.
The more
we look at
this holy
image
with the
eyes of
faith, the more we come to realize that it is painted not as
a lovely decoration for a convent church, nor as a helpful
explanation of a difficult doctrine, but as a holy place to
enter and stay within.
Kathleen Norris, OblSB
9

Michael Casey, OCSO, Seventy-Four Tools For Good
Living: Reflections on the Fourth Chapter of Benedict's
Rule (Liturgical Press, 2014).
There is more in Benedict's
Rule than meets the eye.
Based on the rules of life of
John Cassian and Saint Basil,
Benedict invites us to go further
back to the scriptural basis of
all Christian and monastic living
and pursue our spiritual journey
by the guidance of the Gospel.
This book of reflections on the
tools for good living is intended
to be read very slowly, one sec-
tion at a time. In addition to
communicating reflections on each verse of chapter 4,
Casey invites readers to:
continue the process of reflection for themselves
apply what is written to their own lives
draw on their own wisdom and insight
broaden their experience of monastic spirituality

Michael Casey, OCSO, is a monk of Tarrawarra Abbey
(Australia). In recent decades he has been engaged in
exploring different aspects of monastic spirituality, writing
and giving conferences throughout the English-speaking
monastic world. His books include The Road to Eternal
Life: Reflections on the Prologue of Benedict's
Rule (Liturgical Press, 2011).
~~~~~~~~~~
Larry Haeg, OblSB, recently released his new book
Harriman vs. Hill (University of MN Press, 2013).
In 1901, the Northern Pacific
was an unlikely prize: a twice-
bankrupt construction of the fed-
eral government, it was a two-bit
railroad (literallyfive years
back, its stock traded for twenty-
five cents a share). But it was
also a key to connecting eastern
markets through Chicago to the
rising West. Two titans of Ameri-
can railroads set their sights on
it: James J. Hill, head of the
Great Northern and largest indi-
vidual shareholder of the North-
ern Pacific, and Edward Harri-
man, head of the Union Pacific and the Southern Pacific.
The subsequent contest was unprecedented in the history
of American enterprise, pitting not only Hill against Harri-
man but also Big Oil against Big Steel and J. P. Morgan
against the Rockefellers, with a supporting cast of enough
wealthy investors to fill the ballroom of the Waldorf Asto-
ria.
The story, told here in full for the first time, transports us
to the New York Stock Exchange during the unfolding of
the earliest modern-day stock market panic.
~~~~~~~~~~
Brendan Freeman, OCSO, Come and See: The Monas-
tic Way for Today (Liturgical Press, 2010).
Come and See is a look inside the
mind of a monk. The vision of mo-
nastic life proposed here is not new;
it is a vision going back to the De-
sert Fathers of the fourth century.
And yet, it is new because it is root-
ed in a place in the soul that never
grows old. Come and see where I
live, Jesus said to the disciples who
were following him. He could just as
well have said, come and see where you live; where your
real life is being lived. Monastic spirituality is a treasure
hidden in the field of your own heart; it is a universal spir-
ituality that is the common inheritance of every human
being; it is a search for God. From the atheist to the saint
there is in the heart of all creatures a desire for ultimate
meaning, a desire for God. In this sense everyone has the
heart of a monk.
Abbot Freeman treats some of the great themes of mo-
nastic life: silence, solitude, community life, prayer. A sub-
theme running through ancient monasticism conceives of
the monastery as a hospitala place for healing the soul,
the spirit, the heart. The place of the heart is highlighted
in these conferences and homilies as an ancient theme
still relevant to the modern person.
Abbot Brendan Freeman entered New Melleray Abbey in
Peosta, Iowa, in 1958 at the age of twenty. He received a
masters degree in liturgical studies from The Catholic Uni-
versity of America in 1973. Fr. Brendan was elected abbot
of his community in 1984 and continues in that position.
Recommended Reading
I first read about the Northern Pacific Corner
when I was ten years old. When I opened my
office on January 1, 1962, I put on the wall a
framed copy of The New York Times of May 10,
1901, describing the fateful prior day. Larry
Haeg now tells the full story, and I enjoyed
every word of it.
Warren Buffett
10

In Memoriam
Dr. Gerald Kavanaugh,
age 86, died on March 1,
2014, in Fargo, ND. Jerry
was born in 1927 in Far-
go and grew up during
the Great Depression. An
excellent student, he at-
tended Notre Dame.
While there he enlisted in
the Navy. After two years
of military service he re-
sumed studies at Notre
Dame, then attended the
University of North Dako-
ta School of Medicine. He completed medical studies at
Northwestern University in 1954, practiced Internal
Medicine in Fargo, and later changed his specialty to
Cardiology.
As an oblate he regularly attended the Red River Valley
Chapter in Fargo until his health failed a year ago.
Nicholas Spaeth, age
64, died in Fargo, ND
on March 16, 2014. He
had just begun the pro-
cess of becoming an
oblate of Saint Johns
Abbey.
Nick was elected ND
Attorney General in
1984. He was re-
elected in 1988, where
he argued three cases
before the U.S. Su-
preme Court. In 1992,
he waged an unsuccessful campaign to become governor
of North Dakota. Invoking his characteristic self-
deprecating sense of humor, Nick always said he "was
retired by the voters."
Throughout his life Nick received many awards and hon-
ors, but nothing meant more to him than his family and
friends. His wife and children were the joy of his life, and
he loved spending time with them. A big kid himself, he
was the first to organize family games and activities and
over the years taught dozens of kids and adults to water
ski, play pinochle, poker, bocce ball, croquet or any board
game known to man.
Fr. Don met Nick at the Red River Valley Chapter of ob-
lates in Fargo, when he requested prayers for his family
just weeks before his untimely death. Nicks son Will grad-
uated from Saint Johns Prep in May of this year.
Ervin J. Deering, age 87, of
Shakopee, died on May 9,
2014. Erv and his wife, Pat,
were very active oblates, at-
tending most retreats and
Days of Reflection, as well as
the regular monthly Joan of
Arc chapter meetings.
Above all, Erv valued family
and an unwavering commit-
ment to his wife of 65 years.
He instilled many loyalties
and traditions to ensure his large, close-knit family will con-
tinue to carry on his legacy and love of family values.
Numerous tributes flowed into the oblate office after Erv
died, testifying to the affection and esteem in which his fel-
low oblates held him.
Lynda Meirick, wife of Oblate Michael Meirick, age 70,
died on March 14, 2014, in Saint Cloud, MN.
Fr Daniel Durken, OSB, age 85, monk of Saint Johns
Abbey, died on March 29, 2014, in the Abbey Retirement
Center.
Jeanne Frances Pysdrowski, age 92, mother of Oblate
candidate Jeanne Fraune, died on May 26, 2014.
~~~~~~~~~~
Prayer to Saint Benedict for a Happy Death
In chapter 4
of the Rule,
St. Benedict
lists as an
instrument of
good works:
Keep death
daily before
your eyes. A
good daily
prayer is the
following:
O holy Father Benedict, blessed by God both in grace and
in name, while standing in prayer with your hands raised to
heaven, you did most happily yield your angelic spirit into
the hands of your Creator. You have promised zealously to
defend against all the snares of the enemy in the last strug-
gle of death those who shall daily remind you of your glori-
ous departure and heavenly joys. Protect me, O glorious
Father, this day and every day, by your holy blessing, that I
may never be separated from our dear Lord, from your
company, and from that of all the blessed. Through the
same Christ our Lord. Amen.
11

Many people,
when they ini-
tially inquire
about the oblate
life, often say, I
just want to
have a daily
discipline of
prayer, or I
want my day-to-
day life to feel
more holy. The
backbone of
Benedictine
prayer is the
daily liturgical
gatherings Ben-
edict calls The Work of God. Also known as the Liturgy of
the Hours, this form of prayer life is the way so many ob-
lates are able to fulfill the questions that are asked above.
Many oblates have found our Liturgical Press monthly
prayer publication, Give Us this Day, a very useful and
user-friendly resource for prayer and spiritual reading.
Benedict knows that each person is responsible for their
own individual prayer outside the communal prayer times.
The fervency and dedication of each individual persons
prayer life will affect positively or negatively their commu-
nal prayer experience. No one can have a prayer life that
is just one hour Sunday morning. Community was essen-
tial for Benedict as it should be for the oblate. Prayer that
is merely individualistic, unless anchored in the local, wor-
shiping community, can often become shallow and self-
indulgent. My praying must not become so hidden and so
secret that it becomes an entire private affair, no longer
supported by others and by mutual learning which contact
with other people brings. Communal and individual prayer
are very complementary to one another.
To help us image both community and individual prayer in
our life, lets look at the structure of a bridge. The towers
are those strong moments when we pray together in com-
munity. The cables are the many ways we speak and pray
to God individually. Piers root us in a strong faith tradition.
The deck (road) is that journey from our heart to Gods
heart. This bridge is our whole life, really. We need many
ways to keep this bridge structurally sound and accessible
for travel. Prayer involves daily intentionality.
Thomas Merton wrote, Being attentive to the times of the
day: when the birds began to sing, and the deer came out
of the morning fog, and the sun came up. Today time is
commodity, and for each one of us time is mortgaged. We
experience time as unlimited indebtedness. We are threat-
ened by a chain reaction: overworkoverstimulation
overkill. We must approach the whole idea of time in a
new way. We live in the fullness of time. Every moment is
Gods own good time. The whole thing boils down to giv-
ing ourselves in prayer a chance to realize that we have
what we seek. We dont have to rush after it. It is there all
the time, and if we give it time it will make itself known to
us.
To pray daily is to be steeped in the spirit of reverence --
an important word for Benedict! It is part of his regular vo-
cabulary in the Rule, signifying a worshipful adoration by
the creature to the Creator of the universe. Reverence is
virtually synonymous with other basic Benedictine virtues
like humility and awe of the Lord. A traditional Celtic pray-
er says it well:
God to enfold me, God to
surround me, God in my
speaking, God in my think-
ing. God in my sleeping,
God in my waking, God in
my watching, God in my
hoping. God in my life,
God in my lips, God in my soul, God in my heart. God in
my sufficing, God in my slumber, God in mine ever-living
soul, God in mine eternity.
May the Holy Spirit, who prays in us when we do not know
how to pray (Rom 8:26), fill your heart with peace.
Fr. Michael Peterson, OSB, Assistant Oblate Director
Rule of Saint Benedict: Chapter 20,
Reverence in Prayer
12

The Oblate
THAT IN ALL THINGS GOD MAY BE GLORIFIED
NEWSLETTER OF THE OBLATES OF SAINT BENEDICT
SAINT JOHNS ABBEY, COLLEGEVILLE, MINNESOTA 56321
SUMMER 2014 VOLUME 58, NUMBER 2
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
Non-Profit Org
U.S. Postage
PAID
Collegeville, MN 56321

Inside this issue:
Summer Retreat 1
Letters from Abbot John
and Father Don
2
News Bits / Reports 3-4
Oblate Correspondence
4-5
Father Eric Hollas Blog 6
Prison Ministry
7
Kathleen Norris Article:
From Pentecost to Trinity
8
Recommended Reading 9
In Memoriam 10
Oblate Connection 11
Oblate Director/Editor: Production: Circulation: Printing and Mailing:
Donald Tauscher, OSB Josie Stang Cathy Wieme Mary Gouge


Contact Oblate Office: 320.363.2018 [email protected] www.saintjohnsabbey.org/oblates/