Newsletter Year: 2020

Perseverance is essential to any worthwhile endeavor. Every wholesome undertaking involves trials which tempt us to give up, and only the grace of perseverance will enable us to proceed on the chosen path despite the hardships. In his instructions concerning the reception of novices and the profession of vows (RB 58), St. Benedict says that newcomers must be tested to see if they have a genuine vocation (58: 1-2); a prospective monk must keep “knocking at the door” (58:3) and “[persist] in his request” to enter the novitiate. During that time of formation as a novice, the new monk must show forth “eagerness for … trials” (58:7) and “be clearly told all the hardships and difficulties that will lead him…

A paradoxical saying that often comes to my mind, attributed to G.K. Chesterton, is, “Everything worth doing is worth doing poorly.” It stands in sharp contrast with the seemingly opposite adage, “Everything worth doing is worth doing well.” Both are true in their proper contexts. Surely, Chesterton was not saying that we should be careless or slovenly in doing the tasks given to us. On the contrary, we should do our very best. However, even when we exert our maximum effort, the results (if we are honest about them) are still somehow flawed. If we have perfectionistic tendencies (as many people seem to have nowadays), then we rarely…

Our whole world has been in a crisis because of the coronavirus. In almost every country stringent measures have been imposed to limit the spread of the virus. Nonessential businesses have been closed; social contacts have been severely limited; travel has been restricted; and certain vulnerable populations, in addition to victims of the virus, have been quarantined. The Church, too, has imposed seemingly harsh remedies in order to counteract the virus and to comply with government regulations. Since mid-March almost all public Masses have been canceled; church organizations have had to cancel or postpone meetings; also, marriages, baptisms, confirmations, and first communions have been postponed; and even the Sacrament of Reconciliation has become almost unavailable. These measures have…

As many of you know, the St. Vincent monastic community is preparing to elect a new archabbot on May 11-14, and we monks expect and appreciate the prayers of the Oblate community. Therefore, it might be a fitting time for Oblates and monks alike to ponder what St. Benedict prescribes as the qualities of a good abbot. Last fall retired Abbot Jerome Kodell of Subiaco Abbey gave us monks some helpful advice about preparing to elect our future abbot, that is, as he said, to choose someone who is best qualified in God’s sight, as best as we can discern. Abbot Jerome commented that the heading for Chapter 2 of the Rule, “What…