Cincinnati Oblates’ Meeting November 18,2018
Attendance: Fr. Mateo Zamora, OSB, Steve Anslinger, Clyde & Pat Dorn, Nick & Linda McCarroll, Donna Clark, Peyton & Mary Louise Reed, Mark & Mandie Milliron, Linda Faulhaber, Margaret Sherlock, Ron DeMarco
The meeting opened with prayer and introductions.
Fr. Mateo was a parish priest in the Diocese of Lexington for 10 years before becoming a monk. He is from the Philippines. In addition to being a parish priest, he served as one of three lawyers on the annulment tribunal. His position was Defender of the Bond, the one who defends the marriage.
We then read the Mission Statement and prayed Vespers. Prayers for this year’s deceased members – Ron Clark and Debbie Storer – were included.
Lectio : Mark 13:24-32 The coming of the son of man, the lesson of the fig tree
The portion of RB that Ron applied is v. 21, “Clothed then with faith and the performance of good works, let us set out on this way, with the Gospel for our guide, that we may deserve to see him who has called us to his kingdom (1 Thess 2:12)”
Minutes from October 28 were approved. The treasury has $698.
Old Business
Day of Recollection 2020 (which we sponsor): Nick contacted Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center in Norwood. They have a meeting room ($200) and a chapel ($40) available. Ron and Nick will tour the location on 11/21, Mark and Peyton will join them. They allow catering, or bringing our own food. We will ask for May 16, 2020 through the Oblate office.
John Campbell fell, broke his elbow, and is at St. Margaret Hall. His oblation was Jan. 1, 1945. Ron is sending a card he shared with us.
New Business
Holy cards are sent to each chapter with the year’s deceased members listed. Mass intention cards from St. Meinrad go to the family.
Renewal of Oblation cards are due. The are sent by bulk mail, so not all were delivered at the same time. Next October we’ll talk in the chapter about renewals to be done in November.
A suggestion was made to include Benedictine dates of remembrance on our oblate calendar.
We were reminded of Sacred Heart Radio (740AM, 910AM, 89.5FM), and especially of the new program, “Driving Home the Faith” (4-6p.m. weekday afternoons) with Fr. Rob Jack.
Ron is sending a card to Debbie Storer’s daughter (only family member) c/o Dcn. Jerry Etienne, both from St. Mary, Bethel.
Fr. Mateo presented a conference on Accountability, the first of five in this series, to be given to all the chapters.
The meeting opened with prayer and introductions.
Fr. Mateo was a parish priest in the Diocese of Lexington for 10 years before becoming a monk. He is from the Philippines. In addition to being a parish priest, he served as one of three lawyers on the annulment tribunal. His position was Defender of the Bond, the one who defends the marriage.
We then read the Mission Statement and prayed Vespers. Prayers for this year’s deceased members – Ron Clark and Debbie Storer – were included.
Lectio : Mark 13:24-32 The coming of the son of man, the lesson of the fig tree
The portion of RB that Ron applied is v. 21, “Clothed then with faith and the performance of good works, let us set out on this way, with the Gospel for our guide, that we may deserve to see him who has called us to his kingdom (1 Thess 2:12)”
Minutes from October 28 were approved. The treasury has $698.
Old Business
Day of Recollection 2020 (which we sponsor): Nick contacted Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center in Norwood. They have a meeting room ($200) and a chapel ($40) available. Ron and Nick will tour the location on 11/21, Mark and Peyton will join them. They allow catering, or bringing our own food. We will ask for May 16, 2020 through the Oblate office.
John Campbell fell, broke his elbow, and is at St. Margaret Hall. His oblation was Jan. 1, 1945. Ron is sending a card he shared with us.
New Business
Holy cards are sent to each chapter with the year’s deceased members listed. Mass intention cards from St. Meinrad go to the family.
Renewal of Oblation cards are due. The are sent by bulk mail, so not all were delivered at the same time. Next October we’ll talk in the chapter about renewals to be done in November.
A suggestion was made to include Benedictine dates of remembrance on our oblate calendar.
We were reminded of Sacred Heart Radio (740AM, 910AM, 89.5FM), and especially of the new program, “Driving Home the Faith” (4-6p.m. weekday afternoons) with Fr. Rob Jack.
Ron is sending a card to Debbie Storer’s daughter (only family member) c/o Dcn. Jerry Etienne, both from St. Mary, Bethel.
Fr. Mateo presented a conference on Accountability, the first of five in this series, to be given to all the chapters.
There were closing questions, stories of the monastery from Fr. Mateo. Fr. Mateo lead a closing prayer and gave a blessing.
We had a time of hospitality and refreshments.
Summary of Fr. Mateo’s Conference
Accountability is a discipline, the path of a disciple of Christ. It is training, not punishment for sins, but the practice of self-mortification, daily cross.
Definition: Genuine Christian accountability in a Benedictine way is a discipline of mutual openness and obedience in a community of disciples. (RB 71:1-2) . We remember that “we are all in this together”. Obedience is a culture of selflessness; in accountability we owe one another the work of preserving order and harmony.
In common parlance, accountability demands an answer from one person to another, a confrontation. RB does require confrontation with offenders; in the words of Esther DeWaal, “a heart to heart talk”. Accountability is first of all a practice of listening carefully to one another (RB Prologue, “Listen”). Visceral (from “where we store our crap”/guts) confrontations intend hurt, humiliation, getting even. People are angry because they are hurting or afraid. Genuine Christian accountability has to be heart to heart because that’s how love operates. Both parties have to be vulnerable so wounds can be tended to and healed, as relationship.
Christian accountability has reconciliation as its goal, not retribution. Is being right more important than the feelings in the relationship?
Caring about the monastery is what keeps monks there. Breaking rules says you don’t care about the others or the rule. The consequences of excommunication keep you from the very rule of life you care about. For us as oblates, our relationships are also what we care about, for example our marriages.
Submitted by Mary Louise Reed
We had a time of hospitality and refreshments.
Summary of Fr. Mateo’s Conference
Accountability is a discipline, the path of a disciple of Christ. It is training, not punishment for sins, but the practice of self-mortification, daily cross.
Definition: Genuine Christian accountability in a Benedictine way is a discipline of mutual openness and obedience in a community of disciples. (RB 71:1-2) . We remember that “we are all in this together”. Obedience is a culture of selflessness; in accountability we owe one another the work of preserving order and harmony.
In common parlance, accountability demands an answer from one person to another, a confrontation. RB does require confrontation with offenders; in the words of Esther DeWaal, “a heart to heart talk”. Accountability is first of all a practice of listening carefully to one another (RB Prologue, “Listen”). Visceral (from “where we store our crap”/guts) confrontations intend hurt, humiliation, getting even. People are angry because they are hurting or afraid. Genuine Christian accountability has to be heart to heart because that’s how love operates. Both parties have to be vulnerable so wounds can be tended to and healed, as relationship.
Christian accountability has reconciliation as its goal, not retribution. Is being right more important than the feelings in the relationship?
Caring about the monastery is what keeps monks there. Breaking rules says you don’t care about the others or the rule. The consequences of excommunication keep you from the very rule of life you care about. For us as oblates, our relationships are also what we care about, for example our marriages.
Submitted by Mary Louise Reed
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