January 2015 Meeting Minutes

Cincinnati Oblate Chapter Minutes January 25, 2015

Attendance: John N. Campbell, Linda Mccarroll, Nick Mccarroll, Clyde Dom, Jo Ann Heming, Kathy Gloeckner, Pat Dom, Linda Faulhaber, Mary Louise Reed, Peyton Reed, Nancy Barnes, Fred Otto, Rosemary Conrad, Ursula Hassel, Margaret Sherlock, James Sherlock, Susan Anderson.

Our meeting opened with introductions and reading of the Mission Statement. Sunday Second Vespers of Week Three were prayed/chanted together.  Sunday’s Gospel Matthew 25:31-46 was used for Lectio Divina.

Our Nov. 23 minutes were approved with the corrected last paragraph from Bro. Frances about the Abbey windows that is located after the January 25 minutes.

Nick McCarroll reported our chapter balance as $13.00 after mailings and purchase of Liturgy of the Hours books for guest use.

Pat Dorn plans to contact members about an updated member communication list.       We congratulate Peyton and Mary Louise Reed on their final oblations at St Meinrad on December 13, 2014.   Laurie Wallhauser continues to make healing progress  with in-home  and out- patient therapy  with her husband  Chris' support.  Ron DeMarco is healing at home from carpel tunnel surgery.

Video Conference 7/8 Overview of Selections from the Holy Rule:

We completed Father Harry Hagan's retreat conference series on St. Benedict 's Rule today.  Chapters 1-7 give the theological basis of the Rule.  Chapters 8-20 give St. Benedict 's structure for the Liturgy of the Hours. We are reminded that as Benedictines our prayer is the work of God done for God but God also works on us through prayer to develop a new shape for us. We pray inside and outside with the cosmos as the world turns and we unite our minds and hearts together.

Chapter 34 warns against murmuring and complaining because this brings dampness and rust to the community morale. Chapter 53 reminds that reception of guests brings the world to the monastery so that different cultures can add to ferment to keep the monastery open to the world and not enclosed on itself.

Conference 8 on Chapter 72 is basically a summary of the "Rule in the Rule." Lines 4-8 in Father Harry's translation focus on Love and the orientation toward other persons and away from self. We need to be obedient to the Abbot, to one another, and to ourselves. 72: 11 reads "Let them prefer absolutely nothing to Christ" and is followed by 72:12 "and may he lead us all together to everlasting life." The Benedictine idea is that eternal life has begun here as we follow the Benedictine way of life given to us in the Rule. Fr. Harry closed with a commentary from St. Cyprian on the Lord's Prayer from which St. Benedict drew the line, "Let them prefer nothing whatever to  Christ."

Our meeting closed with praying the Our Father together and with shared social time.

Submitted by Susan Anderson

Correction to November 23 Minutes: 

I have to add one last comment that Br. Francis said which to me really hits home about during our day of praying the Office with the monks of St. Meinrad. At the monastery during the reciting of the Divine Office, there are choir stalls of monks who alternate the singing of verses of the psalms. As this is happening, Br. Francis looks up and sees in the center of the rose window above the Prior’s side of choir stalls is a hand signifying God the Father. In the center of the rose window above the Abbot’s side of choir stalls is Christ. And in the center of the rose window above the main entrance to the church is a dove signifying the Holy Spirit. So, the way everything is laid out, you have God the Father and God the Son conversing back and forth with one another (choir stall to choir stall), with the Holy Spirit running down the center of the church and in between the choir stalls. All of it together forms a cruciform design. When we place ourselves in that configuration (as monks or as guests), we participate in the Triune God’s holy conversation as one voice on behalf of the entire world. What a beautiful description by Br. Francis, and I believe that when we pray from home, we too add our voices in prayer in unison with those of the monks and guests, all as one.

Thank you Br. Francis!

Submitted by Ron DeMarco