Sunday, November 15, 2015

April 2015 Meeting Minutes

Cincinnati Oblate Chapter Minutes
April 26, 2015


Attendance:
Barbara Hanlon, Tom Dwyer, Nick McCarroll, Linda McCarroll, Linda Faulhaber, Joann Heming, Bryan Miller, Scott Alt, Clyde Dorn, Pat Dorn, Susan Anderson, Jerry Etienne, Ron Lillie, John Campbell, Fr. Joseph Cox, OSB, Kathy Gloeckner.


Our meeting opened with reading of the Mission Statement. Second Sunday Vespers of Week Four was prayed together. Lectio Divina was shared together using John 10:11-18.


The Minutes of the March 29 meeting were approved.


Nick McCarroll stated that our current chapter balance is $95.00. We owe $75.00 to Fr. Joseph for today’s visit and $64.00 ($25.00 postage and $38.00 replacement thermos) to Pat Dorn.


New Business: Pat Dorn reminded us about the annual Day of Reflection which is May 16 in Columbus. E-mail registration forms have been sent.


Conference: “Humor in the Rule of St. Benedict” by Fr. Joseph Cox, OSB

Fr. Joseph began with a series of jokes including a little girl with questions at a wedding: Did the bride change her mind since she began with one man and left with another? Why does the bride wear white? When she was told that white was a sign of joy, she then asked: Why does the groom wear black?


Fr. Joseph referred to the Prologue, and Chapter 4: v.53-54, Chapter 6, Chapter 7: v. 61, and Chapter 49 for reminders that St. Benedict encourages perspective and a sense of humor as a valuable gift to mental health.


The goal of silence is respect for others and not for insulating self. We need to listen for the voice of God and not consume space with our own ego but learn to listen to others and talk quietly. In our culture with increased information but decreased reflection, the heart can become numbed.


Humor needs to be taken seriously with humility and not become inappropriate or cruel at the expense of others. Peaceful radiant smiles in prayer remind us of the resurrected Jesus and of our Lady’s appearances such as at Lourdes. Laughter is not linked with foolishness but with the saints who were joyful people.


In Chapter 49 about Lent, St. Benedict refers to joy twice as looking forward to Easter. In the Rule there are ten reasons to decrease sadness and immoderate laughter is discouraged. Christian faith encourages us to live the Gospel in fullness. Humor is inevitable in our lives as God is in control rather than us so we experience the humor of fallible human nature. We were given cards with St. Thomas More’s “Give me a sense of humor, Lord, and something to laugh about.”


The meeting closed with shared social time.


Submitted by Susan Anderson

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