Saturday, October 14, 2017

February 2017 Meeting Minutes

Cincinnati Oblate Chapter Minutes February 26, 2017

Attendance: Margaret Sherlock, Clyde Dorn, Pat Dorn, Rosemary Conrad, Ron DeMarco, John Campbell, Peyton Reed, Mary Louise Reed, Susan Anderson, John Rashe, Linda Faulhaber, Kathy Gloeckner, Beverly Winner, Nick McCarroll, Linda McCarroll, Jerry Etienne, Ron Lillie, Joan Hilton, Lori Wallhausser, Chris Wallhausser, Janis Dopp, Fr. Meinrad Brune, OSB.

Introductions and reading of the Mission Statement opened our meeting. Second Sunday Vespers of Week Four was prayed together. Lectio Divina was shared together using Matthew 6:24-34.

The Minutes of January 2017 were approved and noted to correct the spelling of the name John Cassian. Nick McCarroll reported that our treasury balance as of today is $126.00.

 New/Old Business: The Cincinnati chapter will host the Ohio Day of Recollection in May. Nick McCarroll has notes from what we did when we hasted this event in 2014, and asks anyone interested in helping to sign up with him. There will also be an opportunity to sign up at the March 26 meeting.

Fr. Meinrad spoke of his leaving the role as Oblate Director, which he has enjoyed, but told Fr. Abbot that it was time to step down as director. Fr. Meinrad helped facilitate the appointment of a lay person as his replacement through his encouragement of oblates to take on roles in the community. Fr. Abbot feels it is a good thing to set an example for other monasteries to have a lay person as director of oblates. Fr. Meinrad will be taking a four-month sabbatical and will use some of that time to travel within Indiana. Fr. Meinrad introduced the new oblate director, Janis Dopp. Janis let us know how excited she is to be doing this, and that this move shows how Saint Meinrad is a “visionary house.” Janis who has many years as an oblate and chair of the oblate advisory council asks, “Where will oblate spirituality be in 100 years, and how can we start that spirituality today?”

Presentation by Fr. Meinrad Brune, OSB. Holiness and Benedictine Spirituality. Often we think that holiness is not for ordinary people. We do good because we are holy. We avoid evil because we are holy. In fact, we are holy first and then able to pray. The call to holiness is difficult for each of us. We are becoming holy. Holy works come about by being in union with God. Holiness is union with God. We receive this as a call to community. As oblates it is in our community as true and real prayer in service, deeds of love and active evangelization. Christian values are being attacked today. We all receive the call to holiness. No matter your daily life, you are becoming holy.

There are 4 stages of becoming holy:
1. Baptism, so that we too may live a new life- new birth;
2. this new Christ’s life from Baptism we live right now in our laughter, works at home, in service to God and one another even though ordinary. In this we grow. St. Paul said, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”;
3. This life of Christ calls for our being crucified. Obedient unto death. Dying to self to serve the community. Our share in being Christlike;
4. New life/ Christ life/ crucified life does not die with death! For us, life has changed and Christ calls us home, calls us personally! “I live and you shall live.” Why be an oblate?

We are searching for meaning. But me holy? Hardly. But just loving and serving God by living our ordinary life, in just doing ordinary things we will grow in holiness if we accept them in faith of the hand of God. Holy in our own way we have been called. We fall and get up doing the ordinary things. Being in community as an oblate helps us live out the stages of life. The community gives us support to live our lives.

Submitted by Ron DeMarco

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