Monday, September 26, 2016

Purpose of Monastic Life



Seeking God
Seeking God above all else is the rootof all the other Benedictine values.
Seeking God is a matter of living inGod’s love and growing in that love. Seeking
God means loving Him with all one’sheart, mind, soul, and strength and, therefore,
following Christ wherever He may leadus. Seeking God is not just a part-time
activity but a full-time, moment-by-momentquest to know how God works in one’s
everyday life and how He leads uslovingly on a lifelong journey of faith. The Oblate
knows in faith that “God is alwayswith us “ (RB 7:23) and is “aware that God’s
gaze is upon [us], wherever [we] maybe” (RB 4:49). Therefore, the Oblate is eager
to surrender to God more and more,with and in Christ, until his or her thirst for
God’s presence is fully satisfied inheaven. This quest for God is undertaken not
only in solitude and private prayerbut also in the busyness of work and amidst a
community of fellow-seekers.