After Praise, Mass and a tasty Brunch provided by many of our oblates, the oblates gathered for their seventh meeting of the 2008/2009 session.
What does being an oblate mean to me? Think about it. If you would like to share with the group, just let Marge or Cynthia know. We would like to continue our sharing at each meeting. Mary Schrecengost has volunteered to share. We hope her broken arm is healing well and that she will be able to present at our April meeting. Rosemary has also volunteered to speak. Lois Buesgens will speak at our May meeting.
Today’s gathering began with quiet music, “Speak Lord, may you find your home in me.” Speak Lord I am Listening – Monica Brown
Prayers – John Ringewald is still healing. Mary Schrecengost broke her arm in a fall. Hetty Corrigan’s daughters both have breast cancer. Elizabeth Owens’ husband is not well, she is with him all the time, we continue to pray for them both. Maureen Toy is very ill. The doctors are still diagnosing. Sister Roni has family members laid off and her sister, Claire, is in a good space right now. Father Mast’s mother is coming home in a few weeks. Please keep all of our oblates listed above in your prayers.
LECTIO (see handout attached)
Sister Roni began with a prayer asking us to offer ourselves and asked the Holy Spirit to come. Lectio is listening to the sacred word with the intent to do and with the intent to gain knowledge. Listening is one of our senses. We normally block the senses to the ticking of the clock, bells, birds, and crickets. We don’t hear the crying children, or people screaming. We often miss what we need to hear. Take time, set time aside, just to listen to the sacred word. Make sacred time everyday and make a sacred space. We could use music to start making a space. The space is important. When you need the time away, you’ll soon feel the space and the peacefulness of the space. Time, space, method then… begin Lectio. You can use scripture, Psalms, or other spiritual reading. It’s not about the time you spend, but what you get from what you hear.
How do we know it is the Spirit? When what I hear doesn’t affect my value system. When it does good. When it opens my eyes. When it makes me know of others needs. Stop during the day and take time to see what the results of the morning prayer means. It’s o.k. to sleep; o.k. if it doesn’t mean anything. If you ignore it and it’s important, it will come back.
We will return to a discussion of Lectio again in September or October and talk about our techniques. Remember change means work!
Annual Oblate Retreat - June 19 – 21, 2009 Our retreat leader will be Sister Denise Mosier, O.S.B., Director of Formation of the Benedictine Sisters of Virginia in Bristow , VA.
Our next meeting is Sunday, April 5, 2009 - Palm Sunday.
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