We have a monthly meeting to support those who are involved in the Benedictine life, including oblates from  the two Anglican Benedictine Communities in Australia. the meetings are usually held at St George’s. We try and meet once a month to provide a support for those who are called to follow the Benedictine way whilst living in the world.

Our next meeting of our Benedictine oblates will be on Thursday 19 March, 2026.

This is a good little clip about oblates from PBS in the USA.

Extract from the Guidelines for Oblates

In June 1971, a group of Directors of Oblates came together at St. Procopius Abbey, Lisle, Illinois, to consider how Benedictine Oblates might best be served in the light of Vatican II. One year later a second meeting was held, this time at St. Mary’s Abbey, Morristown, New Jersey, to review papers that had been written in the interim and to exchange ideas pertinent to Benedictine Oblates.

The second meeting resulted in a document of Guidelines for Oblates of St. Benedict, and this document has since been generally endorsed by a considerable number of Directors of Oblates in North America. It is intended to serve as both Constitution and Guidelines for the spiritual life of Oblates, and it is hoped that its availability will assist all Directors of Oblates in their efforts to interest men and women who, while retaining their position in the world, wish somehow to identify with a given Benedictine monastery or convent.

Constitution

1. Oblates of St Benedict are Christian men and women admitted into spiritual union and affiliation with a Benedictine community of monks, nuns, or sisters so that they may share in the spiritual life, prayers, and good works of the community.

2. Oblates do not usually live in the monastic house of the community, yet they remain one with the community while they continue faithfully to carry out the duties of their particular state in life and occupation, wherever they may be. We are therefore not concerned here about those who wish to live as Oblates with the community in the abbey or convent itself. Such cloistered Oblates must qualify for community life, be accepted by the vote of the community, and be ready to work and pray under the same conditions as the monks, sisters, and nuns themselves.

3. Within the framework of their daily lives in the world, Oblates strive to lead full Christian lives enlightened by personal efforts to understand Christ’s teaching in the Scriptures as interpreted by St Benedict in his Rule for monks. Oblates are guided and inspired by their continued spiritual association with the monastic community.

4. Oblates are a “spiritual arm” of the Benedictine community, reaching out into all areas of life, seeking to share with others what they themselves gain as Oblates of St. Benedict. Their affiliation with a community of monks or Benedictine women is not therefore for their own personal good alone. It is chiefly by their Christian example, even by their very presence among others, that they hope to bring St Benedict’s ideal of service to God and man into the world where they live and work.

5. Since Oblates of St. Benedict primarily offer themselves for the service of God and others, they will therefore strive for God’s honour and glory before all else, keeping in mind the Benedictine motto: “That in all things God may be glorified.”

Oblates New sheet for April

The Benedictine GROUP

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Daily Rule, Daily Office, Sacramental Life

In so far as our state of life allows

The Second Week of Easter, 16 April, 2026

The reading from the Rule today was from Chapter 61: How Pilgrim Monks are to Be Received (6-14), while the Gospel was from Acts 5:27-33 and John 3:31-36. In the Rule, Benedict has changed his attitude from the start of the Rule about those detestable monks, Gyrovagues and Sarabaites who have no stability, to here, where those who are possible members of a community, who have stayed and might even offer new advice. In Acts, the apostles have changed from a frightened group hiding from the authorities behind locked doors to instead boldly standing before the council and contradicting them – how much has changed! In John we are warned that those who do not believe will see the wrath of God.

Themes throughout these readings are fear and change. New members of a community can bring advice and change, sometimes not always good. In our discussions we remembered a woman who visited the Convent at Wangaratta who brought a myriad of coloured raiment and prayers and wanted the whole community to change to her way. She didn’t last, as she was not willing to share but to dominate.  In Acts the Apostles have lost their fear and in John we are warned that those who do not know God will fear the end.

For me I find the best way of tackling the notion of the fear of God is that it is, as we are told, the beginning of wisdom. Maximus the Confessor, the great Greek theologian, explained once that we can move through different stages as Christians. We could be a slave, living in fear of God, fearing punishment like a slave working for a harsh master. We could be a servant, working for God for wages, in a transactional relationship, not for money but for returns – if I go to church and say my prayers then God won’t bring me misfortune or will reward my life with a fortune. The heresy of the prosperity Gospel is based on this.  But God wants us to be his children, Our Lord has given us his own prayer where we pray to Our Father, as a child, God loves us and we follow out of love in return.

The Apostles have moved to a full love of God, and therefore will ignore the fear of the world, as the love of God has driven out their fear. But those who do not know God as Our Lord talks about in John, still live in fear, as they do not know love. In the Rule, learning to accept new members is an act of love, not fear, and also learning when change is needed by listening to those who come to our communities.

We had eleven for mass today and five stayed for mass. A reminder that we will renew vows and take on new members discerning and novice oblations at our annual mass for St Benedict on Saturday, 11 July. Our next meeting will be on Thursday 21 May at 12 noon for mass followed by a shared lunch.

Joan Teresa has also had an interview done by Annabel Crabb of the ABC and we hopefully will see it available soon on YouTube.

We briefly passed on news we had heard from our oblates interstate and note that the Victorian Oblates are seeking anew chaplain still.

Our next meeting will be at St George’s on 21 May at 12 noon. 

God bless,

Fr Scott.