Becoming Benedictine

On Saturday I took my first official step along the Benedictine path for which I have long felt affinity: I made my petition to become a probationary Oblate of the monastic communities at Turvey Abbey. In a lovely symmetry, a friend made her full oblation at Mass the same day, in a very moving ceremony.

You can find out more about all this my post here. Briefly, a Benedictine oblate is someone who lives a normal life (whatever that is!) in the world whilst formally affiliated to a particular Benedictine monastery, and who follows the spirit of the 6th Century Rule of St Benedict of Nursia.

So I am now what I might refer to as an “L-plate oblate”, and if all goes well in around two years I make my full oblation.

I made my petition at Vespers (evening prayer) on Saturday during an oblate weekend attended by those from Turvey and other monasteries.

During Vespers, we sang Psalm 23, which contains the lines

O gates, lift high your heads;
grow higher, ancient doors.
Let him enter, the king of glory!

This verse (which is repeated twice) struck me forcibly. I was being asked to lift high my head, to expand my heart, for this new part of my journey.

When the time came, the two superiors, Sr Zoe and Br John, stood in front of the altar and I stepped forward to stand in front of them. I was shaking and my heart was pounding. Now, bear in mind that I had to say just one sentence and that I’m used to speaking in public. But this was different; this really meant something, and I was very nervous.

This is the wording and format:

Sr Zoe: What do you ask?

Tess: I ask to be admitted to fraternal union with the monasteries of Our Lady of Peace and of Christ our Saviour, to try your way of life as an extern oblate.

Sr Zoe: This will be granted to you if you are ready to listen to God’s Word as it is communicated to you through Holy Scripture, through the Rule, and through any guidance given to you here.

Br John: My brothers and sisters, let us pray to God the almighty Father for the church, for our monasteries and for this sister of ours who today asked to begin her probation, in order to serve Christ and his Church with greater commitment, according to the spirit of the Rule of our holy father Benedict.

Sr Zoe: O God, from whom every vocation comes, look kindly on your servant and grant that this sister who wants to share our life may know your will, and that we may all be strengthened in your service. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Then she kissed me, handed me a copy of the Rule, Br John shook my hand and I went back to my seat.

The strange thing is, I didn’t expect this step to make much difference. I’ve been associated with Turvey for years; I’m familiar with the Benedictine rule and I’m currently studying it more deeply. But it has made a fundamental difference to the way I feel. The best way to describe it is a sense of belonging that I simply have not known before. As Br John put in my card: “And about time too!”

So I’m very happy with how fitting this seems, and I’ll end by saying thank you to Sr Miriam and Sr Judith, who “run” the oblates. I appreciate your friendship more than I can easily say.

Tagged as: Benedictine oblate