Congregation for Religious
1927
1) The Act of Oblation, made by an Oblate of St. Benedict, is a rite approved by the Church, by which anyone of the faithful living in the world, having been moved by a desire for greater perfection and by a special devotion to the Patriarch of Monks and to his Order, offers himself to God, to Our Savior, to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to our holy Father Benedict. By this act, he spiritually affiliates himself with a Benedictine monastery and its community, in order thereby to live a more perfect Christian life in the world according to the spirit of the Rule of St, Benedict; to share likewise in the spiritual treasures of the Benedictine Order and enjoy the special privileges granted by the Church to Oblates; and to promote, as far as lies in his power, the good of the monastery to which he is attached, and of the entire Benedictine Order.
Declaration: Emphasis should be placed upon the vocational aspect of Oblate life and only those should be admitted to membership who truly seek God and desire to attain perfection under the guidance of the Holy Rule and the Statutes. The Oblate should seek perfection by means of those practices and ideals which are given special importance in Benedictine life: the liturgy, the Divine Office, stability and obedience. Since they are truly members of the monastic family, Oblates share in the commemoration of absent brethren which is made at the conclusion of the Hours of the Divine Office, that they share in the spiritual works of the monks and especially in the daily conventual Mass.
2) The Oblation is not a vow, nor is it irrevocable, but it is a deliberate resolve of the will made before God and man and confirmed by a sacred rite; it is worthy of high respect.
Declaration: Oblates, as dutiful sons and daughters of our Holy Father St. Benedict and adopted children of the monastery, are to love the monastery of their affiliation and are to maintain some contact with it.
3) The faithful of either sex, as well as clerics and priests, may be received as Oblates of any Benedictine monastery by its ruling Abbot or Conventual Prior.
Declaration: Since family life is strengthened when husband and wife possess a common spiritual ideal, both should be encouraged to become Oblates and if possible make their Oblation together. This is significant because the Benedictine life is impregnated with the family spirit.
4) As it is the duty of Oblates to strive with perseverance to lead a more holy life, only those should be admitted to their number who are commendable for their good works and good name.
5) No one under the age of fifteen shall be accepted as an Oblate Novice.
6) About three months after the first application, or even at once if the perseverance of the candidate can be relied upon, they may receive the medal and small black scapular of St. Benedict, the latter, from this time on, always to be worn under the ordinary garments
Declaration: One may receive permission to wear the medal of St. Benedict in the place of the scapular.
7) A year and a day after this investiture, the Oblate Novice shall be allowed to make his final Act of Oblation in the presence of the Abbott or Prior.
8) The Abbot may delegate to any priest, secular or regular, to invest an Oblate Novice or receive his final Oblation.
9) The names of the Oblates shall be preserved in the archives of their respective monastery, so that the monks may the more faithfully remember them before God.
10) For serious reasons, Oblates, if they so wish, may be transferred from one monastery to another by the Abbot of the monastery to which they wish to change, provided they have received the written consent of the Abbot of the monastery they are leaving.
11) The relation between Oblates and the Benedictine Order is somewhat similar to the relationship between the Tertiaries and their respective First Order. Oblates must not be called Tertiaries, because the monastic lawgiver of Monte Cassino wrote only one Rule, and there is but one Order of St. Benedict.
Declaration: Those who made their promises may use the initials “Obl. O.S.B.” or Obl. SB.” after their name in private correspondence.
12) In addition to the practice of those virtues on which the whole of the Christian life depends, that is faith, hope, and charity, Oblates should renounce the pomps and vanities of the world, being mindful of the words of our Savior: “You are not of this world” (John 15:19) and should zealously strive to live according to the words of St. Paul: “Our conversation is in heaven” (Philip. 3:20).
13) They shall especially devote themselves to the practice of penance and prayer, the surest foundations of religion.
14) With an utter contempt for pride, they shall, in accordance with the spirit of the vow of poverty, cultivate a warm-hearted generosity towards the poor and unfortunate, and offer their aid in pious causes.
15) They shall carefully observe chastity according to their state of life.
16) They shall keep the days of fast and abstinence prescribed by the Church.
17) They shall have a filial obedience to the Roman Pontiff, to their Bishops and priests, to their own Director, and to other ecclesiastical Superiors.” Nor shall they neglect to obey the civil laws and authorities. In short, though not in any way bound by the law of obedience, they shall wholeheartedly and respectfully submit themselves to all lawful authority.
18) They shall often read and ponder over the Rule of our holy Father Benedict; and by constantly employing the tools of the spiritual craft taught in the Rule, they shall direct all their actions towards acquiring that love which, when it is perfect, ‘casts out fear’ (1 John 4:18).
19) Oblates should know that they must first of all fulfill the duties of the state of life with the utmost fidelity; for to neglect what is necessary in order to take upon oneself extraordinary and more perfect obligations is most strongly to be condemned.
20) They shall highly esteem those religious practices which are incumbent upon all the faithful, such as morning and evening prayers, devout assistance at Mass and other sacred functions on Sundays and holy days, prayers before and after meals, and other similar acts of Worship.”
21) Above all, they must not neglect their family duties upon which the Apostle so strongly insists, saying: “But if any man have not care of his own, and especially those of his house, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” (I Tim. 5:8)
22) “Remembering the precepts of our holy Father Benedict: ‘That nothing is to be preferred to the Work of God’ (RB 43), Oblates of our Order should zealously cultivate a special love for the sacred liturgy. They should take an active interest in all that concerns the beauty and adornment of churches and altars, and in a word, do what they can to preserve and increase the splendor of divine worship.”
23) “Priest Oblates will offer the holy Sacrifice with the greatest care and devotion, and dutifully pray the Divine Office with becoming piety and attention.’ “Lay oblates will, as often as they can, gladly assist at Mass and at the Divine Office chanted by the monks in choir, even on week days, or if this is not possible, they will at least unite with them in spirit.”
24) It is furthermore, very commendable for Oblates to pray either the Divine Office or the Little Office of Our Lady, if this be reasonably possible; for by so doing, they will offer most acceptable prayers to God in the name of the Church, in thanksgiving for favors already received and in petition for new ones.
Declaration The recitation of the Divine Office is to be regarded as the ideal way for the Oblate to participate in the prayers of the Abbey.
25) Among the special devotions which have been approved and recommended by the Church, let Benedictine Oblates give particular preference to the worship of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, and to the adoration of His most Sacred Heart, the secrets of which, we rejoice to say, were first revealed to Saints of our Order.
26) Oblates should, moreover, cultivate a tender devotion to the Immaculate Mother of God, and pay all due honor to the Angels and Saints, in particular to St. Joseph and to our glorious Father Benedict, and to all the Saints of the Benedictine Order. Let them love to pray the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to make the Way of the Cross, and to carry out other pious exercises which are enriched with indulgences.
27) Let them pray earnestly for the triumph of holy Mother Church, for the spread of religion, for the extirpation of heresies and schisms, for the conversion of infidels, for the repentance of sinners, for the perseverance of the righteous, and for the relief of the souls in purgatory.
28) Finally, in order to follow the traditions of our Order, let the Oblates combine their prayer with work, so that they may ever be numbered among the fervent doers of good works.
29) Oblates who recite neither the Breviary nor the Little Office of our Lady, and who do assist at any of the canonical hours, should daily pray the Little Office of the Oblates, or five decades of the Rosary. For a reasonable cause, they may ask the Director of the Oblates to replace these by other shorter prayers.
30) Oblates should, each morning, offer their actions of the day to God in honor of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus, in imitation of the example of St. Gertrude the Great.”
31) They should, each evening, examine their conscience as to the manner in which these actions have been performed.
32) Oblates should consecrate Tuesday of every week to our holy Father Benedict, and even if prevented on other week days, should devoutly assist at Mass at least on that day, or failing in this, should honor their Father by some other good work.
33) Oblates should once each month, meditate for a half hour before the Blessed Sacrament, or at least during one Mass each month.
34) Oblates should receive holy Communion frequently, even daily, upon the advice of their confessor.
35) Oblates should try to attend the meetings and conferences conducted by the Director whenever these take place.
Declaration: To deepen their spiritual life, Oblates are encouraged to make annually a closed retreat, or at least a day of recollection.
36) Oblates should each year renew their Act of Oblation on the feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (November 21), which is the principal feast of the Oblates.
37) In addition, they should keep the feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin (February 2), which was made holy by the oblation of our Savior in the Temple; also the feasts of our holy Father Benedict (March 21), of St. Henry, Emperor (July 15), and of St. Frances of Rome, Widow (March 9), whom they should venerate as their heavenly patrons.
38) Priest Oblates may insert the name of our holy Father Benedict in the Confiteor.
39) Oblates may, if they so wish, be buried in the black monastic habit, scapular, and cincture.
40) Oblates should, finally, know that these Statutes and Rules do not bind under pain of sin, not even venial sin.
41) Oblates should have as their mottoes: “UT IN OMNIBUS GLORIFICENTUR DEUS – That in all things, God may be glorified” and the simple word “PAX – Peace.”