Resources for reading the Parable of the Lost Son (Prodigal Son) Luke 15:11-32

Herd of sheep, Syria.  By Aristock.  Used subject to license.

The Oblate novice class should continue reading the Rule of Saint Benedict, but we should also read the Parable of the Lost Son (Prodigal Son) for the next class.  We are to especially focus on the elder son.

Here are study resources for the parable.  These are personal notes -- not from the Prior.  If you have any other resources, please post them in a comment to this blog.

BIBLE VERSIONS OF THE PARABLE Luke 15:11-32

Haydock’s Douay-Rheims with extensive commentary

Revised Standard Version at BibleGateway.com

New American Bible at Vatican website. With concordance links. 

COMMENTARY AND NOTES

From Saint Vincent Archabbey
   
From Christ in the Desert

CHURCH FATHERS

"For it were not seemly that we, after the fashion of the rich man's son in the Gospel, Luke 15:11 should, as prodigals, abuse the Father's gifts; but we should use them, without undue attachment to them, as having command over ourselves. For we are enjoined to reign and rule over meats, not to be slaves to them. It is an admirable thing, therefore, to raise our eyes aloft to what is true, to depend on that divine food above, and to satiate ourselves with the exhaustless contemplation of that which truly exists, and so taste of the only sure and pure delight." Source at New Advent, Clement of Alexandria.

IN THE LITURGICAL CYCLE IN THE EAST

Septuagesima

(Latin septuagesima, the seventieth).

"Septuagesima is the ninth Sunday before Easter, the third before Lent known among the Greeks as "Sunday of the Prodigal" from the Gospel, Luke 15, which they read on this day." From New Advent on Septuagesima

EWTN 6:30 pm today Saint Benedict

Saint Benedict by monk at St. Leo Abbey

EWTN 6:30 pm today, April 23, 2013, has a program on Saint Benedict.  The TV special is part of a series on the Founders of Church Orders.

The show on Saint Benedict describes the life and especially the times and culture in which Saint Benedict lived. 

Historical events are depicted and commentary is provided by several experts.  Has English subtitles.

One of the best 30-minute overviews on Saint Benedict, the patron saint of Europe.

 
  

New Saint Leo Abbey Oblate website

Abbey bell tower windows

Oblates, novice Oblates, visitors and anyone interested in learning about Saint Leo Abbey's Oblate program have a new web site.  It is saintleoabbeyoblates.info

The new site answers the four first questions many people have when they first hear there has been a Benedictine abbey in Florida since 1889 and that the abbey has an Oblate program for lay men and women: 

    1. What is an Oblate?

    2. Is there an introductory overview of the entire Oblate program?

    3. What are specific programs and activities of the Oblates of Saint Leo Abbey?

    4. How do I become a novice Oblate and then an Oblate?

Novice class will meet in the Mary Chapel

Mary Chapel in 2012 as it was being renovated

The Oblate novice class met in the Mary Chapel on April 7, 2013, and the Prior liked the setting so much he decided to begin holding all novice classes in the Mary Chapel.  

The Mary Chapel is to the right after you exit the elevator on the third floor of the abbey.
 
As the renovated and beautiful Mary Chapel has more visitors, its use by groups such as the Oblate novices is likely to increase.  

The Oblate class will continue to meet in the Lake Room.


  

Abbey Schedule

EGO DOMINUS ET MAGISTER
I am the Lord and Master
John 13:13
Click on picture to enlarge

Abbey Schedule

Holy Saturday: 8:30 pm Easter Vigil

Easter Sunday: Because the abbey celebrates Easter Vigil, the abbey does not celebrate with another Mass during the day.

Easter Week: Monday - Saturday

     Morning Prayer: 7:30 am

     Mass: 8:00 am

____________________
Footnote:

Picture is mosaic above abbey church door at Saint Leo Abbey.
 

Father James Hoge died March 16, 2013 - age 96

Father James Hoge

From Abbot Isaac March 18, 2013:

Dear Friends,

With sadness I want to inform you of the passing of Fr. James Hoge, O.S.B. While he was on vacation, he suffered a severe blow to the head as a result of a fall. His friend brought him back to the Abbey and as he was exiting the car he became disoriented and had difficulty breathing and his friend took him to the E.R. at Florida Hospital in Zephyrhills. The result of a thorough examination, including a brain scan  discovered a massive hematoma, blood was leaking into the brain and the conclusion was the condition was beyond any form of neurosurgery and terminal. Fr. James passed away on Saturday, March 16, 2013 at 2:30pm, he was 96 years old. May the Lord cradle him in his loving arms and may he rest in peace.

Father James was the sixth eldest of seven girls and two boys and was the last to go home to God. He was a man of wisdom and accomplishment, he witnessed many things in his long and productive life both here at Saint Leo Abbey and in the world around him. He has the distinction of being the only monk who knew all six of the Abbots.

During his 75 years of service to the church, he worked in many parishes, founded 7 ( 5 in Citrus County) and 2 Catholic schools.

We invite all to join with the monastic community in celebrating the life of Fr. James. The Wake will take place in the abbey church on Friday, March 22nd at 6:30pm and the Funeral Mass on Saturday, March 23rd in the abbey church at 10:00am.

May he rest in peace,

Abbot Isaac and the monastic community.
 

Pope Benedict XVI and the work of God

Saint Leo Abbey in 1950s or 1960s

In Pope Benedict XVI's final General Audience of his pontificate on February 27, 2013 in Saint Peter's Square, Rome, Italy, he said:

“I am not returning to private life, to a life of travel, meetings, receptions, conferences and so on. I am not abandoning the cross.  I will remain in a new way at the foot of the Crucified Lord.

“I will no longer vest the power of office for the government of the Church, but in the service of prayer I remain, so to speak, in the vineyard of Saint Peter. Saint Benedict whose name I bear as Pope, is a great example of this. He showed us the way to a life which, active or passive, belongs wholly to the work of God.”

The Pope was speaking about the divine office, the liturgy of the hours, the opus dei -- the work of God which is the heart of the Rule of Saint Benedict, chapters 8 - 19.

As Benedictine Oblates we seek to follow the Rule of Saint Benedict as our state in life allows. And even though Oblates may not be able to do all the daily prayers of a monk, the life of an Oblate is “a life which, active or passive, belongs wholly to the work of God.”

Benedictine Spirituality

Arch over church door
Saint Leo Abbey, Florida

Balance
Reading
Stability
The divine office
The Rule of Saint Benedict
   
Listening
Humility
Obedience
Purity of Heart
Seek God (Quaerere Deum)

Silence (stillness and quietness of heart)
Renouncing our own will
Seeing Christ in everyone
Consecrating all time to God
Praying without ceasing

Conversatio Morum (monastic fidelity)
Work
Detachment
Lectio Divina
Awareness of our death

The list is in Introverted (or Inverted) Parallelism. Defined.

Layout of blog reorganized & Prayer & Lent

The blog was reorganized today.  The buttons that were at the top of the page are now along the right side.

More pages are going to be used in the blog and there just wasn't enough space at the top. The text describing the blog was shortened, also to clean up the top.

A new email system will be used to send information to everyone on the Saint Leo Abbey Oblate email list and the ability to use additional blog pages will be essential for the new system to work effectively.  The new email system is easier to use and the emails will have a more consistent appearance.

As I revised the blog's layout, I reread Abbot Isaac's piece On Prayer.  It is also linked on the right side.  Well worth an additional read now as we move into Lent 2013. 

Oblate Christmas Party December 9, 2012

Ana, who wrote the name tags, Zoila, Hector and daughter

Ana greeted everyone and provided some pretty name tags as we entered the Lake Room for the Christmas party.

[You can click any picture to enlarge it.]

The monks decorated the tree, the Lake Room, and the Coffee Room -- thank you monks.