Who Are The Oblates Of Saint Benedict
An oblate of Saint Benedict is a Christian who seeks to live the wisdom of the Benedictine tradition while remaining in ordinary family, professional, or parish life. Oblates are connected with a monastery through prayer, study, worship, and a formal promise to shape their lives according to the spirit of the Rule of Saint Benedict.
They are not monks, and becoming an oblate does not usually require leaving home, changing employment, or entering religious formation. Instead, oblates bring Benedictine values into the circumstances God has already given them. Their commitment may influence how they pray, work, serve others, use possessions, and respond to the needs of their families and communities.
At the Mother of the Redeemer Monastery in Plaisance, Louisiana, this vocation belongs within an Olivetan Benedictine setting devoted to prayer and community life. The monastery’s website provides a place to learn about its history, liturgy, news, retreats, oblates, and opportunities for deeper contact with the monastic community.
A Lay Calling Rooted In Benedictine Life
The word “oblate” comes from a Latin term meaning “offered” or “given.” In Benedictine usage, it describes a person who offers himself or herself to God through an association with a particular monastery. This offering is a serious spiritual commitment, though it is distinct from the religious profession made by a monk or nun.
Oblates can be married or single, young or elderly, laypeople or members of the clergy. Their circumstances differ, but they share a desire to seek God through a stable pattern of prayer and faithful living. The monastery becomes a spiritual home and a source of guidance, while the oblate remains responsible for living the commitment in daily life.
This relationship is personal rather than merely organizational. An oblate does not simply join a mailing list or attend occasional events. The connection involves an ongoing effort to let Benedictine principles form habits of patience, attentiveness, humility, hospitality, and perseverance.
The Rule Of Saint Benedict In Daily Practice
The Rule of Saint Benedict was written for monks, yet its spiritual insights speak to people in every state of life. Saint Benedict addresses practical matters such as prayer, work, authority, hospitality, correction, silence, rest, and care for the weak. The Rule offers a balanced pattern in which spiritual growth is connected to ordinary responsibilities.
For a lay oblate, applying the Rule does not mean reproducing the monastery’s schedule in a private home. It means receiving its principles intelligently and faithfully. A parent may practice stability by remaining present to family responsibilities. An employee may pursue honest work with care. A parishioner may cultivate attentive listening rather than reacting hastily. A household can become more prayerful through regular times of silence and worship.
Those who want to explore this tradition further can read this guide to the Rule, which connects Benedictine wisdom with the demands of modern life. The Rule’s enduring appeal comes from its realism: it recognizes human weakness while providing a steady path toward conversion.
Promises And Spiritual Commitments
The central act of becoming an oblate is an oblation, or promise of affiliation and dedication. The exact ceremony and preparation vary among monasteries, so anyone discerning this path should learn the local practice from the oblate director or monastic superior. A period of instruction and discernment commonly comes before the promise.
An oblate normally commits to a pattern of daily prayer suited to personal responsibilities. This may include the Liturgy of the Hours, Scripture reading, the Rosary, lectio divina, participation in Mass, or another form of regular prayer. The aim is consistency and deeper awareness of God, rather than an unrealistic burden of devotional practices.
Oblates also seek to participate in the sacramental and liturgical life of the Church, cultivate moral discipline, and support the monastery through prayer and practical assistance. Their promise is lived gradually. Like monastic life, oblation is less about a single emotional decision than about returning faithfully to the search for God.
What Oblates Share With Monks
Oblates and monks are united by a common Benedictine spiritual heritage. Both are encouraged to seek God, listen carefully, practice humility, and allow prayer to shape every part of life. Both may draw nourishment from the Rule, the Psalms, the Eucharist, sacred reading, and the rhythm of the Church’s year.
The difference lies in the form of the vocation. Monks live in a monastery under an abbot or prior, follow a common schedule, and make religious vows according to their community’s discipline. Oblates live outside the cloister and ordinarily retain their existing family, work, parish, and civic obligations.
This distinction does not make the oblate commitment casual. A person may be deeply faithful to Benedictine spirituality without becoming a monk. The monastery and the oblate support one another: the monastic community offers prayer, teaching, and an example of consecrated life, while oblates extend Benedictine values into homes, workplaces, parishes, and wider society.
| Aspect | Monastic Life | Oblate Life |
|---|---|---|
| Place of life | Monastery or religious house | Home and ordinary community life |
| Formation | Religious formation within the community | Oblate preparation with local guidance |
| Commitment | Religious vows and community observance | Oblation and a Benedictine way of life |
| Daily rhythm | Common prayer, work, and monastic discipline | Prayer and practice adapted to personal duties |
| Relationship with monastery | Permanent membership in the community | Spiritual affiliation and ongoing support |
| Primary witness | Consecrated communal life | Benedictine faithfulness in the world |
A Spiritual Family Of Prayer And Service
A healthy oblate community provides companionship for people who may otherwise feel isolated in their search for a more deliberate spiritual life. Meetings can include prayer, formation, discussion of the Rule, Scripture, saintly examples, and conversation about applying Benedictine principles to current responsibilities.
Oblates may also assist with monastery events, retreats, hospitality, communications, or charitable work, according to their abilities and the needs of the community. Such service is not a requirement to earn spiritual standing. It is a natural expression of gratitude and belonging, carried out with humility and respect for the monastery’s priorities.
Prayer remains the heart of the relationship. Oblates pray for the monks, for vocations, for the Church, and for the needs entrusted to the monastery. The monks, in turn, remember their oblates in the community’s prayer. This exchange creates a bond that can continue even when distance or circumstances prevent frequent visits.
Signs That Oblation May Be Your Vocation
Discernment begins with a desire for a more stable and prayerful life, but desire should be tested through time, instruction, and honest reflection. A person may be drawn to oblation because Benedictine spirituality offers a way to unite contemplation with family life, work, parish service, and responsibility in the world.
It is wise to visit a monastery, attend liturgy when possible, speak with an oblate, and learn how the local program is organized. Quiet observation can reveal whether the community’s prayer, teaching, and manner of life provide the spiritual environment needed for growth. The monastery’s photo gallery offers a glimpse of the setting at Mother of the Redeemer, while an in-person visit can provide a fuller sense of its atmosphere.
Consider these practical signs during discernment:
- A steady desire to seek God through prayer rather than temporary enthusiasm.
- Respect for the Church, the Rule, and the monastery’s authority and tradition.
- Willingness to grow in humility, patience, obedience, and hospitality.
- A realistic plan for prayer that can be practiced amid family and work duties.
- Readiness to support the monastery without treating it as a substitute for one’s vocation in the world.
Beginning A Relationship With The Monastery
Someone interested in becoming an oblate should begin by contacting the monastery and asking about its current formation process. The community can explain eligibility, meetings, preparation, liturgical participation, spiritual direction, and the form of oblation used locally. It is important to receive clear guidance rather than assuming that every Benedictine monastery follows identical customs.
A visit can be fruitful even when a person is not yet ready to make a commitment. Attending prayer, spending time in silence, joining a retreat, or speaking with a monk may help clarify the difference between admiration for monastic life and a genuine call to Benedictine affiliation. Discernment can remain gradual, prayerful, and free from pressure.
For people who cannot visit often, regular participation may include praying for the community, studying the Rule, keeping contact with the oblate program, and living faithfully within their own state of life. The purpose is always conversion: becoming more attentive to God and more generous toward others.
The path of an oblate begins with a simple but demanding orientation of the heart: to seek God faithfully in the place where one has been called to live. Those drawn to this Benedictine vocation can explore the life and ministries of Mother of the Redeemer Monastery, arrange a visit, and contact the community about prayer, retreats, liturgy, and oblate formation.