Table of Contents

Contents
Foreword – Notker Wolf    ix
Introduction – Gervase Holdaway    I

Part One The Benedictine World    II
    I  The Benedictine Family
         1 The Life of St Benedict – Robert Atwell    13
         2 The Benedictine Heritage – Derek Vidler    21
         3 The Origins and History of the Oblate Movement – Judith Sutera    31
         4 Being Part of the Benedictine Family – Benedict Gaughan    38
         5 To Go to Rome – Alan Hodgetts    43
         6 To Assemble an Oblate Collage – Rachel Srubas    50
    II  Discerning Your Call
         7 Life Choices – Susan Sink    58
         8 The House of the Lord – Kathleen Norris    63
         9 Suscipe Me, Domine! Uphold Me, Lord! Abba, Daddy, Pick Me Up! – Paul F. Ford    71
    III  The Foundations of an Oblate’s Life
         10 Opus Dei – Simon Jones    81
         11 The Psalms – Simon Bryden-Brook    96
         12 Lectio Divina – Luke Dysinger    107 
         13 Silence – Susie Hayward    119
         14 Prayer – Phyllis Tickle    130
    IV  The Essentials of Benedictine Spirituality
         15 The Rule and the Oblate: Formation in the School of the Lord’s Service – Simon O’Donnell    140
         16 Shaping Holy Lives – Rowan Williams    148
         17 Stability – Nicholas Buxton    159
         18 Obedience – Maria Boulding    168
         19 Moderation: The Key to Permanence – Michael Casey    177
         20 Benedictine Hospitality – Robert Atwell    187

Part Two Living the Oblate Life    195
    V  The Oblate in the World
         21 Was Blind but Now I See – Janice Daurio    197
         22 Creation – Esther de Waal    205
         23 The Oblate Life: Spirituality at Work – Dermot Tredget    210
         24 Cyberspace, Community and the Oblate – Carol Lewis    216
         25 Serving the Local Community – Wil Derkse    221
    VI  The Oblate in the Church
         26 Serving the Local Church – Wil Derkse    226
         27 Building Christian Unity – Maxwell E. Johnson    231
         28 Benedictine Oblates and Interreligious Dialogue – Lucy Brydon    237
    VII  The Oblate in the Home
         29 Marriage and Family – Paul Kennedy    246
         30 The Single Oblate – Loretta Javra    251 
         31 Friendships and Relationships – Michael Woodward    257
         32 Possessions – Ali Wrigley    263
         33 Leisure and the Benedictine Oblate – Ron O’Toole    269
         34 Health and Sickness – Jana Preble and Charles Preble    273
         35 Doors: One Man’s Story of Retirement – Francis Buxton    278
         36 Aging and Death – Charles Preble and Jana Preble    282

Afterword    287

Part Three Resources for Oblates    289
    VIII  Appendices
         Appendix 1 Contributors to The Oblate Life    291
         Appendix 2 List of Selected Monasteries with Oblate Programmes    297
         Appendix 3 Further Resources: Bibliography and Websites    305
         Appendix 4 The Medal of St Benedict    310
         Appendix 5 A Glossary of Benedictine Terms    314