Oblates

What is Oblation?
- Brother Sixtus Roslevich, Director of Oblates, offers a timely portrayal of what it means to be an oblate of Portsmouth Abbey. One of the “many different paths which lead to the monastery,” Sixtus was himself an oblate before entering full monastic life, a vocation he began to discern as a young child. As Advent leads us to reconsider our own lives of faith, he offers us an outline of oblation as an offering to God.
  
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Benedictine Oblates of Portsmouth Abbey
- Lay oblates are a particular way in which a monastic community is able to share the fraternal communion of its life with lay people who seek to leaven the dough of their ordinary lives and their service of the mission of the local church with the yeast of Benedictine wisdom. They have responded to a call, been through a process of discernment and formation, and have made a promise to witness to Benedictine life in their homes, at work and in the local church. The part that oblates play in the individual communities where they make their oblation varies, but the mutual witness of prayer and the sharing of the testimony of lives that look to the Rule to support them is an encouragement to the monastic communities, and is a sign of the vitality of Benedictine life in the local churches.
  (from "To Prefer Nothing to Christ," The Catholic Truth Society)
- History of Oblates
  
  Before he founded the Priory of Saint Gregory at Portsmouth in 1919, Dom Leonard Sargent, an American member of Downside Abbey in England, formed an Association of the Clients of Saint Benedict, the purpose of which was to pray and help in the establishment of a monastery of the English Benedictine Congregation in this country. Their prayers and encouragement were effective, a priory was duly founded, and this group formed the nucleus of the Oblates which continues to this day.
- What is an Oblate?
  
  Oblates are a type of confraternity with a special devotion to the Rule of Saint Benedict, applying its spirit and principles to their lives in the world, outside the cloister, in so far as this is possible. The word oblate means one who offers oneself (to God) through enrollment in a monastic house. The Oblate observes the spirit of the Holy Rule in order to deepen a life of prayer and becomes a better Christian in the practice of faith through good works in the love of God and neighbor. By becoming an affiliate with a particular house, the Oblate shares in the spirituality of the community and becomes, in a certain sense, a member of that community, a part of the extended family, as it were.
  
  In the final act of oblation one promises "conversatio morum" (reformation of life), "stability" (remaining attached to the house of profession}, and “obedience” to the precepts of the Christian faith in a more conscientious way. These promises parallel the three monastic vows which every monk takes at profession.
- Oblate duties
  
  The duties of an Oblate are chiefly to devote a period of each day to prayer, lectio divina, and if possible, to attend mass during the week, especially on notable feast days. In addition, one should observe the call to repentance and make a brief examination of conscience each night. Acquaintance with the Rule can be fostered by reading a small portion of it on a daily basis as is done in monasteries.
  
  The principal public prayer of the monks is the Divine Office, consisting of the Hours appointed for each day. Nowadays at Portsmouth these prayers are distributed throughout the day: Morning: Matins & Lauds; Noon: Little Hour; Evening: Vespers; Night: Compline.
- Days of special remembrance for Oblates are: November 21: Feast of the Presentation of Our Lady, Dies Memorabilis of E.B.C.; March 21: Solemnity of Saint Benedict; September 3: Solemnity of Saint Gregory the Great, Patron of Portsmouth Abbey.
  
  The Director of Oblates is now Brother Sixtus Roslevich O.S.B. ([email protected])