Right after St. Benedict talks about how possessions can take on the power to possess their owner—me!—he turns to the question of how the community distributes necessities, depending upon need. It’s a stretch for me to listen to this passage and let it shape my thoughts about my life, partly because my daily life is…

One of the commitments I have made as a Novice Oblate is to immerse myself in the Rule of St. Benedict. This is a slender book, and my tendency is to read quickly so I can give myself the check-mark for completing the book. But that’s not the spirit that fosters rumination, chewing the wisdom…

A year ago this month, I spent a weekend at the Benedictine Retreat Center in Schuyler, Neb., joining with three other men on a retreat called “Experience the Life of a Monk for a Weekend.” It was an eye-opening and life-changing time for me. The monks with whom we prayed, ate, relaxed, and talked all…