Order of the Brothers of Benedict
The Order of the Brothers of Benedict
Christians over the centuries have found many different ways in which to serve God and His holy Church. Some through marriage and the raising of children in the faith, others by serving as priests, and there are those who feel called to the monastic life.
The “Order of the Brothers of Benedict” is unusual in several different ways:
First, they are a non-cloistered “Shadow Order” order; although they do maintain Priory. This may sound like a contradiction, but really it's not. The Priory establishes physical presence of the order. Being non-cloistered, their monks are expected to act on a missionary basis.
Secondly: OBB is NOT open to membership request; membership is by invitation only. Recommendation by an existing OBB Monk must be submitted. If approved, the candidate is sponsored as a novice.
Thirdly: Their formation differs radically from most religious orders in some respects. The “Order” is under the jurisdictional protection of the Independent Reformed Catholic Church, but retains its own independence as a religious organization. It retains one Priory under the direction of a Bishop Abbot, who is its ultimate superior. Individual groups are called conclaves; conclaves are established groups in each state the order enters and are under the jurisdiction of a state Conclave Master; who in turn is under direction of the Bishop Abbot.
Although OBB could be considered in some respects a contemporary order, and is non-cloistered; their structure is traditional in organizational respects.
Q: What are OBB Monks?
A: Monks of the “Order of the Brothers of Benedict” are men who are admitted into spiritual union and affiliation with the Benedictine monks of the Order that they may share in the spiritual life, prayers, and good works of the order. They are the "spiritual arm" of the community.
Q: What do OBB Monks do?
A: People who become OBB Monks strive to live out their baptismal commitment as Christians in whatever situation they find themselves. The majority of members are clergy; this is by design. However, Our Blessed Lord was a carpenter, Peter a fisherman and Matthew a Tax collector, this being, the door to membership is not closed to non-clergy. Monks are called to continue Christ's work in the community with Him as its head. They strive to bring Christ to the world in the spirit of the Holy Rule of St Benedict.
Q: Yes but what do they actually do?
A: Monks are men of prayer! Drawing on the Holy Rule they draw up their own personal rule of life with the guidance of the Conclave Master. This rule includes the horarium (timetable) for daily prayer, morning, evening and night, regular confession and Holy Mass. Time for spiritual reading and meditation is also very much a part of the Monks vocation, as are times of silence and retreat.
Q: Who can become a OBB Monk?
A: Men eighteen years and over, lay and ordained, whom it is felt has been called to a dedicated and ordered life of prayer in the spirit of the Holy Rule. As has been stated, membership is by invitation. But the final decision is that of the invitee with his acceptance of admission to the novitiate.
Q: If accept, what happens next? The aspirant will be contacted by a representative (sponsor).
A: Those who wish to become novices will be asked to spend some time in prayer, seeking always the will of God. Aspirants begin to familiarize themselves with the Holy Rule and Benedictine ways before being admitted as novices. The novitiate is usually for one year. The actual time will be determined by your Conclave Master and Bishop Abbott. After this period of formation, if the novice, Bishop Abbott and the Conclave Master feels that this is the will of God, then the novice may make their act of initial vows, much the same as Oblation.
Q: After making the act of Initial Vows what then?
A: As with our Christian pilgrimage through life, a Monk’s life is one of constant formation. No Christian is fully developed until the day of his or her glorification in heaven. In a particularly intense way a Monk makes a promise of continual conversion. Monks long for those things that can promote ongoing personal reform according to Gospel values. Therefore they seek to build upon the formation which they experience as novices. Some elements of ongoing formation include:
- Discipline in daily prayer.
- Regular confession and Holy Mass.
- Sacred reading (Lectio Divina).
- Meeting regularly with other Monks and the Master of Conclave for your state when possible.