On becoming an Oblate of Shantivanam

When I was here last year, they announced a fund-raising scheme: “Friends of Shantivanam.” One was invited to commit to making a modest regular payment to the ashram/monastery to help fund expansion of the activities in the local community. Accordingly, I switched one item of my charitable giving. For years I had been giving £5/month to Christian Aid, by way of acknowledging the fact that Christian Aid had paid my £199 air-fare when I first flew to Kenya as a VSO in 1962. I decided that I would now pledge a similar monthly amount to the Father Bede Griffiths Trust for the work of Shantivanam.

I have regularly followed Shantivanam online, and as I navigated the complex tabs of the website, I somehow stumbled on the fact that there was to be a “Gathering of Friends and Oblates” at the ashram in December. This was the first time I heard the word “oblate”. 

Saint John's Parish Church Harrow Greenhill where I was confirmed ages ago

Age 12 - Confirmation Classes

I remembered the phrase “alms and oblations” from confirmation classes, - something to do with making a personal and financial commitment to the Church, in exchange for the sacramental Grace of the Eucharist. Imagine a group of pubescent boys and girls struggling to absorb this kind of theological jargon, together with listening to a rather shy deacon skirting around issues of adolescent sexual purity. Yes, confirmation classes were a window on a whole new world, and the window opened wider, week by week – mostly outside the confines of the confirmation classes.

That deacon could have been the source of a wealth of forbidden knowledge to us, but he played a straight bat, and all I now remember about oblations was that this was a posh word for the money in the collection plate.  I tried to make an etymological connection between oblations and oblate, and though the logical link could perhaps be to voluntary human sacrifice, that didn’t really fit the Middlesex liturgy of St John’s, in Harrow. Consequently, sometime earlier this year, I started Googling and delving into Wikipedia, to try and clarify the function of an Oblate.

I soon discovered that becoming an oblate is a way of increasing one’s connection to a monastic group, while remaining in normal society, and not relinquishing any of the trappings of family, marriage, profession etc. It involves a form of commitment to the principles of Benedictine life, but does not impose specific demands in terms of daily services, etc. 

Sacrifices

While in some areas of my life I have struggled to make disciplined commitments (I struggle with the idea of almost any kind of physical exercise and exertion) there are other areas where I find I can take on challenging personal impositions. I have forsworn alcohol several times in recent years, most recently going “Sober for October” and raising money for charity by doing so. The Oblate commitment at Shantivanam is different, however, because it is broader and makes a more general demand. Shantivanam  Oblates are not necessarily Christian; but they do commit to living in accordance with the Rules of Benedict. “This moderation manifests itself in the use of goods of this world, an increasing concern for their neighbour and in the way they temper and direct their desires.” Oblates of Shantivanam must include study and meditation in their daily life, and must be open to the spiritual values and cultural traditions of religions other than Christianity. They must live a life of detachment and, in all aspects of their life, they must work for peace.

There were three of us who made our commitment on December 17^th and I found myself reflecting on how many times in my life I have actually had to take on a formal pledge. I think the first time would be when I became a “Wolf Cub” (Cub Scout) and had to hold the totem pole while I made my Boy Scout promises. When I became a full member of my Bible Class as a young teenager, I declared my belief about the Bible being the “whole and entire word of God.” I was none too happy to declare that then, and I certainly could not swear that belief today. Since then I have taken marriage vows, signed credit agreements and mortgage papers, made a declaration to obtain a passport, but when I thought about my declaration to become an oblate, it felt like one of the most important commitments I had ever made.

For one thing, this was not an agreement binding me to a deal with any external institution; this was very much something I was doing for myself, and all that would hold me to it –would be me and my conscience.

Now, in the coming months, I shall just have to see what my word is worth.