I chose to seek full oblation because I want to continue to lead a life and be part of a community that follows the Rule of Benedict. This source of wisdom and spiritual framework is now, as it has always been, counter-cultural in its focus and emphasis. It asks me to listen, to be obedient, to be faithful to a way of life that “will bring you back to God”, which is where I want to be, in God with God in me.

I would add to Vincent's invitation to come. Cost for national communities are less than for the standard retreat. Visitors are entranced by the beauty of the natural surroundings and the buildings. The place itself has a restorative value as well as the prayer life into which visitors are immersed.

We say that meditation comes before action. Meditation has made me aware of gifts I didn’t know I had, and how to use those gifts for the benefit of others rather than for my own needs. The insight that “meditation shrinks the ego and allows the soul to grow into the space that’s left behind” is both true and liberating.