Oblate Day 2020: Oblate John Gruidl
by Macomb Oblate John Gruidl
The most important factor in my journey as an Benedictine Oblate has been the notion of community, so I’m going to focus on this concept of community. My initial call to become an Oblate came through my wife, Nancy, who was interested in Benedictine spirituality and also interested in getting out of the house where she was a stay-at-home mom. She began attending meetings with the Macomb oblate group and encouraged me to come along. I participated in a couple of meetings, and when I failed to attend, I would find a sheet of paper in our mailbox the next day summarizing the readings and discussion, courtesy of Linda Jani, our Macomb Oblate coordinator at the time. I remember thinking, “What’s with this person?” “Why does she go through such an effort to inform me of what is happening in the group?” Her persistence intrigued me, so I participated in more meetings. I was taken in by the group’s welcoming spirit, and soon I was a regular participant.
My heart and soul have been touched by our small Oblate community in Macomb. Of course, the wisdom from the readings and the sisters is inspiring, but I have grown to deeply appreciate our oblate gatherings. In pre-pandemic days, we began our gathering by sitting around the dinner table, sharing food and talking about our lives. Next we do lectio together which can be deeply moving, and then discuss the readings. I am always astonished by the insights and experience that fellow Oblates share. Perhaps even more important are the examples set by my colleagues in serving the larger community of which we are a part. For example, one colleague uses musical events to build community and engage fellow musicians while raising funds for local organizations. Another served as a founder and leader of our local food pantry which is managed through a consortium of four churches. Another colleague protects the rights of Hispanic immigrants and recently prevented many from losing their power during the pandemic. Another has led teacher education programs in Latin America, and we also have an oblate with a beautiful voice who serves as cantor at Mass. I am touched by these people who apply Benedictine values in action for the betterment of others in the local community and beyond..
Staying faithful to the Oblate promises is a challenge for me, especially the idea of being obedient to the will of God. I often want things to go the way that I think best, and in the Rule, Benedict admonishes us not to grumble or complain. Community is about solidarity among people, and Benedict understood that grumbling, complaining, and gossiping undermine solidarity and thus community. We have all seen grumbling negatively affect solidarity whether in our families, workplace, or organizations. Benedict was wise on the way community works.
On an individual level, this admonishment not to grumble is valuable in seeking to uphold the promise of obedience. Only by letting go of complaints can I truly listen to what God wants me to do. My mind must be quiet in order to listen to God’s will. I am attempting to be aware of my own grumbling about others, and be more grateful for all the gifts in my life. St. Benedict instructs this practice enables me to move forward in God’s will.
Sister Joan Chittister summed up these ideas about community when she said “It is in community that we come to see God in the other. It is in community that we see our own emptiness filled up. It is in community that calls me beyond the pinched horizons of my own life, my own country, my own race, and gives me the gifts I do not have within me.”