Oklahoma City Holds Annual Retreat

From February 28 to March 2, I attended the Oklahoma City Region's annual three-day retreat, hosted at the Catholic Pastoral Center.

As joyously expected, our confreres provided a spectacular educational and inspirational retreat at this well-accommodated retreat house. The opportunities this year included spiritual growth in living the Order of Malta charisms by and through better understanding the charisms themselves and three marks of the Order: sovereign, military, and hospitaller.

The retreat master was the Rev. Joseph M. Rampino, parochial vicar at St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Arlington, Virginia and an associate chaplain in the Federal Association. Father Rampino provided a confluence of Latin class, history of the Order, and reflections on the motto Tuitio Fidei et Obsequem Pauperem and the marks of the Order over four sessions. Moreover, he educated retreatants in the evolution of the Order’s charism over time. His presentation was that of a practiced lecturer, confident in his instruction to the class. We as participants left each session inspired.

As to the content itself, we first learned about the wording of the motto and why its originators—with input from both Blesseds Gerard and Raymond du Puy, among others—specifically chose Tuitio as the verb meaning "defense" and Obsequem meaning "service" for our lords the sick and the poor. In the second session, the focus was the importance of sovereignty in accomplishing these charisms, how the Order came to be sovereign, and how its sovereignty continues to serve its functions, rather than devolving into a mere NGO. In the next session, Father focused on why we were--and still are--a military order beyond merely a sense of a call to arms. Finally, he reviewed various forms of hospitality and their respective meanings to confreres: hospitality, hospital, hostel, hotel, and hosting all had the same origins. The concepts for those early knights and dames included Xenia and Xenocpa, moving our works beyond helping just the physically infirm. Still further, we considered how the OKC Region itself exemplifies these classroom lessons.

The region's members have fostered an atmosphere that grows the familial love among confreres, auxiliaries, and other guests. The common bonds of Christ, confraternal devotion, and the charisms of the Order were on display. More than just attendance, the retreatants had the opportunity to live in community--albeit, briefly—promoting and enhancing their spiritual development in solidarity with each other.

Our brothers and sisters in Oklahoma City ensured that we had everything needed for an excellent retreat: a brilliant retreat master, a comfortably furnished classroom, delicious and hearty meals, and tasty refreshments and libations for socializing. The guest rooms provided a setting of comfortable tranquility on the gorgeous plains and rolling hills of the countryside, allowing retreatants opportunities to contemplate the lessons presented. The ambiance of the OKC retreat heightened the experience for fostering a closer relationship with God.

With the new constitution of the Order of Malta requiring an annual three-day retreat for members of the third class, retreats like this in Oklahoma City are an opportunity to live the charisms of the Order in community.