Oblati

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term referring to individuals, usually in a religious context, who offer themselves to a monastic life without taking full vows
2. Denoting those who are affiliated with a religious order but remain living in the secular world, often contributing to the community
3. Identifying the laypeople who commit to supporting monastic communities or engaging in spiritual practices affiliated with a specific order

Etymology: "Oblati" is the plural of "oblate," and it comes from the Latin "oblatus," the past participle of "offerre," meaning "to offer" or "to present." The Latin verb itself combines "ob-" ("toward" or "before") with "ferre" ("to bear" or "carry"), so the underlying image is of something carried forward and set before someone. In the monastic sense, an oblate was originally a person, often a child, who was dedicated or "offered" to a religious community by their family. Over time the term came to describe lay people who attached themselves to a monastery or religious order without taking full vows, sharing in its prayer and spiritual life while living in the wider world.