The new novice receives a candle representing the light of Christ
There is a quiet hum of excitement in the air these days, as our community awaits the clothing day of our senior postulant! Come this Saturday, October 14th, we will have a white-veiled novice in our midst. In preparation for this blessed day which begins her new life in Benedictine monasticism, she is spending five days on retreat; silence and contemplation of her Beloved will be her sole occupation. Then, too, the novice-to-be will challenge herself according to the Rule of St. Benedict, for he lays his expectations out clearly:
“After that let her live in the novitiate,
where the novices study, eat and sleep.
A senior shall be assigned to them who is skilled in winning souls,
to watch over them with the utmost care.
Let her examine whether the novice is truly seeking God,
and whether she is zealous
for the Work of God, for obedience and for trials.
Let the novice be told all the hard and rugged ways
by which the journey to God is made” (RB 58).
As we pray for the newest members of our community, we also ask for prayer for the rest of us—that we may all “truly seek God”, and persevere in this blessed monastic vocation!
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