We have been seeing the year 1821 was marked by the gradual expansion of the Missionaries and Eugene\u2019s concern with maintaining the spirit of the foundational charism in the three communities. Paramount to his concern was the proper training of the new members into this charism of oblation for the evangelization of the most abandoned. Their first year of formation was the novitiate. At this time the young oblates did their novitiate at Laus, under the care of Henri Tempier, to whom Eugene wrote about a new novice:<\/p>\n
\n… Have him make a good novitiate, do not be satisfied with appearances, make him practice every kind of virtue, train him in the love of poverty, obedience and entire abnegation of himself, in the spirit of mortification, in humility. What I say regarding him, I equally recommend for all the others\u2026<\/strong><\/h5>\n
If they do not acquire religious virtues while in novitiate, it is all up for the future.<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Letter to Henri Tempier, 18 June 1821, EO VI n. 68<\/em><\/p>\n
\u00a0The formation of the prospective Missionaries concentrated on them being transformed by the values of the Kingdom of God, following the model of Jesus forming his apostles.<\/p>\n
The concept of a \u201cnovitiate\u201d is not limited to vowed religious. Today, an increasing number of the members of the Mazenodian Family have a period of formation and discernment before they make some form of commitment to living oblation in their daily lives. Often the word \u201cnovitiate\u201d is used to describe this process. Whatever name we give to this period of discernment and formation, it is the setting of the foundations for a spirit of ongoing oblation in everyday life.<\/p>\n
Our Rule of Life states<\/p>\n
The novitiate is the candidate’s time of initiation into Oblate religious life and leads to his public commitment in the Congregation\u2026 Under the guidance of the Novice Master, the novice comes to grasp the meaning of religious consecration. He can thus discern the Lord’s call and, in prayer, make himself ready to respond.<\/em><\/p>\n
CC&RR, Constitution 55<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cLife is not worth living unless you live it for the One who gave you life.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>Anya vonderLuft<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We have been seeing the year 1821 was marked by the gradual expansion of the Missionaries and Eugene\u2019s concern with maintaining the spirit of the foundational charism in the three communities. Paramount to his concern was the proper training of … Continue reading