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X-WR-CALDESC:When they are to be received\, they come before the whole c
ommunity in the oratory and promise stability\, fidelity to the monastic l
ife\, and obedience. This is done in the presence of God and the saints to
impress on the novices that if they ever act otherwise\, they will surely
be condemned by the one they mock.\n\nThey state their promise in a docum
ent drawn up in the name of the saints whose relics are there and of the p
rioress or abbot\, who is present. Novices write out this document themsel
ves\, or if they are illiterate\, then they ask someone else to write it f
or them\, but put their mark to it and with their own hand lay it on the a
ltar. After they have put it there\, the novice begins the verse: 'Receive
me\, O God\, as you have promised\, and I shall live\; do not disappoint
me in my hope (Ps 119:116).' The whole community repeats the verse three t
imes\, and adds the Doxology. Then the novices prostrate themselves at the
feet of each member to ask prayers\, and from that very day they are to b
e counted as one of the community.\n\nBenedictine life is rooted in th
ree dimensions: commitment to a community\, fidelity to a monastic way of
life and obedience. It is a life that sees sanctification as a by-product
of human society\, the development of a new way of thinking and living\, a
nd a total openness to the constantly emerging challenges of the God-life
within us. To pursue a Benedictine spirituality\, we must carry our part o
f the human race and allow it to mold and polish and temper us. We are to
be people who see the globe through eyes softened by the gospel. We are to
see change and challenge in life as God's voice in our ears. Benedictine
spirituality goes into the heart in order to embrace the world. It forms u
s differently than the world forms us but it does not attempt to shape us
independently of the real world around us. The whole point of the professi
on ceremony itself is quite the opposite. We are\, in fact\, to make this
commitment consciously and knowledgeably and publicly\, in the presence of
the community\, the communion of saints that are represented by the relic
s of the church\, and the leader of the community. This is a declaration t
hat binds us to others and raises us beyond the changing feelings of the d
ay to the obligations of a lifetime.\n\nIf they have any possessions\,
they should either give them to the poor beforehand\, or make a formal don
ation of them to the monastery\, without keeping back a single thing for t
hemselves\, well aware that from that day they will not have even their ow
n body at their disposal. Then and there in the oratory\, they are to be s
tripped of everything of their own that they are wearing and clothed in wh
at belongs to the monastery. The clothing taken from them is to be put awa
y and kept safely in the wardrobe\, so that\, should they ever agree to th
e devil's suggestion and leave the monastery--which God forbid--they can b
e stripped of the clothing of the monastery before they are cast out. But
that document of theirs which the prioress or abbot took from the altar sh
ould not be given back to them but kept in the monastery.\n\nThis pass
age of the Rule points out in a particularly graphic way that Benedictine
spirituality demands a total change of the way we relate to life. In the f
irst place\, monastics are to depend entirely on the community for their s
upport. They don't bring with them the family wealth and they don't have a
ny claim to personal property\, not even their clothes. They give everythi
ng that they have gained up to the time of their entry into the community
either to the poor or to the monastery itself. From then on\, it is the su
pport of the community and the providence of God upon which they are to de
pend\, not on their savings\, not on their business acumen\, not on their
relatives and connections. From then on they go through life as a people w
hose trust is in God and who are responsible for one another. The purpose\
, of course\, is to free a person forcibly from the agenda of the world. '
Those who have cattle have care\,' an African proverb teaches. We 'can't s
erve God and mammon\,' the scriptures say. The point of Benedictine spirit
uality is that we have to decide\, once and for all\, what we are about an
d then live in a way that makes that possible and makes that real.
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DTSTAMP:20260405T113433Z
DESCRIPTION:When they are to be received\, they come before the whole co
mmunity in the oratory and promise stability\, fidelity to the monastic li
fe\, and obedience. This is done in the presence of God and the saints to
impress on the novices that if they ever act otherwise\, they will surely
be condemned by the one they mock.\n\nThey state their promise in a docume
nt drawn up in the name of the saints whose relics are there and of the pr
ioress or abbot\, who is present. Novices write out this document themselv
es\, or if they are illiterate\, then they ask someone else to write it fo
r them\, but put their mark to it and with their own hand lay it on the al
tar. After they have put it there\, the novice begins the verse: 'Receive
me\, O God\, as you have promised\, and I shall live\; do not disappoint m
e in my hope (Ps 119:116).' The whole community repeats the verse three ti
mes\, and adds the Doxology. Then the novices prostrate themselves at the
feet of each member to ask prayers\, and from that very day they are to be
counted as one of the community.\n\nBenedictine life is rooted in thr
ee dimensions: commitment to a community\, fidelity to a monastic way of l
ife and obedience. It is a life that sees sanctification as a by-product o
f human society\, the development of a new way of thinking and living\, an
d a total openness to the constantly emerging challenges of the God-life w
ithin us. To pursue a Benedictine spirituality\, we must carry our part of
the human race and allow it to mold and polish and temper us. We are to b
e people who see the globe through eyes softened by the gospel. We are to
see change and challenge in life as God's voice in our ears. Benedictine s
pirituality goes into the heart in order to embrace the world. It forms us
differently than the world forms us but it does not attempt to shape us i
ndependently of the real world around us. The whole point of the professio
n ceremony itself is quite the opposite. We are\, in fact\, to make this c
ommitment consciously and knowledgeably and publicly\, in the presence of
the community\, the communion of saints that are represented by the relics
of the church\, and the leader of the community. This is a declaration th
at binds us to others and raises us beyond the changing feelings of the da
y to the obligations of a lifetime.\n\nIf they have any possessions\, t
hey should either give them to the poor beforehand\, or make a formal dona
tion of them to the monastery\, without keeping back a single thing for th
emselves\, well aware that from that day they will not have even their own
body at their disposal. Then and there in the oratory\, they are to be st
ripped of everything of their own that they are wearing and clothed in wha
t belongs to the monastery. The clothing taken from them is to be put away
and kept safely in the wardrobe\, so that\, should they ever agree to the
devil's suggestion and leave the monastery--which God forbid--they can be
stripped of the clothing of the monastery before they are cast out. But t
hat document of theirs which the prioress or abbot took from the altar sho
uld not be given back to them but kept in the monastery.\n\nThis passa
ge of the Rule points out in a particularly graphic way that Benedictine s
pirituality demands a total change of the way we relate to life. In the fi
rst place\, monastics are to depend entirely on the community for their su
pport. They don't bring with them the family wealth and they don't have an
y claim to personal property\, not even their clothes. They give everythin
g that they have gained up to the time of their entry into the community e
ither to the poor or to the monastery itself. From then on\, it is the sup
port of the community and the providence of God upon which they are to dep
end\, not on their savings\, not on their business acumen\, not on their r
elatives and connections. From then on they go through life as a people wh
ose trust is in God and who are responsible for one another. The purpose\,
of course\, is to free a person forcibly from the agenda of the world. 'T
hose who have cattle have care\,' an African proverb teaches. We 'can't se
rve God and mammon\,' the scriptures say. The point of Benedictine spiritu
ality is that we have to decide\, once and for all\, what we are about and
then live in a way that makes that possible and makes that real.
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260412T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260412T235900
LOCATION:Chapter 58
SUMMARY:The Procedure for Receiving Members
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR