Novitiate

Novitiate

“I will allure her, and bring her into  the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her ”(Hos. 2:14)

          Novitiate is the most important stage of formation. Growing in the awareness of their responsibility to live the evangelical councels throught vowed life, the novices enter into the religious life. The goal of the novitiate is prepare the novices to enter into the convenental relationship with the Eucharistic Lord, learning from Him meekness    , huimility and infinit love. She plases her sole trust in Jesus and offers herself to the service of God and His people . Jesus who , led by the spirit, spent forty days in fasting and thus prepared Himself for the public life through His  desert experience (Mt.4:1-11) is the model of novices.Freed from all  external affairs, they centre their lives on God and always remain open to the Spirit.  Thus they empower themselves to deal with the challenges of discipleship in the future.

             The novices study in depth  the Christian spirituality, liturgy and SABS constitution . Thus, combining knowledge and spirituality they undergo an integrated formation. Through meditative reading and study of the Sacred Scripture, they  come to know Jesus more closely and strive  to be identified with Him . They find joy and fulfillment in being  transformed into a perpetual adorer by remaining with the Eucharistic Jesus at all times. Contemplating the divine presence within they practice selfgiving love, humility and mortification.They earnestly desir to  become a living sacrifice, holy and pure, in union with Jesus, the ‘ Sacrificial  Lamp’. They become suffused with the Eucharistic  spirituality, which enables them actively participate in the Holy Eucharist and offer themselves on the altar of life.

                      An austere lifestyle is needed to remain faithful to our vocation. Hence the novices are given opportunities  to  practies  asceticism personally and in community . Faithful observance of the constitution in itself demands real asceticism.

                   The duration of the novitiate is two years of which the first is the canonical year . During the canonical year the novices grow deep in their conviction that God is their only hope, treasure and security . During the second year of the novitiate , they grow in the awareness that contemplative life  and active  apostolic life are  essential parts of our consecrated life.