CHAPTER III
THE MASTER OF NOVICES
During the novitiate, novices must be formed in the spirit of the Congregation and solidly base their missionary life. Without taking anything away from the action of the Holy Spirit and personal responsibility, primary and indispensable condition for any personalized formation, the novices count on the help of a Master who, with his teachings and his testimony of life, It must encourage, encourage and guide them towards the achievement of training objectives.
1. Qualities of the master
1.1 The Master must be a fully qualified person to perform his function in an appropriate manner. For the same reason, the Superior Major and his Council will appoint to this very important position:
“to that individual of the Congregation who gathers and possesses the qualities of maturity, kindness, discretion and knowledge required for this”[1].
1.2 Throughout the congregational tradition, since Fr. Founder, the figure of the Teacher has preserved constant characteristic features of great pedagogical value. The Master is asked:
- Personal maturity, both human and spiritual. Maturity capable of creating in the novitiate a positive and balanced, serene and quiet environment.
- Kindness filled with affection and understanding to create and establish satisfactory relationships with people and the community especially needed in a year of trial and experience.
- Human discretion, and especially spiritual, for vocational discernment.
- The training of trainers is a key element in the development of new skills and knowledge for the instruction and guidance to be given at both community and personal level[2].
- Attitudes and behaviors
More specifically, the qualities of the Teacher will be manifested in the following attitudes and behaviors:
. The Master will be endowed with a deep spirituality, he will be a man of God and very devoted to the Virgin Mary. The experience of God and Mary is fundamental to him in order to be able to carry out his formation mission properly, for the direction, that is to say “to be able to obtain those lights which are indispensable to him to perform his office properly”. [3]
2.1. As a man of the Congregation, he will be very fielal Superior with whom he will maintain perfect unity of mind. Every two months will inform you about[4] the talent, genius, health and other qualities of each and will deal with him cases of doubtful vocation: [5]
“See, then, the Superior and the Master of novices how they behave in the humiliations, in the recreations, whatever their temperament and inclinations; On the understanding that all those who offer no guarantees of submission, piety and perseverance, although they have not been noticed serious defects, if after repeated warnings is not observed in them a noticeably favorable change, They will be persuaded with gentleness and good ways that, without a doubt, our Lord God does not call them to the status of Missionaries; and so, they should turn back to the century, taking care to be good Christians”[6].
He will also report to the Provincial, the Provincial Government or the Superior General every two months, and especially when they make visits, on the subject of the expulsion of novices[7].
. The Master must be, above all, a witness of missionary life. For the novices he must be a Teacher, Model, Light and Way to those who must teach the virtues “by word and example”. He will also be a Father and Physician for them, who must carefully take care of their spiritual and physical health. He will be as close as possible to the novices so that “in the breaks he will always be with them”[8]. And to encourage the formative presence, he will not engage in any other type of apostolate that would prevent his mission:[9] [10]
“It is in no way lawful, nor does the Government of the Congregation consent to it, to assign the Masters of the Houses in which there are Novitiates or Colleges for preaching or exercises outside the same House; but in urgent cases, they may order the referees to give some speech or sermon that must take place in the own house, but not novenas or long preaching; and even in these cases, consulting, if possible, the Government of the Congregation. The Teachers in question must also abstain from the confessional”[11].
- Duties and responsibilities
3.1 . Regarding spiritual health, the Master will help to forge the missionary personality of the novice and accompany him in his vocational growth.
a) In a global way, the Master will encourage novices to form their character:
“To be in possession of such a character is for the Missionary to possess the greatest treasure, it is to possess true moral freedom, it is to achieve the greatest rational independence, it is the firmest peace of spirit, it is the greatest perfection of the personality of the Missionary, is to be fit to make everything for all, in order to win everyone over to Josuis)It is not worth, then, that we all work to form this character?” as the Apostle did[12].
b) Character has to be formed. It is not a spontaneous fruit of nature, nor is it a quality inherited by birth. Their formation must be the result of a persevering action by all. )How will we achieve a firm, noble and elevated character, which is appropriate to the Missionary Son of the Immaculate Heart of Mary?
“The constitutives of character are truths and actions, in accordance with truths”[13].
First, one must strive to have high ideals, raised ideas, higher principles, higher motives, for character receives its dignity from the motive:
“The truths of the moral order and the moral actions will form the moral character. Religious truths or principles and actions in conformity with such principles shall constitute the religious character; and the same we say of the apostolic character, of the social character and so on… If this (reason) were the material interest, it would form a vile and meanness character; If it were vanity, it would make laughable and ridiculous; if envy, despicable; But if the motive is charity, he will make a saint; if the divine glory, will make a hero of holiness”[14].
Secondly, it is necessary to acquire a firm, constant and stable character. This is achieved by the free, voluntary and continuous acceptance of an order and discipline, and by the fidelity of each to the duties of every day. In this daily fidelity the evangelical sentence is fulfilled that he who is faithful in the little will also be faithful in the much.
“[…] it is necessary to acquire firmness of character; and this will be achieved by continuous and voluntary submission to law, order and discipline. Fidelity to the daily duties of each, according to their respective social position, is what forms the man of character… A domestic regulation complied with all regularity, a day and night schedule followed exactly, is an unsurpassed school of firmness of character, it is a quarry from which in time one can extract a berroqueño character”. [15]
And thirdly, the motivation. Love for Jesus is the source of motivation and driving forces for action:
“And if we want a formula taken from the same Holy Constitutions, this is: Propter Jesum Christum. For the love of Jesus Christ; this is the thought, this is the necessary motive for the formation of a noble and elevated character, obey all in all things”, this is the action, complement necessary to form the character”[16].
c) Character training includes one principle and two dimensions:
- The formative principle for character formation would be in synthesis: nothing against obedience, everything according to it: “from eating and resting, to working and praying; Thus the studies as the ministries, all regulated by obedience and done everything in due place, time and manner and for love of Jesus Christ”[17]. Already from the novitiate it is necessary to start this process of formation, which must continue throughout the entire period of formation:
“(If only the formula could be practiced from the Novitiate! (If only in the years following the Profession it would not become loose in this practice! Continued exercise would form habit, would form character, and this would be the greatest security of a prosperous individual and corporate future. Let us all work on it, dear Fathers and Brothers; However, in a special way it is necessary to work for the success of what is said in the Novitiates and Colleges. There is the proper ground for the seed of religious and apostolic vocation to take root, develop and perfect itself, and form the good characterter”[18].
- The first dimension is to form character as a direction, and to determine how one should act. It presupposes an effective desire, a consistent will, a constant moral physiognomy and an invariable personal identity. The Master must train novices, missionaries of character, owners of themselves and of the circumstances to carry out the missionary vocation in every place, time and occasion:
“…one of the main cares of those in the Congregation who are engaged in the formation of their individuals, is to train them as Missionaries of character; that is, Missionaries who own themselves and the circumstances to achieve the three ends of our Vocation: glorify God, sanctify themselves and save their neighbours in every place, time and occasion”. [19]
The Missionary without a well-formed character is an immature man, subject to mood swings, subjected to the vagaries of circumstances and influenced by those around him:
“…let us examine what is a Missionary without character well formed, and we shall see that he is a man toy of all apprehensions, a slave of his sensations, a perpetual child, who laughs or cries, rejoices or hurts, stands up or falls down, depending on the impressions of the circumstances surrounding you and the people with whom you alternate. Nothing can be trusted with such individuals”[20].
- The second is to form character as a set of qualities of the personin accordance with the requirements of vocation:
“The Holy Constitutions give us a clear idea of the relation and dependence of the character of the missionary with the purposes of the Congregation, when they prescribe to the Provincial that he should find out what is the character of those who intend to enter the Congregation; and even more so when they say that it would be bad and pernicious to the Congregation to admit into its ranks those of a bad character”[21].
To the unsuitability for the life of a missionary, to bad character, one often owes the abandonment of the perfection that has been professed, disorder and discomfort in a community, disedification and scandal in the exercise of the holy ministry and loss of vocation. Therefore, it is very important to know the characters of those who wish to enter the Congregation in order to make a good discernment. [22]
. The Master will follow closely the process of initiation into the spiritual life by seeing “whether all do with due diligence meditation, spiritual reading, visit to the Blessed Sacrament and examination of conscience”[23]; and will teach them “the practical way to do well vocal prayer and meditation”[24]. He will approve the frequency of receiving communion,[25] special devotions and penances[26] . It will teach them some community behaviors[27], such as silence, sharing and fraternal correction[28] ; and some missionary attitudes such as the detachment[29] from parents and relatives, and the spirit of mortification and self-denial. He will distribute the offices and responsibilities of the Novitiate and encourage novices to accept the humble offices with joy . [30][31][32]
3 1. He will guide you in spiritual reading personally and[33] in study[34]. He will instruct them, “with true fervor of spirit,” through talks and lectures. A pedagogical criterion to be taken into account in the instruction that the Master has to give to the novices is clarity and precision in the expositions and in the contents of them. The novices must be informed with all accuracy of the requirements of religious life and their present and future consequences. Nothing should be hidden from them: the difficulties they will encounter, the sacrifices they must undergo, the crosses they must endure, so that they may accept them with patience and joy. They must know and know the scope of their decision when asking for profession in the Congregation. It is an indispensable condition for choosing the missionary life with spontaneity and freedom:[35]
“The Master must do his utmost to instruct the novices properly; It should give them clear and precise ideas of the state they should embrace. They should not be denied the difficult part of religious life; it is necessary for them to see all the sacrifice they are going to make, so that they can choose spontaneously or withdraw”[36].
4º. In order to make them aware of the real nature of the Congregation, into which they are to be incorporated for life, the Master must clearly explain that it is a missionary Congregation that demands a high degree of prayer and spiritual life, and total dedication to the apostolic mission. Requirements to be lived in unity of life already from the novitiate.
“The Master of Novices must explain well the character of the Congregation: mixed life, that is, of contemplation, and much prayer, which is indispensable and cannot be left; and much action, much work for the Brothers, much study by the Students, much ministry by the Parents. Anyone who lacks that spirit is not good for the Congregation”[37].
The Teacher must clarify as often as necessary, the conditions of admission, which implies obedience, the requirements of fraternal charity, etc.
“Explain to the Master of Novices again and again the condition in which they are received into the Congregation (Const., I part, chapter XVIII, n. 76, 4); Not to be deceived; that they must be in the place, office or office where obedience puts them; but happy and for life. If they do not have or acquire this spirit, they cannot be Children of the Heart of Mary… Explain to the Master the charity with which they must treat… Do not let the Master be carried away by false compassion. That compassion may be a great cruelty to the Congregation”[38].
51. The Master will be available to listen and dialogue personally with all novices and will take special care of those most in need:
- First, those who are at the beginning of the probationary year, especially because of the temptations they suffer in the first months; He will treat them patiently, encourage them and confirm them in the vocation “with healthy and discreet advice”[39].
- Secondly, with the “sad and meditabundos”, whom he will call to guide them and help them with the appropriate remedy[40].
- And thirdly, those who have no vocation or manifest bad habits; with them he must dialogue to clarify the situation and will present it to the Superior to see what is best done[41].
. As for body health, the Teacher will be particularly interested in everything that may affect him such as food, clothing, work, study, laziness or idleness, type of mortification and participation in recreation. He will take special care to improve the hygienic conditions of the novitiate for “the preservation and improvement of health”[42]. In cases of illness, appropriate information shall be provided and remedies prescribed for “individual ailments and temperaments”[43].[44]
- The Coadjutor
He shall be given an assistant or coadjutor, who shall also be elected by the provincial government. It is desirable that he should have the same spirit and the same gifts as the Master, and[45] observe as soon as possible what has been established for the Assistant to the Prefect of Students in the Postulants’ Regulations[46] .
Their ordinary duty will be to look after the external order of the novitiate and the material assistance of the novices. He will be able to give some lectures on the domestic order and urbanity. He will be very faithful to the Master and will not accept the account of conscience of the novices, unless it is when he replaces him for illness or absence[47].
[1] ? CC. 1870. n. 69; cf. also, CC. 1924, Part I, 90; N. GARCIA, circular on La espiritualidad Misionera o Claretia, Annalesna, 35 (1939), pp. 49-108; ColCC., pp. 85-155; cita en ColCC, p. 107.
[2] ? The XIV General Chapter (Albano 1938), will insist on the need for the formation and updating of the Masters in order to be able to carry out their mission with competence (cf. Annales , 34 (1938), p. 54).
[3] ? CC. 1870, n. 70: CC. 1924, I Part, n. 91.
[4] ? Cf. CC. 1870, nn. 71: CC. 1924, I Part, 92. In the same sense; cf. also XII General Chapter (Vich, 1922), Annals, 19 (1921-1922), p. 957, n. 91.
[5] ? Cf. CC. 1870, n. 76: CC. 1924, I Part, 97.
[6] Chapter V, General Proceedings, AGCMF: AD, 1, 22, Ses. 4).
[7] ? Cf. VI General Chapter Extr., (Cervera, 1895) Anales5 (1895-1896), Appendix, ses. 12. In the same line, cf. also General Provisions, 1905, n. 118; 1912, No. 106; General Chapter XII p. 957, n. 91.
[8] ? Cf. CC. 1870, nos. 72, 77; CC. 1924, Part I, nos. 93 and 98.
[9] ? Cf. CC. 1870, n. 72: CC. 1924, I Part, n. 93.
[10] ? Cf. CC. 1872, n. 74: CC. 1924, I Part, n. 95.
[11] ? J. XIFRÉ, circular of 3 July 1887, Bulletin Religieux , Volume IV, p. 364; Collection of circulars by P. Xifré, in E.C., p. 174.
[12] ? M. ALSINA, circular on The formation of character, Annals , 17 (1919-1920), pp. 161-166; ColCC, pp. 507-513; citation on p. 510.
[13] ? M. ALSINA, ColCC, p. 511.
[14] ? Ib., ColCC, p. 511.
[15] ? Ib., ColCC, pp. 511-512.
[16] ? Ib., ColCC, p. 512.
[17] ? Ib., ColCC, p. 512.
[18] ? Ib., ColCC, p. 512.
[19] ? Ib., ColCC, p. 509.
[20] ? Ib., ColCC, pp. 510-511.
[21] ? Ib., ColCC, p. 509.
[22] ? ” To be a good missionary, it is bad character the selfish character, the arrogant. the vengeful, the angry, the suspicious, the flighty, the dazed, the cheeky, the suspicious, the contemptible, the mocking, the feigned… All of which will be more or less harmful, depending on how they influence the ordinary life of the Missionary. And since we have pointed out some bad and harmful characters for the missionary and for the life of community, it will be good to indicate also which are the good characters that we all must seek. The Missionary, to be of benefit to himself and those who live with him and to those whom he is sent to exercise the sacred Ministries, must be of a generous character, affable, suffered, sincere, reflective, formal, kind, constant, fair, compassionate, indulgent, social…” (ibid., ColCC, pp. 509-510).
[23] ? CC. 1872, n. 74; 1924, I Parte, n. 95.
[24] ? M. ALSINA, circular on The Prayer , 3-5-1914: Annals, 14 (1913-1914), pp. 477-483; ColCC, pp. 668-675; cita en ColCC, p. 675.
[25] ? Cf. R. RIBERA, El Novicio Instruido, Madrid 1931, pp. 479; reference on pp. 161-162. Regarding the method of hearing the Mass, cf. ib. p. 113.
[26] ? Cf. [VALLIER], Spiritual Practices for the use of the novices of the Congregation of the Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary by provision of the Rmo. Fr. José Xifré, Superior General of the Congregation, Madrid 1888, pp. 271; cited in pp. 93, 123-124.
[27] ? Cf. CC. 1870, n. 73; 1924, I Part, 94; [VALLIER], Spiritual Practices… , p. 133; R. RIBERA, El Novicio…, pp. 352-356.
[28] ? Cf. CC. 1870, n. 74; 1924, First Part, 95; R. RIBERA, El Novicio…, p. 360.
[29] ? Cf. [VALLIER], Prácticas Espirituales…, pp. 105-109; R. RIBERA, El Novicio…, p. 256.
[30] ? Cf. CC. 1870, n. 74; 1924, I Parte, n. 95. On the subject of provincialism and nationalism, defects opposite to missionary virtues, the V General Chapter says: “It is therefore up to this assembly to draw everyone’s attention to an evil, source of so many others, and try to eradicate it from the root. To this end, commission the PP. Teachers and all superiors who take special care to infuse in word and example in all their entrusted persons the spirit of humility and detachment, of self-denial and apostolic charity; With prudent zeal watch, correct and not allow such calamity to reign among us…”(V General Chapter, Ch. 3).
[31] ? Cf. R. RIBERA, The Novice…, pp. 404-411.
[32] ? Cf. [VALLIER], Prácticas Espirituales…, p. 110.
[33] ? Cf. R. RIBERA, The Novice…, pp. 138-139.
[34] ? Cf. [VALLIER], Prácticas Espirituales…, pp. 156-162; R. RIBERA, El Novicio…, p. 373.
[35] ? Cf. CC. 1870, n. 74; 1924, I Parte, n. 95; [VALLIER], Prácticas Espirituales…, pp. 95-101; R. RIBERA, El Novicio…, pp. 125-127.
On the content of conferences, in the General Provisions, 1912, n. 105, it is requested that account be taken of the prescriptions made by the Holy See in this regard on 27 August 1910 (cf. Annals, 12 (1909-1910), pp. 683-684).
[36] ? N. GARCIA, Circular on training…, ColCC, p. 527; cf., also, R. RIBERA, The Novice…, pp. 125-127.
[37] ? N. GARCIA, FRMC, pp. 112-113.
[38] ? N. GARCIA, FRMC, pp. 112-113. In this direction it is insisted that the Master clearly explains the meaning of nn. 56-61 of the first part of the Constitutions (1970) on the acceptance of humble offices and the possibility for students to pass to the category of brothers (cf. General Provisions, 1905, n. 117; 1912, No. 104; General Chapter, p. 957, n. 90; General provisions, 1928, n. 115)).
[39] ? CC. 1870, n. 75; 1924, I Parte, n. 96.
[40] ? Cf. Ib.
[41] ? Cf. CC. 1870, n. 76; 1924, I Part, n. 97. On doubtful cases, cf. VI General Chapter, ses. 12; General Provisions, 1900, n. 85; 1905, n. 116.
[42] ? CC. 1870, n. 73; 1924, I Parte, n. 96.
[43] ? Cf. VII General Chapter (Santo Domingo de la Calzada, 1896), ses 70. This session refers to the 6th General Chapter which dealt in depth with the subject of hygiene and health in our training centres (cf. Ses14).
[44] ? CC. 1870, n. 72; 1924, I Parte, N. 95.
[45] ? CC. 1870, n. 78; 1924, I Parte, N. 99.
[46] Cf. General Provisions, 1900, n. 87; 1905, n. 119.
[47] ? Cf. General Provisions, 1905, n. 120; 1912, No. 107; 1928, nos. 116-117.