COMMUNITY OF FRANCISCAN TERTIARIES

OFM PROVINCE OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION 

ISOLATED TERTIARIES

Reception into the Novitiate

 

Priest: The Lord be with you.

Inquirer: And with your spirit.

Priest: Let us pray:

Blessed are You, Lord of all creation, Father of all, for out of love You have called us to be Your people. We present to You the prayers and desires of him/ her who has come to join the Family of Francis. May he/she faithfully live the Gospel of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. We ask this through Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Inquirer: Amen.

Priest: My friend what do you ask of me?

Inquirer: I ask to be admitted into the family of St. Francis and to live the Franciscan way of life and thus advance towards perfect discipleship of Christ.

Priest: May the merciful God strengthen you by His grace. Glory be to you O Lord, King of all creation. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Priest: You have asked to join the Family of St. Francis, and this community has received you into its midst.  You have taken on a great task.  St. Francis said, “we hold fast to the words, the life, the teaching, and the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Rule, ch 22). Therefore, as you make your conversion toward Christ through the Franciscan way of life, “put aside your old self with its past deeds and put on a new man, one who grows in knowledge as he is formed anew in the image of the Creator” (Col 3:9-10).  Put on Christ!

 

Blessing of the Scapular and Cord

(Cord should be of a dark color)

 

Priest: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

Inquirer: Who made heaven and earth.

Priest: O Lord, hear my prayer.

Inquirer: And let my cry come unto you.

Priest: The Lord be with you.

Inquirer: And with your spirit

 

Blessing of the Scapular

 

Priest: Let us pray:

O Lord Jesus Christ, who have deigned to put on the garb of our mortality and be wrapped in swaddling clothes in the manger, and who have graciously inspired our father St. Francis to institute three orders, and the Supreme Pontiffs of the Church to approve them: We humbly beseech your clemency that you would deign to bless and sanctify these garments, with which St. Francis enjoined his fellow brothers and sisters of penance, to wear as a strong armor against the world, the flesh and the Devil; that these your servants, devoutly receiving them may so clothe themselves with You that they may in the spirit of humility faithfully walk in the way of your commandments till death.

 

Blessing of the cord

 

Priest: Let us pray:

O God our Lord, bless, we beseech You, this cincture and grant that your servant who is girded with this bond of penance, may be always mindful of the cords of our Lord Jesus Christ and ever acknowledge himself/ herself bound to your service. Through our Lord Jesus Christ who is Lord, for ever and ever.

Inquirer: Amen

 

Priest sprinkles the scapulars and cords with holy water.

 

Inquirer: O God, who taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation, Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

After the prayer, the postulant kneeling before the altar. The priest says following prayer. Then he bestows the respective articles on the postulant.

 

Priest: May the Lord divest you of the old man with his acts, and turn away your heart from the pomps of the world, which you renounced when receiving Baptism.

Inquirer: Amen.

Priest: (Scapular)

As you turn toward Christ in the spirit of St. Francis, may the Lord clothe you with the new man, who according to God is created in justice and holiness of truth.

Inquirer: Amen.

Priest: (Cincture)

May the Lord gird you with the cincture of purity and extinguish in you the passion of lust so that the virtue of continency and chastity may dwell within you.

Inquirer: Amen

 

Then a lighted candle is presented to the inquirer, with the words:

Priest: Receive, dearest brother, the light of Christ as a sign of your immortality.

Inquirer: Amen.

Priest: O God, you have called your servant to the Franciscan way of life, which requires that he/she follow in the footsteps of your Son.  Grant the petitions and desires of this your servant.

Novice: Grant that I live with them in true charity. Amen.

Priest:Let us pray:

O God our Father, You are the source and giver of every vocation.  We pray that this your servant who has joined our Franciscan Family may faithfully fulfill its way of life. Strengthen us also that we may persevere in Your service.  We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.

Novice: Amen

 

Final Blessing

 

Priest: May the Lord, who caused the Franciscan Family to arise in the Church, lead us through the guidance of St. Francis to go beyond our earthly horizons and find constant joy in the riches of his kingdom.

All: Amen

Priest: May God strengthen the hearts of those he has called to the Family of Francis.

All: Amen.

Priest: May the Lord bless you and keep you.

All: Amen.

Priest: May he turn his face to you and have mercy on you.

All: Amen.

Priest: May he turn his countenance to you and give you his peace.

All: Amen.

Priest:

May the Lord bless you: The Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen.

Priest: Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.