Reception into the Novitiate
Reception into Novitiate
Becoming an Active Member of the Community
Priest: The Lord be with you.
All: 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 those (him/ her) who have (has) come to join the Family of Francis.
May they (he/ she) faithfully live the Gospel of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and fruitfully share in the work of this community. 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.
All: Amen.
President of Fraternity addresses the celebrant:
Reverend Father, the Franciscan Fraternity of …………………….. presents to you N.N. and recommends that they (he/ she) join(s) the Family of St. Francis and become(s) (an) active member(s) of this fraternity.
Priest: My friend(s) (or calls them by name), what do you ask of us?
Postulant: We (I) ask to be admitted into the family of St. Francis and through your guidance to live your way of life and thus advance towards perfect discipleship of Christ.
Priest: May the merciful God strengthen you by His grace.
Priest addresses the fraternity:
Do you, the members of this fraternity, desire to receive N.N. into your community and have them (he/ she) join the Franciscan Family?
Fraternity responds:
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 fraternity 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.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
Priest: O Lord, hear my prayer.
All: And let my cry come unto you.
Priest: The Lord be with you.
All: And with your spirit
Blessing of the scapulars
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 cords
Priest: Let us pray:
O God our Lord, bless, we beseech You, these cinctures and grant that your servants who are girded with this bond of penance, may be always mindful of the cords of our Lord Jesus Christ and ever acknowledge themselves bound to your service. Through our Lord Jesus Christ who is Lord, for ever and ever.
All: Amen
Priest sprinkles the scapulars and cords with holy water, then kneels in front of the altar and sings Veni, Creator Spiritus. People may sing or hum the melody along.
- Veni, Creator Spiritus, 2. Qui diceris Paraclitus,
Mentes tuorum visita. Altissimi donum Dei,
Imple superna gratia, Fons vivus, ignis, caritas,
Quae tu creasti pectora. Et spiritalis unctio.
- Tu septiformis munere 4. Accende lumen sensibus,
Digitus paternae dexterae, Infude amorem cordibus,
Tu rite promissum Patris, Infirma nostri corporis,
Sermone ditans guttura. Virtute firmans, perpeti
- Hostem repellas longius, 6. Per te sciamus da Patrem,
Pacemque dones protinus; Noscamus atque Filium,
Ductore sic te praevio, Te utriusque Spiritum
Vitemus omne noxium. Credamus omni tempore.
- Deo Patri sit Gloria,
Et Filio, qui a mortuis
Surrexit, ac Paraclito
In saeculorum saecula. Amen
All: 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, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
After the hymn and prayer, the priest rises and turns to the postulants kneeling before the altar. The following prayer is to be said individually. For a great number of novices, the prayer may be said once for all. Then he bestows the respective articles on each 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.
All: Amen.
Priest: 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.
All: Amen
Priest: 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.
All: Amen
Then a lighted candle is presented to the postulant, with the words:
Priest: Receive, dearest brother, the light of Christ as a sign of your immortality.
All:. Amen.
Priest:
O God, you have called your servant(s) to the Franciscan way of life, which requires that they (he/ she) follow in the footsteps of your Son. Grant the petitions and desires of these (this) your servant(s).
All: Grant that we may live with them in true community and mutual charity. Amen.
Priest:
Let us pray:
O God our Father, You are the source and giver of every vocation. We pray that these (this) your servant(s) who have 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,
All: Amen