OBLATION: LEARNING TO RECOGNIZE GOD IN PEOPLE AND EVENTS

The novitiate year was a time
specifically set aside to live the intimacy of Jesus and the apostles,
during which the future Missionaries were allowing themselves to be
formed in perfection: “to equip the saints for the work of ministry,
for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity
of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the
measure of the full stature of Christ…we must grow up in every way into
him who is the head, into Christ.”  Ephesians 4:12 -15

I am annoyed that the whole time
of the novitiate or at least an entire year is not exclusively devoted
to the study of perfection. It is a drawback that during this time we
are obliged to tolerate profane studies and even theology… If they do
not acquire religious virtues while in novitiate, it is all up for the
future.

The study of theology was meant to take place the following year in
the seminary, but familiarity with the Scriptures and the catechism were
essential:

One must also teach them the
elements of Christian doctrine, give them what they call a reasoned
catechism, continue to have them learn by heart several verses of the
New Testament every day, oblige them to give answers at the lesson of
catechism which should be done twice a week, or at least once, but twice
is not too much.

Letter to Henri Tempier, 18 June 1821, EO VI n. 68

 Today in our Rule of Life we find:

The novice, led by the Spirit living within him, develops his
personal relationship with Jesus and gradually enters into the mystery
of Salvation through liturgy and prayer. He becomes accustomed to listen
to the Lord in Scripture, to meet him in the Eucharist and to recognize
him in other persons and in events. He comes also to contemplate God at
work in the life and mission of the Founder, as well as in the
Congregation’s history and traditions.

CC&RR, Constitution 56

“The great awareness comes slowly, piece by piece. The path of
spiritual growth is a path of lifelong learning. The experience of
spiritual power is basically a joyful one.”    M. Scott Peck