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"The
monastery, moreover, with its
characteristic environment and rhythm of life, is the most
suitable place for
following the course of
formation, since
the daily nourishment of
the Eucharist, the
liturgy, lectio
divina, Marian devotion, ascetic practices and work, the exercise of
fraternal charity and
the experience of
solitude and silence, are
essential moments and
elements of
formation in the
contemplative life. (Verbi
Sponsa 24)
Initial
formation begins on the day the candidate enters the
Community and continues until Perpetual Profession.
This is a
time of discernment, to see if this way of life is for her an authentic
response to
God's
call. The year of Postulancy
is a time for the candidate to deepen her
appreciation of
her Baptismal consecration and the basic elements of Christian life.
Through prayer
and study, she acquires deeper knowledge of our Order, and learns to
use her gifts of
nature and grace to
make a positive contribution to community life. The
two years of
the Novitiate are a time for living more intensely the
evangelical
counsels in
preparation for her profession of vows. In the five years of temporary
vows, she
progresses toward
further maturity and prepares for the complete gift
of herself to
God through perpetual profession.
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