Salesian Literature

Vol. 2, CONFERENCE 4 : Conditions for the Admission of Candidates

 

Continued from previous page

 

Further Clarification Regarding Novices

Question 1: Frequent Lapses

Question 2: Over-anxious

Question 3: Sensitive to corrections

Question 4: Regret over the decision to enter Religious Life

Question 5: Lack of Seriousness

Question 6: Intimate knowledge of the Novices

Question 7: Tendency to judge for others

Question 8: Slow to obey the Rule

Question 9: Testing the Novices

Question 10: Testing to see if a Novice was persuaded to join

Question 11: More attachment to one than to others

Question 12: Consulting Superior regarding the Novices

Question 13: Personal opinion on a Novice

Question 14: Fear of being mistaken while voicing an opinion

Question 15: Reluctance on the part of the Novice

Question 16: Forcing a Novice to continue

Question 17: Purifying the intention

Question 18: Admission of those with physical infirmities

Question 19: God Provides

Question 20: Encouraging when improvement is made

Question 21: A Novice who is constantly sick

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Question 1: Frequent Lapses

You say that it is quite clear that this Novice makes efforts for her improvement and shows good will, but it happens that here and there she commits serious faults and even quite often.  How can one be sure that she has the determination to improve, since all through the year of Novitiate she has been frequently having these lapses?

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Answer: 

Well, you see, it is true that during the year of the Novitiate she has to work to correct her behaviour and habits, but that does not mean that she should not have any lapses nor that she should be absolutely perfect at the end of the Novitiate.

  

Consider the Apostles who belongs to Our Lord’s college: even though they were called and worked hard at their improvement, they committed many faults, and that not only in their first year, but also in the second and third years.  All of them proclaimed and made promises to do wonders, even to follow Our Lord to prison and to death (Lk. 22:33), and yet, on the night of the passion, when their good Master was arrested, they all abandoned Him (Mt. 26:56).

  

Even the three for whom, it seems to me, Our Lord showed a special love, and to whom He had had revealed His secrets, for he had taken them with Him to Mount Tabor and to the Garden of Gethsemane; even these three, who seemed to be the most strong to oppose the inclinations of their emotions, were the ones who committed the most serious faults.

  

See how many faults were committed by the great St. Peter, although he was filled with so much zeal.  Of course, he was greatly inclined to be impetuous.  Our Lord, however, did not reject him because of this, since he was sure that St. Peter had a strong and constant determination to correct himself.  St. Peter committed great faults during his Novitiate and still bigger faults the year after, and the fault he committed in his third year with Our Lord was the most serious of all; for it was then that he denied his gentle Master and Lord.  His natural disposition was in part the cause of his committing these frequent and serious lapses.

  

Saint John who was naturally more gentle, was not much inclined to be impetuous.  But even he abandoned his Master and ran away with the others.  However, it was not for long, since he came back to Him and never left Him again.  Saint James, not only abandoned Him like the others, when it was a question of facing death, but he behaved much worse than the others, for he never came back to find his Master.  You see, then, that certain lapses should not be the reason to send a Novice away, when in spite of all her faults, she holds on to a strong determination to correct herself and is ready to take the measures proposed to her for this purpose.  This is all I have to say concerning the requirements which the Novices who are to be received for the First Profession should have, and what the Sisters who have to vote for them should take into consideration.  I do not know what more I could say concerning the matter, unless you ask me some questions.

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Question 2: Over-Anxious

You ask me, what should be done about a Novice who is strongly inclined to worry about any little thing, and she is very often sad and filled with anxiety, and because of all t his she shows very little love for her vocation.  However, once this passes and she has calmed down, she promises to do wonders.

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Answer: 

It is quite clear that a Novice who has such changes of moods is not fit for the Religious Life.  But, in all this, does she want to be cured?  Does she want that these remedies needed for her cure to be given to her?  If it is not so, she should be asked to leave.

  

You say that you do not know whether this comes form her lack of determination to be cured, or from her not understanding the true nature of virtue.

  

You see, if after explaining to her clearly what she should do to correct herself, she does nothing about it and shows that she is incorrigible, you have to send her away.  This is above all because her faults, as you say, do not arise from any error in judgement, nor from her inability to understand the true nature of virtue, nor even from her not knowing what she should do to correct herself.  Rather her faults are due to a lack of determination, so that she has neither perseverance nor firmness in making use of what she knows is necessary for her correction.  And, therefore, even if she says sometimes that she will do wonders and does nothing but persists in t his inconstancy of will, I would not give her my vote.

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Question 3: Sensitive to Corrections

You say, my dear Sister, that there are those who are so sensitive that they cannot bear to be corrected without getting upset and this often makes them ill.

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Answer: 

If that is true, then you should show them the door.  This is because they are unwell and they do not want to accept the remedies meant to cure them.  We see clearly that in doing this they make themselves incorrigible, and they give not hope of being cured.  As for their being too sensitive, it is such a great evil, that we could not be severe enough to get rid of it.  Tenderness, whether of spirit or of body, is one of the greatest obstacles to Religious Life.  Hence, we have to be extremely cautious not to admit persons who are strongly affected by it.  Tenderness of spirit is much more dangerous than that of the body.  This is especially because the spirit is more noble than the body and hence it is more difficult to cure the spirit affected by tenderness.  If somebody who has this illness refuses to suffer the pain of medicines being applied to her wound, I would refuse to give her my vote.  And why?  Because by not wanting to make use of the remedies suitable for her cure, she cannot be freed from her evil, nor can she regain her health.

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Question 4: Regret over the decision to enter Religious Life

You ask me also what should we think of a Novice who often shows by her words that she regrets having entered Religious Life.

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Answer: 

Of course, my dear Sister, if she persists in this distaste for her vocation and her feelings of regret, and if you notice that this makes her lax and careless in forming herself according to the spirit of her vocation, she should be sent away.

  

You say that you cannot be sure whether this comes form some trial or temptation?

  

This is a good question, but it is also a very difficulty one.  However we can find out what is truth from the benefits she draws from these thoughts and feelings of dislike and regret, that is, if she, in all simplicity, discloses her condition and remains faithful in making use of the remedies which she is given.  God never permits anything for our trial without wanting that we should draw profit from it and we do this when we are faithful in disclosing our situation, as I have said, and being simple in believing and doing whatever we are told to do.

  

Such behaviour would be a sign that ht trial of this Novice comes from God.  but when you see that she relies on her own judgement, and that her determination is misled and spoilt, and she continues in her regret, then, the situation is bad and practically without any solution.

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Question 5: Lack of Seriousness

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Answer: 

As for the Novice who laughs, as you say, at everything that is told to her, you have to ask her what makes her laugh.  She says tat she does not know.  Nor do I.  Yes, I too do not know why she laughs.  You say that she is not at all affected by what is said to her, but just goes on as usual.  Does she not profit from what is said to her?  Does she not show signs of improvement after she has been corrected?  Does she give more importance to her own manner of judging and her own opinion rather than to the guidance given to her?  Does she, in this way, make herself incorrigible?  If this is true, then I will not give her my vote.  But if she wants to let herself be cured, in this case I will not refuse to give her my vote.

  

But you tell me, she is so satisfied with whatever she does, that this could be the reason why she does not care to do what she is told to do.  Well, if she wants to be holy with an individual sanctity, that is something else, but we have to always fear this kind of holiness.  In order to be holy with a true holiness, it must be of the common sort like that of Our Lord and Our Lady.  Moreover, true sanctity is never consciously known by those who are really saints. The more a person is a saint, the less is he aware that he is one.

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Question 6:  Intimate Knowledge of the Novices

You want t know, my dear Sister, how you can understand these Novices so as to be able to give your vote in good conscience, since you are not in a position to know them except through the Superior.

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Answer: 

Well, you should observe them, and then you have to keep yourself informed about them from what is said in the Chapter.  In fact, Chapters are held so that hearing the views of all the Sisters one is in a better position to decide what one has to do.

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Question 7: Tendency to judge for others

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Answer: 

You say of a Novice that she holds on firmly to her own judgement, and soon, will hold on equally strongly to her own will.  But she does not want to correct herself on this point?  If she judges, as you say, the actions of others, you have to teach her to stop doing so, and to judge herself and not others.  And if she can observe so well what is good for others and not for herself, what can you do about it?  This is the misery of the human spirit which sees more readily what is good for others rather than for oneself.  In the mind of this Novice, the Superior and the Mistress of Novices have to be grateful to her since she can see so well what they should be doing.  Regarding all this she has to be well guided to correct herself.  She has to be taught that when reading the Rules and Constitutions she should notice what concerns only herself since she has to change her own conduct.

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Question 8: Slow to obey the Rule

You say that if the Superior and the Mistress of Novices give no information at all, at the Chapter, concerning the conduct of the Novices, and having noticed yourself that they often fail in being prompt to obey or to observe some point of the Rule, whether for this reason you should refuse to give your vote.

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Answer: 

My dear daughter, you should be simple in carrying out this duty and act according to your conscience.  Of course, even if the things are small in themselves, we should not for that give up doing them with much love and care, for nothing is small in Religious Life.  One who neglects small duties will soon neglect greater ones (Lk. 16:10b).  However, you have to find out whether this Novice does not want to improve.  Through such small things, because she considers them small, she makes herself incorrigible.  This could be very bad.

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Question 9: Testing the Novices

You ask me, my dear daughter, if you could test the Novices in a way which the professed Sisters themselves would find hard to bear.

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Answer: 

Obviously, a professed Sister should not test the patience of a Novice by approaching her during the recreation and giving her a blow on the nose!  But it is possible to ask the Superior for permission to test them.  It is always better to do this under obedience than to do it of your own will.  In fact, there would be the danger that by wanting to mortify others, you forget to mortify yourself.

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Question 10: Testing to see if a Novice was persuaded to join

You say now, if there is some truth that the parents have forced a Novice to join the Convent, could not this point be used as a way of testing her?

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Answer: 

That could be done.  However, though her father and mother persuaded her to become Religious, her vocation does not cease to be good.  In fact, as I have already said, God often makes use of such ways to draw His creatures to Himself.  Even though her vocation was not good in the beginning, God can make it right.  But what should be known about this girl is whether she has the determination to live in perfect obedience and submission in the Religious Life.

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Question 11: More attachment to one than to others

You ask, my daughter, whether when giving your vote to a Novice you should take into account that she is not cordial or does not show equal consideration to all the Sisters, but shows attachment to one Sister more than to another.

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Answer: 

You should not be strict regarding all these small things.  In fact, this inclination is the last thing we renounce.  It takes time before one can come to the point when one has no greater inclinations towards one person than towards another and when one’s affections are so mortified that they cannot be noticed.

  

St. Paula was indeed a great saint, but she also dearly loved her husband and children.  She wept very much at their death, and thought that she could do nothing to correct it.  In spite of this, she didn’t cease to be great Saint, and always remained resigned to God’s will in this as well as in everything else.

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Question 12: Consulting Superior regarding the Novices

You want to know if one should have consultations with the Superior regarding the Novices about whose spirit one has insufficient knowledge.

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Answer: 

This is done in the Chapter, but it could be done also in private.

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Question 13: Personal opinion on a Novice

What is it you want to ask, my daughter?  If the opinion of the other Sisters is contrary to what you know, and you are inspired to say something about what you have found out which would go in favour of the Novice concerned, should you say nothing?

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Answer: 

Certainly not, even though the opinion of the other Sisters is quite the opposite of yours and you are alone in holding this point of view.  Indeed, your intervention could help the others to decide what they have to do.  The Holy Spirit dwells in the Communities, and through the variety of opinions a decision is taken to do what is seen to be for his glory.  But as for this desire that you have that the others should give their voice or not give it, in the same way that you want to give yours or not, you should despise and reject it.  But to say to the Sisters: I shall give my vote willingly to this Novice, but I would prefer that the others do not give her theirs; or else that I would not give my vote but I prefer that the others give her theirs – you should not do that nor speak about it.

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Question 14: Fear of being mistaken while voicing an opinion

You fear that speaking about your own opinion which is contrary to that of the other Sisters, you could be mistaken in your own judgement.

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Answer: 

Oh, pardon me, my dear daughter, this is not your own particular judgement.  You should say simply and truthfully what God inspires you to say.

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Question 15: Reluctance on the part of the Novice

You say, my daughter, that when a certain Novice is told to do a certain thing, she answers that it is quite difficult to do it and to observe this particular point of the Constitutions.

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Answer: 

Do you notice whether she gives up doing it because of this?  To have difficulties means nothing in itself, so long as one does not give up doing what one should just because of that.  It happens sometimes that people easily exaggerate these difficulties.  That is why you should pay attention not so much to what she says, as to what she does.

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Question 16: Forcing a Novice to continue

And you, my daughter, you say that you know some Religious, who, even when the Novices ask them many times to give them back their clothes, as they want to leave the Convent, saying that they cannot bind themselves to such a vocation, their clothes are not given back and they are made to wait till the tenth month of their Novitiate.  If they persist in their request till then, they send them away.  But if the desire to leave passes, they are kept.

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Answer: 

That is good, but I would not keep them back by force when they want to leave before the tenth month.  Nor would I fix a definite time to send them away.  I would prefer to have a little patience and see if the distaste passes away.

  

It is true that it is very difficult to know the mind of some Novices and you are right, my dear daughter, to ask if their First Profession could not be delayed.  Yes, that can be done so as to know them better.

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Question 17: Purifying the intention

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Answer: 

No doubt, one has to pay attention to a Novice who one notices does things only to please the Superior or the Mistress of Novices.  Even though her intention is good, you have nonetheless to teach her how to purify her intention.  Sometimes it is a good thing to do something to please one’s Superiors, for then one can go further and do everything for God alone.  In this connection, I shall tell you about a certain good woman who came to see me recently with the determination never to forgive a person who had offended her.  When I tried to persuade her to forgive, she told me after a great deal of resistance that she would forgive because of her love for me, but not because of her love for God!  I had much difficulty to get her to retract this statement.  Now, those you say who do things only to please their Superiors, and more to please one than another, act in the same way as that woman.  They show clearly that they are doing what they do for the sake of creatures and not for God.  if they were to do everything for God alone, all Superiors would be equal to them.  But what can we do about it?  Let us hope that they will purify their intention.

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Question 18: Admission of those with physical infirmities

You ask me, whether a candidate who is deaf or is suffering from some other infirmity, could be accepted.

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Answer: 

I have already said that I would not give any importance to physical infirmities, provided that they are not of a serious nature.  Deafness, however, is an infirmity which makes a person practically incorrigible, because it is difficult to get her to correct herself, since you cannot make her understand what you want her to do.   However, I would not have any hesitation regarding other cases.

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Question 19: God Provides

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Answer: 

Oh, my dear daughter, have I not said it already?  If everybody became a Religious, who would support them?  And you say the same thing:  If we were to accept only the sick who would look after them?  We should not show so much prudence, since God will see to it and He will call the strong to comfort the infirm.

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Question 20: Encouraging when improvement is made

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Answer: 

Oh, well, my dear daughter, if this Novice is in the habit of speaking in a servile and flattering manner, she should be forgiven and taught to stop doing it if that is at all possible.  You see, it takes time to get rid of all passions and inclinations.  With these failings we should have the same attitude as that of a Priest hearing confessions.  Take the example of a man who comes to me for confession.  He confesses that he has blasphemed the name of God two hundred times.  I give him a great deal of advice to help him to correct himself.  I see that he is full of goodwill to change and hence I give him absolution. If he comes to me on another occasion and confesses that he blasphemed the name of God one hundred times, certainly I would give him absolution, for I would see clearly that he had made some progress and from this I could judge that he does not want to remain incorrigible.  We have to treat in the same way the Novices who show improvement.  Even though they do not give up committing faults, they should not be rejected.  By their improvement they show that they do not want to remain incorrigible.

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Question 21: A Novice who is constantly sick

You tell me of a Novice who is not quite healthy and besides that she is mot of the time in the infirmary.  Should not this be taken into account when giving her the vote?  In fact, since she is constantly sick, she cannot be tested nor can her mind be known.

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Answer: 

My reply is that if she does not have the essential requirements for you vocation, there is no doubt that you have to take this into account.  Regarding her physical infirmities, I would not want too much attention to be given them if they do not prevent her from observing the Rule.  And as for knowing her mind, one can be sure that the nature and spirit of a person can be better discovered in sickness than in any other condition, and sickness is a constant trial.

  

Now, at last, we have to conclude, for time is passing. I pray to God to bless you and to grant you the fulfilment of your desires and His holy peace.  Amen.

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