In the previous issue of "Carmel" 1/93, we promised to translate the appendix about the novice mistress from the book "Spiritual Realism of Therese of Lisieux." It discusses the education of novices, but the essay can also serve parents in raising their children and other teachers and educators.
Many readers might want to know what role the novice mistress has, to understand the role that Therese played with the novices. At the same time, they will realize how perfectly the saint fulfilled it.
In France, novices usually call the religious sister responsible for their formation "Mćre Maitresse," that is, "Mother Teacher." This title indeed belongs to her, as she is truly both a teacher and a mother of their souls.
A mother gives life. A teacher teaches doctrine. In the spiritual order, life and doctrine are very closely linked. To a supernatural life, faith is necessary. "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life" (John 3:36). And since believing means accepting the teaching of Jesus, the gift of life is closely connected to the teaching of God's message: we live because we believe, we believe because we have heard.
Every Christian in a state of grace, just by living a life of God and having his prayer and example as a silent preaching, is associated with God's fatherhood. He contributes to the birth of souls to the spiritual life based on and according to the measure of his connection with God. The same is true for the novice mistress. Her spiritual motherhood would lose all effectiveness if it were not rooted in personal holiness. The novice mistress can only give from the abundance of life that flows from her soul.
Knowledge itself is not fruitful; only love gives it fruitfulness. If the novice mistress is truly connected with God, her teaching, infused with love, will be truth and life. She will be a simple instrument drawing all strength from love; her word will bring souls into contact with God.
The novice mistress does not have the task of presenting the young sisters with an abstract science of God and divine things but a living testimony of a loving soul, which is the fruit of long and warm intimacy with the Beloved she speaks of. Novices receiving this testimony should notice that the novice mistress is sharing her own experience of the joy and assurance of her soul, all the knowledge gained through grace, light, and love that springs from the depths of her being, where God dwells.
In young novices, who are eager for direct testimony and are willing to bow before lived testimony, there will arise from this contact a fervent desire to see within themselves the depths they may have sensed in the soul that opens to them.
However, the personal holiness of the novice mistress, no matter how selfless, is not enough for accepting this task. It is somewhat similar to the priesthood, and "no one takes this honor upon himself, but he must be called by God" (Hebrews 5:4). Without God's call expressed through the choice of superiors, even a saint would not have the capacity to speak to the novices in the name of Christ.
Moreover, to fulfill such a task, certain innate qualities are needed, which God gives to whomever He wishes: balance, sound judgment, intuition, gifts of the heart, ease in dealing with people, and something that is hard to define, which attracts and inspires trust.
To these natural talents, the novice mistress should strive to add knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, the Church Fathers, and the authors of her order. She should endeavor to acquire solid spiritual and theological education, knowledge of psychology that will help her understand the mentality of her novices, to discern the profound meaning of the world in which they lived, and the environment that shaped them, and finally to gain rich experience of the way of life to which she is to prepare them.
The formation of the young is even more demanding today than before. Therefore, the novice mistress must study the sources thoroughly and adapt them to today's times. Only then will the novitiate achieve the goal for which it was established.
The Purpose of the Novitiate
The Code of Canon Law designates a dual purpose for the novitiate. This period of trial is meant to allow an assessment of whether the accepted individuals are indeed physically, morally, and spiritually suitable to lead the way of life that is proper to the institute for which they have chosen. It is also established so that novices gradually become accustomed to communal life and are educated in the spiritual life as it is understood and practiced in the institute.
The discernment of vocation and their formation are such important tasks for the future of the order that everything in the novitiate must be organized in a way that facilitates their fulfillment. Novices must be given conditions to first encounter Christ, to whom they want to surrender, and then to know the life in which, as they believe, they are to serve Him.
Silence and solitude, deep prayer, contact with the gospel, an atmosphere of peace that allows souls to seek God, live in His beloved presence, and allow themselves to be transformed by His Spirit are life conditions in the novitiate that must take precedence over all others and that must be preserved at all costs. But that would not be enough. There is still a need to give the young the opportunity to encounter the lifestyle of the institute and to absorb its spirit. It is the novice mistress's duty, based on the sources, to introduce them in a lively and clear manner to the origin of the order, its saints and traditions, its characteristics, and its mission in the Church. She should point out the joys and sufferings, the particular temptations in their vocation, and place them at least sometimes, if formation time permits, in life situations similar to those they will later face.
Methods of Formation
The responsibility for the education of young sisters and for the choice of methods used lies with the superior and the novice mistress.
(Note: Among the various methods, there are some outdated ones that should simply be excluded. The novice mistress should discern this in agreement with her superiors and with regard to the level of development of her novices. Generally speaking, certain practices once used to stimulate the fervor of novices now seem childish. It is better to focus more on love for God and for souls.)
Young people like to "give themselves without counting." This is a rare intention, and it is good to encourage it; it just needs to be directed. They value the sincere gift of truth, everything that truly comes from the heart. Therefore, the novice mistress must ensure that she does not introduce anything artificial or habitual. Observance of the rule, statutes, and necessary customs is sufficient to maintain the spontaneity of the novices, to shape their will, and to ensure communal discipline. It is not necessary to burden them with unnecessary regulations that would hinder all initiative: The right way to love them is to be "theirs" to the highest degree. Novices must feel that the novice mistress is entirely devoted to them. They will feel this if, in carrying out her duties, she does not care about her popularity and is unafraid, when circumstances allow, to adapt to their way of thinking.
Therefore, she must not emphasize what separates her from her novices, she rather gains when she shows what brings her closer to them. Her influence on them will then greatly expand, but on the condition that this unity is not a forced attitude, but is deeply rooted in her heart. By becoming all to all, she does not renounce anything of her office; on the contrary, she will carry it out better. Being theirs does not mean giving the novices over to themselves.
The novice mistress is to inspire them, to enthuse them for God's paths, and to do so without phrases, through simple and concrete teaching, while being very supernatural. Young people long for the essential. The novice mistress should always remain connected with God, so she can speak to them about the one thing necessary. Instead of imposing ostensibly virtuous "manners" from the outside, she should rather strive to lead the souls to the depths, to lead them to be captivated from within, and thus, from their own initiative, to follow without ceasing the voice of God.
Furthermore, she has the task of instilling a sense of community in the novices. This is made easier today because this spirit corresponds to the real need of young people, who do not want to live alongside each other, but want to unite and walk together. She will be the visible center, the bond of their small community. She must achieve a unity of spirit and heart, creating a living atmosphere infused with love for God and sisterly love, mutually loving through inevitable yet valuable differences.
Certainly, not everything will be completed in the souls by the end of the years of formation. But if the novice mistress has sown in love and faith, others will later reap, for God will not fail to give growth.
(Appendix to the book "Spiritual Realism of Therese of Lisieux,"
published by the Carmelite Publishing House, 1992)
Translated by P. Metoděj Minařík.
