Juniorate
Fr. Thomas with four Juniors during Philosophy class
The object of this step is internalization and identification. The Junior continues to strive to understand the teaching of faith and our tradition. Growth is experienced by living life in accordance with this teaching on the levels of identification and internalization, not merely on the level of compliance. When a person's judgment or use of reason can flow into a spiritual thrust (affectus) for and toward God, the junior is seen as ready for solemn vows.
Goal: The final period of discernment and initial formation.
Procedure: Simple vows are taken and renewed annually, the black scapular and leather cincture are received, more formal studies in philosophy, theology, scripture and related disciplines.
Time: Three to nine years. The monk will advanced to solemn, perpetual vows at the end of this period. The abbot may call him later to the priesthood .
Practices and Observances (which foster the spiritual experience of the junior)
Excerpts from the Ratio Institutionis (Guidelines on Formation) on the Juniorate:
§36
Novices are still young in the monastic life when they are admitted to first vows and therefore need special help and attention from the community.
§37
If there are several juniors, the relationships among them constitute a significant element in their formation, as long as a healthy and confident relationship is also maintained with the rest of the community. They are given a director who strives to foster unity and charity in the monasticate, gives conferences and organizes other group activities. The juniors themselves are responsible for developing a good climate of friendship and support in the monasticate.
§38
It is the task of the director of juniors to accompany those in his or her care as they pass from the relatively segregated regimen of the novitiate to their own distinctive mode of sharing in the life of the community. The director reviews with them their experience of monastic living in the community, prayer, vocation, the vows, study, work and the acceptance of responsibilities. Because the monasticate is such a critical time of growth, it is important that the juniors receive understanding, acceptance and encouragement from the director, as well as being challenged by him.
§39
The monasticate continues and complements the work of the novitiate in a way that is less structured and which is spread over a longer period. During it the juniors will progressively learn to act more from inner principles and move towards a fuller participation in the activities and responsibilities of the community.
§40
Through their participation in a program of monastic education the juniors are led, on the one hand, to a more conscious awareness of the content of the faith and of the monastic patrimony; on the other hand, they are invited to a deeper reflection on their own beliefs and values. In this way it is hoped that they will be able to construct a broader context in which to locate their personal experiences and to have some objective means of checking their judgements and opinions.
§41
Although the gradual assumption of responsibility within the community is a characteristic feature of the monasticate, juniors are not to be given work or duties which impede their formation. While the conditions of each monastery have to be taken into account, communities are to be generous in providing time to juniors for classes and personal studies. As a stimulus to serious work and as a necessary condition for further academic studies, some form of evaluation is advisable, especially if these studies are to be done in institutions outside the monastery. Careful attention must also be given to ensure that the fruits of the juniors' vocation are becoming manifest in their lives through their regularity and through their application to prayer, lectio, the divine office, work, and the acceptance of corrections. Also to be considered as evidence of their cooperation with the charism of their vocation is the character of their relations with superiors, seniors, peers and novices, their control over temperament and emotions, and their growth in human maturity.
§42
The core courses of the monastic curriculum are: Sacred Scripture, Cistercian Patrimony, Philosophy, Systematic Theology, Moral Theology, Patrology and Liturgy. These courses must be presented along with the basic themes of Cistercian Spirituality, whether in classes, or with the help of audio or video cassettes, or in some other manner. Other courses in some of the following subjects may also be offered: Methodology, Church History, Theology of Monastic Life, Spirituality, History of Religions, Canon Law and the various human sciences. An introduction to the original languages would be of the greatest value in reading the Scriptures and the writings of the Fathers. A knowledge of modern languages can also be of great help for the study of any of the above mentioned disciplines.
§43
The nature of the monastic life makes it desirable that the students develop a taste for private study. In some cases most of the studies of this period will be done privately, under the supervision of competent tutors. At any rate, it is essential that teaching sessions be supplemented by individual work.
§44
The director keeps the superior and the other formators acquainted with the general lines of the juniors' progress. In the case of the renewal of temporary profession, it is desirable that the superior discuss the matter with the council, even though there is no legal obligation requiring a vote. If he or she judges it necessary to exclude a person in temporarty vows from making further profession, the advice of the council must first be heard. Towards the end of the period of temporary profession a more serious discernment regarding the juniors' vocation needs to be undertaken.
§45
At the end of the period of temporary profession, the juniors will freely ask their superior to be allowed to make solemn profession. The superior will examine their spiritual and human progress with the director of juniors, the formation committee and the teachers. Special attention will be given to seeing whether they have sufficient human maturity to make a free and responsible commitment that will enable them to live their consecration with fidelity through the many difficulties and changes which are characteristic of the spiritual journey, and whether they are able to accept the specific identity of the local community and to give themselves to its service. They will be presented for the vote of the community by the superior if these qualities, as well as growth in their life of prayer, are found to be present.
§46
The newly professed may continue in the monasticate for some time, until in the judgement of the superior the objectives of the monasticate have been achieved. Then they pass fully into the community. It is recommended that they choose someone in whom they have confidence to be a continuing source of counsel, whom they may freely approach in their difficulties and whose judgement they respect. This may be the superior or one of the mature members of the community who serve as spiritual counsellors.
Goal: The final period of discernment and initial formation.
Procedure: Simple vows are taken and renewed annually, the black scapular and leather cincture are received, more formal studies in philosophy, theology, scripture and related disciplines.
Time: Three to nine years. The monk will advanced to solemn, perpetual vows at the end of this period. The abbot may call him later to the priesthood .
Practices and Observances (which foster the spiritual experience of the junior)
- Understanding faith and revelation through a more formal program of study
- Obedience of charity
- Further purification from vice and nurturing virtue.
Excerpts from the Ratio Institutionis (Guidelines on Formation) on the Juniorate:
§36
Novices are still young in the monastic life when they are admitted to first vows and therefore need special help and attention from the community.
§37
If there are several juniors, the relationships among them constitute a significant element in their formation, as long as a healthy and confident relationship is also maintained with the rest of the community. They are given a director who strives to foster unity and charity in the monasticate, gives conferences and organizes other group activities. The juniors themselves are responsible for developing a good climate of friendship and support in the monasticate.
§38
It is the task of the director of juniors to accompany those in his or her care as they pass from the relatively segregated regimen of the novitiate to their own distinctive mode of sharing in the life of the community. The director reviews with them their experience of monastic living in the community, prayer, vocation, the vows, study, work and the acceptance of responsibilities. Because the monasticate is such a critical time of growth, it is important that the juniors receive understanding, acceptance and encouragement from the director, as well as being challenged by him.
§39
The monasticate continues and complements the work of the novitiate in a way that is less structured and which is spread over a longer period. During it the juniors will progressively learn to act more from inner principles and move towards a fuller participation in the activities and responsibilities of the community.
§40
Through their participation in a program of monastic education the juniors are led, on the one hand, to a more conscious awareness of the content of the faith and of the monastic patrimony; on the other hand, they are invited to a deeper reflection on their own beliefs and values. In this way it is hoped that they will be able to construct a broader context in which to locate their personal experiences and to have some objective means of checking their judgements and opinions.
§41
Although the gradual assumption of responsibility within the community is a characteristic feature of the monasticate, juniors are not to be given work or duties which impede their formation. While the conditions of each monastery have to be taken into account, communities are to be generous in providing time to juniors for classes and personal studies. As a stimulus to serious work and as a necessary condition for further academic studies, some form of evaluation is advisable, especially if these studies are to be done in institutions outside the monastery. Careful attention must also be given to ensure that the fruits of the juniors' vocation are becoming manifest in their lives through their regularity and through their application to prayer, lectio, the divine office, work, and the acceptance of corrections. Also to be considered as evidence of their cooperation with the charism of their vocation is the character of their relations with superiors, seniors, peers and novices, their control over temperament and emotions, and their growth in human maturity.
§42
The core courses of the monastic curriculum are: Sacred Scripture, Cistercian Patrimony, Philosophy, Systematic Theology, Moral Theology, Patrology and Liturgy. These courses must be presented along with the basic themes of Cistercian Spirituality, whether in classes, or with the help of audio or video cassettes, or in some other manner. Other courses in some of the following subjects may also be offered: Methodology, Church History, Theology of Monastic Life, Spirituality, History of Religions, Canon Law and the various human sciences. An introduction to the original languages would be of the greatest value in reading the Scriptures and the writings of the Fathers. A knowledge of modern languages can also be of great help for the study of any of the above mentioned disciplines.
§43
The nature of the monastic life makes it desirable that the students develop a taste for private study. In some cases most of the studies of this period will be done privately, under the supervision of competent tutors. At any rate, it is essential that teaching sessions be supplemented by individual work.
§44
The director keeps the superior and the other formators acquainted with the general lines of the juniors' progress. In the case of the renewal of temporary profession, it is desirable that the superior discuss the matter with the council, even though there is no legal obligation requiring a vote. If he or she judges it necessary to exclude a person in temporarty vows from making further profession, the advice of the council must first be heard. Towards the end of the period of temporary profession a more serious discernment regarding the juniors' vocation needs to be undertaken.
§45
At the end of the period of temporary profession, the juniors will freely ask their superior to be allowed to make solemn profession. The superior will examine their spiritual and human progress with the director of juniors, the formation committee and the teachers. Special attention will be given to seeing whether they have sufficient human maturity to make a free and responsible commitment that will enable them to live their consecration with fidelity through the many difficulties and changes which are characteristic of the spiritual journey, and whether they are able to accept the specific identity of the local community and to give themselves to its service. They will be presented for the vote of the community by the superior if these qualities, as well as growth in their life of prayer, are found to be present.
§46
The newly professed may continue in the monasticate for some time, until in the judgement of the superior the objectives of the monasticate have been achieved. Then they pass fully into the community. It is recommended that they choose someone in whom they have confidence to be a continuing source of counsel, whom they may freely approach in their difficulties and whose judgement they respect. This may be the superior or one of the mature members of the community who serve as spiritual counsellors.
