Anselm Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 I really didn't know much about SJM until now but after a little bit of Googling I think that they look wonderful, even if their website did severely test my German! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NonNovi Posted July 11, 2013 Author Share Posted July 11, 2013 Thank you all for the wishes and the prayers! How are your parents doing with this, NonNovi... or do you have the joy of breaking this to them when you get home? We will pray, but it helps us to know so we can focus our prayers for them.... and for you.... Just got home 2 hours ago. I still have to tell them. I expect them to be relieved a bit to have some specific information now, but on the other hand they will probably want me to spend as much time as possible with them before october (wich I totally understand but I'm not really planning to stop doing other things just to be at home). We'll see. Pray for them anyway. I was wondering just yesterday where you were. I started thinking I was going to start a new thread, Where is NonNovi? This is wonderful news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Haha, shoot, I really would want to see such a thread :) I haven't been on PM very much lately, I'm sorry. Every year, the priests of the SJM have to do a retreat (around this time of the year). I was offered to come along to spend a week at the motherhouse (just as a guest, not participating in the retreat). It's crazy how God can get people to places. This was very convenient, because this way I could apply in person, and not by letter. The master of novices was in retreat too, so he wasn't allowed to speak the whole week. Normally he would take care of guests interested in the religious life, but yeah... Nobody seemed to know what to do with me :) Holidays started for the seminarians, so there was a lot less to do than usual. But I got to do some things with the novices and the scholastics. On the feast of the visitation there was a novice who pronounced his temporary vows for 3 years (and stopped being a novice). That day all the ones who aren't priests got to eat outside in the garden, to be able to speak during meals (the rest of week meals where in silence, for the priests). In the afternoon we went canoeing on the nearby river and in the evening we had a little barbecue and campfire. Every morning there was Mass (at 7 or 7:30, depending on the occasion), switching between ordinary and extraordinary form. And even then they have different possibilities (Missa Cantata in Latin/only the ordinary sung in Latin/with German songs/just recited in silence/ NOM in German/ NOM in Latin...). It was beautiful. At 12:15pm there was Veni Creator Spiritus in the big chapel with examination of conscience and angelus, and lunch afterwards. After lunch everybody went back to the chapel for a short thanksgiving and after doing the dishes there was recreation. Wich usually means walking with 2 or 3 to the lakes nearby (usually on the roads a bit around them, to avoid the public that goes swimming in the summer). In the evening there was adoration at 6pm, rosary at 6:30pm with angelus afterwards and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. After dinner back to the chapel and again recreation (walking or even swimming in the lakes, that are completely abandoned by that time). At 8:45pm divine mercy chaplet, an evening prayer and evening blessing. Lights out at 10pm (but I usually went to bed earlier). During the week, I talked to the general superior of the order during recreation (we went for a walk), about entrance. He complimented me for my German, wich was a relieve because I was afraid it could be a reason to delay entrance (there is a French guy living at the motherhouse since september, he will possibly start candidacy with me in october...). They really want a good knowledge of the language, wich I understand. We talked about the priesthood, the religious life and the vows. And even my Crohn's won't be a problem (unless it will prevent me from doing the apostolate in a normal way). Monday, when the retreat ended, I also talked with the master of novices. He's also a great fan of St. Therese of Lisieux, so he saw the fact that she helped me to decide as a sign. Same thing for the entrance date, wich is her feast in the Novus Ordo calendar. We talked about a lot of things, and in the end he seemed to have decided that it was meant to be to come to the SJM, that I definitely can be a novice this year. He only adviced me to see if I could take some more German lessons, because it was already very good, but could always be improved of course. He's going to send me some papers and the list with things I will need (he also gave me his email and a picture of the pope for some reason :) ). At the end of the week, we had a barbecue to end the retreat and to be together one more time before all the priests left again to their specific working places across Europe. It was super nice. October 1st I start candidacy. If that goes well, I'll receive the cassock and start noviciate on Epiphany. A year later I can pronounce temporary vows and will become a scholastic (maybe I have to do 1 year of juniorate in between to study Latin and Greec, but probably not). And 6 years later, I can be ordained.After ordination, they'll probably send me back to Belgium, but in theory I can end up in Austria, Germany, France, Romania or Kazachstan. Or even in Rome (one Pater works at the Vatican!). And to conclude formation, I'll have to go back to the motherhouse for tertiate (6 months, kind of a second noviciate), wich is very jesuit. I'm already looking forward :priest: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inperpetuity Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 All the doors just seem to be opening for you, you must be very happy. Thanks for posting these nice pictures. Prayers for you! :pray: Is that German beer on the table? I like German beer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PadrePioOfPietrelcino Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 Non Novi,I haven't been on in awhile and I'm so glad yours was the first I saw after I posted my own news. Prayers for you brother. I am really excited for you ALMOST as much as I am for myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maximillion Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 Great pics and great info. Praying, praying....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie de Sales Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 I'm very happy for you and for all those on VS who will soon enter religious life! :proud: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savvy Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 Congratulations Non Novi. God Bless and keep you safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spem in alium Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 Congratulations, NonNovi! Prayers :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NonNovi Posted July 11, 2013 Author Share Posted July 11, 2013 (edited) Is that German beer on the table? I like German beer. Yup, it is. But German beer means nothing in comparison with Belgian beer of course. You should try that ;) Non Novi,I haven't been on in awhile and I'm so glad yours was the first I saw after I posted my own news. Prayers for you brother. I am really excited for you ALMOST as much as I am for myself. Padre! That's great news. Summer 's here, and so is entrance season :) Just found the day schedule for the candidates they gave me (but I think it's just something someone typed out quickly for me, I think there are things missing), thought you might like to see it: 7:00 Holy Mass (7:30 on feast days and sundays) 8:00 breakfast 8:45 time for study, catechesis, etc. 11:00 Opera (chores) 12:00 Imitatio Christi (reading in the Imitation of Christ) 12:15 Examen (examination of conscience and prayer) 12:30 lunch afterwards recreation 14:00 free time 16:00 coffee break 18:00 spiritual reading / adoration 18:30 rosary 19:00 dinner 19:45 recreation 20:30 instructions for the meditation the next day 22:00 lights out Edited July 11, 2013 by NonNovi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anselm Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 They almost look like full Mass glasses! Also, I think Bavaran and Austrian beers give the Belgian ones a run for their money ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneLine Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 (edited) That just sounds so wonderful, Non Novi! (You are going to have to consider changing your name... because it sounds like GOD at least HAS decided..... I am going to be praying very hard for your parents, Non Novi... I bet we all will. This is hard for them, but as everyone has said in many other threads, when they see you happy, fulfilled, fitting in... I bet they will be happy. And God is working on them.... you'll see...... And speaking of your photos... "Which one of these things doesn't look like the others?" (from the young children's Sesame Street TV show).... is that a picture of anyone we know, Non Novi?) ;) Edited July 11, 2013 by AnneLine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NonNovi Posted July 11, 2013 Author Share Posted July 11, 2013 Also, I think Bavaran and Austrian beers give the Belgian ones a run for their money ;) Puh, not even close... You obviously haven't seen/been drinking our wide variety of beers ;) "Which one of these things doesn't look like the others?" (from the young children's Sesame Street TV show).... is that a picture of anyone we know, Non Novi?) ;) Yeah, I kind of felt like the white sheep between the black ones :hehe2: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NonNovi Posted August 1, 2013 Author Share Posted August 1, 2013 Just realised: today exactly 2 more months to go... In the meanwhile, I just returned from Rome, wich was awesome. I prayed at the tomb of Saint John Berchmans and visited the room where he lived. He's one of my favorite saints, not only because he's also Flemish, but because he's the patron saint of the Flemish youth and a Jesuit (I'm entering a community that is almost how the Jesuits used to be). The more I learned about his life, the more I can relate to him. So visiting the place where he lived and died was impressive. The rest of Rome was awesome too of course. Still haven't got my list and other papers yet. The master of novices promised to email them. Should I just ask or wait a bit longer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheresaThoma Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 How long ago did the Novice Master promise to send them? My suggestion if it has been more than 2 weeks send an email asking, he may have forgotten to send them or they got lost in the bowels of the internet. With two months to go you definitely want them sooner rather than later! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikita92 Posted August 2, 2013 Share Posted August 2, 2013 We are all happy for you Non!!! Congrats!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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