SECOND YEAR
NOVITIATE: LESSON ONE
CONTINUING YOUR
FORMATION
Congratulations!
You are about to enter the second year of novice
formation for the Confraternity of Penitents. Some
of you will feel very comfortable entering upon this
year. Others may feel a twinge of dread.
Be assured of one
thing. The eating adjustments that you will make
this year will be more freeing than restrictive. If
you are used to snacking, you will discover that you
have more time to do other things when you restrict
your food intake. You will also have fewer dishes to
wash, a healthier body, and lower food expenses. If
you love to eat meat, you will find some interesting
and tasty ways to observe the Rule's abstinence
provisions. By the end of this year, you will feel
healthier physically than you do now.
Nevertheless, the
CFP is not a health club that claims to add years to
your physical life. The CFP is a Confraternity
intended to improve your spiritual health and bring
you closer to the Lord. As you discipline yourself
in the area of food, especially if you are
undisciplined in this area, you will find yourself
more readily surrendering to God's guidance in other
areas of your life. It is this surrender, not the
meatless or fast days, that will ultimately assist
in sanctifying you.
In the First Year
Novitiate, you learned to give God a great deal of
your time in prayer. This year you will learn to
give Him a portion of your physical appetites. What
you learn about Him and yourself in this process
will draw both you and Him into a deeper union. With
such a worthy goal, let us begin.
The texts we will
use are those used in First Year Novitiate: the
Bible; the Rule and Constitutions of the
Confraternity of Penitents; and Catechism of the
Catholic Church.
Each month,
reading assignments in Scripture, the Rule and
Constitutions, and the Catechism will be given. You
should do the reading assignment prior to the next
month's meeting. It is suggested that 4 sections of
the Catechism lesson be read daily so as to complete
the lesson within a month's time. If desired, you
may use the assignments as a basis for mental prayer
or may jot down any insights into a Mental Prayer
Journal which may be shared with your spiritual
director.
Your formator may
wish to use the optional text A Year with the
Saints (available from the CFP Holy Angels
Gift Shop and also from TAN Books and Publishers, PO
Box 424, Rockford IL 61105).
Texts should be
brought to all Chapter or Circle meetings to aid in
discussion. BRIEF answers (five sentences or less)
to the questions marked ANSWER should be mailed,
emailed, or recorded on audio tape for your formator.
You will also be
given monthly assignments in living the Rule and
Constitutions by following certain parts of the
fasting and abstinence provisions. These practices
should be started in the month given and then
continued as long as you live this Rule. If, due to
age, pregnancy, health, or other reasons, you are
dispensed from following these provisions, then
implement your dispensation while continuing
formation for this second year of novice training.
May God bless you
this year as you strive to more closely follow Him!
CATECHISM LESSON
Read Sections
659-747.
ANSWER: What is
the mission of the Holy Spirit in the world and the
Church? How has the Holy Spirit worked in your
life?
SCRIPTURE LESSON
"...When you fast,
you are not to look glum as the hypocrites do: They
change the appearance of their faces so that others
may see they are fasting. I assure you, they are
already repaid. When you fast, see to it that you
groom your hair and wash your face. In that way no
one can see you are fasting but your Father Who is
hidden; and your Father Who sees what is hidden will
repay you." (Matthew. 6:16-18)
Jesus assumes that
we, who are His disciples, will FAST. Some
Protestant denominations do practice fasting. Some
do it to bolster their supplications. Some fast to
help their spiritual discipline. Lutherans used to
fast during Lent, but only a handful do these days.
Roman Catholics fast on Ash Wednesday and Good
Friday. Orthodox Christians fast all during Lent. We
living the CFP Rule fast daily during Lent and
Advent, except Sundays and Solemnities, as well as
on every Friday of the year, and on Wednesdays from
the Octave of Christmas until Lent. Some of the
brothers and sisters voluntarily keep a continual
fast on all days of the year except Sundays,
Solemnities, and the Octaves of Easter and
Christmas.
There is a right
way and a wrong way to fast. Fasting to lose weight,
for instance, is not a fast unto God. Fasting to
show off how "spiritual" we are immediately causes
us to lose any spiritual reward we would have
received. Once again we see Jesus reprimanding the
Pharisees because they were only practicing their
religion outwardly and not seeing the inward
spiritual importance. Jesus takes them to task in
the Beatitudes and the Woes in Matthew Chapters 5,
6, and 23.
Our darker, more
sinful spiritual woes come from within; so also do
our reflections of the Divine image when we live our
lives in Truth and in Spirit. Anything we offer up
to God must come from within and be combined with
the outward to be a blessing to God, or to ourselves
and neighbors. God promises that our reward for
seeking Him through acts of consecration, such as
fasting and prayer, will be secret in this world
(usually anyway), and outward in the world to come.
1)
What was your first impression when you
understood that the Rule required fasting?
2)
Do you see fasting as a part of your prayer
life?
3)
How can we fulfill Jesus' commitment, as we
live our Rule, to let our fasting be done in secret?
ANSWER: How do
you see fasting relating to your relationship with
God?
RULE LESSON
Read the Object of
the Commitment, Fruits of the Commitment, and
Purpose (Charism) of the Constitutions, the Preamble
of the Rule and Constitutions, and the Addendum to
the Constitutions.
ANSWER: Which of
the goals of a penitential life seem to be taking
place most strongly in your life? How is your
spiritual director assisting in this growth?
Make a general
review of Chapters II and III of the Rule and
Constitutions. Study Constitutions 6a, 6c, 6g, 6i,
9b, 9c, 9d, 9e, 9f, 10a, 11a, 11b, and Appendix A.
These contain exceptions to the fasting and
abstinence provisions.
ANSWER: Without
looking at the Rule or Constitutions, make a list of
all the exceptions you can remember. Go back and
check your list. Add any exceptions you forgot. Put
an identifying mark by any exceptions that apply to
you.
Constitutions 6d.
ANSWER: Do you
think you will have difficulty with this section?
It will be implemented gradually into your life,
beginning this month.
A YEAR WITH THE SAINTS
(Optional)
Read each day's
reading for this month.
ANSWER: Select
one writing of a saint from this month and comment
on its relevance to your life.
ASSIGNMENT
·
Submit
BRIEF answers to the above questions to your
formator.
·
Eliminate
all solid-food snacks between lunch and dinner
(afternoon snacks). Beverages may be taken.
·
Having
successfully completed the First Year Novitiate, you
should already be doing the following which you will
continue doing all your life as a penitent:
·
Daily
praying in the morning the Apostles' Creed, all of
Psalm 51, all of Psalm 54, and verses 1 to 32
of Psalm 119 as did the first penitents. The "Glory
Be" is prayed after the Psalms.
·
Daily
praying in the evening, the Apostles' Creed and all
of Psalm 51 as did the first penitents with a "Glory
Be" prayed after the Psalm.
·
Daily
praying Morning, Evening, and Night Prayer.
·
Using
another prayer option taken from the Rule, in
consultation with your spiritual director, to bring
your total prayer to 90 minutes per day unless your
obligation has been excused or adapted.
·
Always
wearing a visible cross or crucifix unless you are
already wearing the habit of a Third Order.
·
Attending
daily Mass, if possible.
·
Praying
the Psalter yearly for deceased penitents.
·
Receiving
the Sacrament of Reconciliation monthly and
Eucharist weekly, at a minimum.
·
Praying a
Marian Consecration prayer daily.
·
Embracing
an apostolate from either the spiritual or corporal
works of mercy.
·
Abstaining from meat on every Friday of the year
with the exception of Church Solemnities and special
celebrations and praying an Our Father or another
prayer before and after every meal.
·
Daily
asking the Lord to help you surrender your life to
Him and praying for the Holy Father, our bishops,
spiritual assistants, your spiritual director, your
pastor(s), all penitents, the intentions of the
Confraternity of Penitents, your enemies, all
sinners, and yourself.
Are you doing these?
If not, implement them into your life.
SECOND YEAR NOVITIATE:
LESSON TWO
RULE LESSON
Chapter VI,
Rule/Constitutions 19-21.
ANSWER: Discuss
your involvement in Chapter/Circle meetings of the
CFP.
Chapter II,
Rule/Constitutions 7 and Constitutions 6h.
ANSWER: Are you
able to implement these sections in your daily life
or do you sometimes forget? If you forget, what can
you do to help you remember?
SCRIPTURE LESSON
"I warn you then:
do not worry about your livelihood, what you are to
eat or drink or use for clothing. Is not life more
than food? Is not the body more valuable than
clothes?" (Matthew 6:25)
As we train our
bodies through the disciplines of fasting and
simplicity, we likewise train our spirits. Thus we
are heeding this warning of our Lord Jesus. Jesus
does not say our bodies are unimportant; He is
stating that the whole being, body and soul
together, is of the most importance. He is not
saying that eating and dressing are not important
but that we are more important that what we eat or
wear. Our priorities are therefore directed to be
put in order: 1) Spirit 2) Body.
It has been said
that the "eyes are the windows of the soul." Jesus
speaks of the eyes as being the "lamp of the body"
in this very chapter of Matthew (verses 22 and 23).
If our eyes are full of covetousness, we are
thinking that we are being neglected by God because
someone else has more material goods than we do. We
are breaking the Tenth Commandment, "Thou shalt not
covet thy neighbor's goods."
1)
Is it ever possible in our modern world to
"not worry" about clothes, transportation and money?
2)
Is there a connection with self-discipline
(such as fasting) and the fulfillment of this verse?
3)
What is that connection?
4)
Will fasting help you set your priorities on
the things of God?
ANSWER: Answer
question 4 above in writing.
CATECHISM LESSON
Read Sections
748-829.
ANSWER: Name any
five truths about the Catholic Church from this
assignment and the Sections of the Catechism that
discuss them.
A YEAR WITH THE SAINTS
(Optional)
Read each day's
reading for this month.
ANSWER: Select
one writing of a saint from this month and comment
on its relevance to your life.
ASSIGNMENTS
·
Return
BRIEF answers to questions in this lesson to your
formator.
·
Eliminate
any solid food snacks eaten between dinner (supper)
and bedtime. Beverages may be taken.
·
At
meals, endeavor to allow all others to be served
before you if you can do so without calling
attention to yourself.
SECOND YEAR NOVITIATE:
LESSON THREE
RULE LESSON
Chapter I of the
Rule and Constitutions. Note especially
Constitutions 2g.
ANSWER: In no
more than five sentences, discuss the tone and
reasons for this Chapter of the Rule and
Constitutions. Remember that you are not expected to
live these provisions at this stage of formation,
with the exception of wearing a visible cross or
crucifix.
Appendix A of the
Constitutions.
ANSWER: The CFP
Rule observes fast and abstinence as defined by the
Church. What is the difference between fast and
abstinence?
CATECHISM LESSON
Read Sections
830-913.
ANSWER: Draw,
type, or otherwise create a simple chart or ladder
showing the hierarchy of the Catholic Church and
summarizing the duties of those on each step.
SCRIPTURE LESSON
"There was also
a certain prophetess, Anna by name, daughter of
Phanuel of the tribe of Asher. She had seen many
days, having lived seven years with her husband
after her marriage and then as a widow until she was
eighty-four. She was constantly in the temple,
worshiping day and night in fasting and prayer."
(Luke 2:36-37)
Do we see here a
proto-type of the religious orders for women? We
should take great comfort that, over the surface of
this globe, thousands of men and women live their
lives devoted only to Christ. At any given moment,
hundreds are offering up prayers for this sin
darkened world. Anna was one of these. Her service
to God was her "fasting and prayers." This is to be
every Christian's service, but especially of those
who seek a great level of consecration.
Those of us who
seek to be transformed by the content of the Rule
for the Confraternity of Penitents must see that
value and connection between the "outward and the
inward."
Why do you suppose that
fasting and prayer are usually linked?
1.
Does the link come in the discipline that one
affords the other?
2.
Does fasting add an element of sincerity to
our prayers?
3.
As Anna was faithful to fast "night and day,"
can we sustain our intentions to fast and pray?
ANSWER: Answer
question 1 above in writing.
A YEAR WITH THE SAINTS
(Optional)
Read each day's
reading for this month.
ANSWER: Select
one writing of a saint from this month and comment
on its relevance to your life.
ASSIGNMENT
·
Eliminate
any snacks you may be eating in the morning. By
doing this, you should now have eliminated all
between meal snacking.
·
Return
BRIEF answers to questions in above lessons to your
formator.
SECOND YEAR NOVITIATE:
FOURTH MONTH
RULE LESSON
Chapter IV of the
Rule and Constitutions and Appendices B and C of the
Constitutions.
ANSWER: Evaluate
yourself on your living of Chapter IV. All of the
provisions of this Chapter should be fully
implemented in your life at this time.
Rule and
Constitutions 6 and Constitutions 6a, 6b, 8b,
Appendix A.
ANSWER: Who does
the Church exempt from fasting and abstinence? What
days of fast and abstinence are enjoined on all
Catholics with the above exceptions?
CATECHISM LESSON
Read Sections
914-991.
ANSWER: In one
sentence each, define these terms:
·
Consecrated life
·
Communion
of saints
·
Marian
prayer
·
Forgiveness of sins
SCRIPTURE LESSON
"Jesus, full of
the Holy Spirit, then returned from the Jordan and
was conducted by the Spirit into the desert for
forty days, where He was tempted by the devil.
During that time, He ate nothing and at the end of
it He was hungry." (Luke 4:1-2)
Jesus'
self-deprivation, we might think, would have made
Him weaker and more likely to succumb to the
temptations of the devil. But that is not how
fasting works. Our sufferings strengthen our
spirits. Jesus' fasting and prayer actually
fortified Him where it was important--in His spirit.
Jesus told John
and James, when they could not stay awake with Him
during His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, "your
spirits are willing, but your flesh is weak." If we
train our flesh through the discipline of fasting
coupled with prayer, our whole being is strengthened
to withstand suffering and turn it to good.
1)
Do we see the value of fasting as we
experience the hunger and deprivation?
2)
Is the experience of fasting similar to John
of the Cross's "dark night of the soul," where we
experience the silence from God, and the agony of
working toward our goal, but then the beauty as we
"break through to the other side?"
3)
Have you ever experienced a temptation where
fasting may have helped strengthen you in your
spirit?
ANSWER: Select
one of the above questions to answer in writing.
A YEAR WITH THE SAINTS
(Optional)
Read each day's
reading for this month.
ANSWER: Select
one writing of a saint from this month and comment
on its relevance to your life.
ASSIGNMENTS
·
Begin now
to observe every Monday as a day of abstinence (that
is, no meat is to be eaten on Mondays). This will be
in addition to the Friday abstinence which you
should already be keeping.
·
Return
BRIEF answers to questions above to your formator.
SECOND YEAR NOVITIATE:
LESSON FIVE
RULE LESSON
Chapter V,
Rule/Constitutions 15-16.
ANSWER: Evaluate
yourself on the living of these sections.
Rule and
Constitutions 6 with particular attention to
Constitutions 6e, 6f.
ANSWER: How are
you observing these provisions?
CATECHISM LESSON
Read Sections
992-1076.
ANSWER: What are
death and resurrection in our faith and in your own
faith journey?
SCRIPTURE LESSON
"Then, raising His
eyes to His disciples, He said, "Blest are you poor;
the reign of God is yours. Blest are you who hunger;
you shall be filled. Blest are you who are weeping;
you shall laugh." (Luke 6:20-21)
While it is true
that our Lord is speaking of physical deprivation,
He is also saying that His words go deeper than
material poverty and physical hunger. To say
otherwise is to elevate the physical above the
spiritual. When combined with Matthew 5:3 ("How
blest are the poor in spirit; the reign of God is
theirs), we see that Jesus speaks of an
acknowledgment of our "poverty in the spirit," and
our "hunger for righteousness."
However, it is
true that external things can lead us to a deeper
focus on internal things. Think of praying before a
crucifix and meditating on our Lord on the Cross.
The image is physical, but the crucifix helps us
focus on our inward need; it helps us participate in
the Cross. We must become poor in our selfish inner
beings so that the Lord can lift us up into His
kingdom. We must become hungry for righteousness in
order to desire to be filled with that virtue.
1)
Do you "hunger" for Christ and His
righteousness to be a part of you? Is this a
general feeling or is it related to some area of
your life?
2)
Do you believe that something physical can
truly have an impact on your spirit?
3)
Do you think that it is more inherently
spiritual to be poor than to be well off?
4)
Is it true that poverty can be either a
blessing, or a curse depending on one's relationship
with God?
ANSWER: Answer in
writing either number 2 or number 3 above.
A YEAR WITH THE SAINTS
(Optional)
Read each day's
reading for this month.
ANSWER: Select
one writing of a saint from this month and comment
on its relevance to your life.
ASSIGNMENTS
·
From now
on, observe every Wednesday as a day of abstinence
from meat. This will be in addition to the Monday
and Friday days of abstinence.
·
Submit
BRIEF answers to questions above to your formator.
SECOND
YEAR NOVITIATE: LESSON SIX
RULE LESSON
Rule/Constitutions
17-18 and Appendix D of the Constitutions.
ANSWER: What are
you doing to fulfill Constitutions 18d?
Review all of
Chapter II in the Rule and Constitutions.
ANSWER: Summarize
the abstinence provisions of this way of life.
CATECHISM LESSON
Read Sections
1077-1144.
ANSWER: Find
something in this section that you did not know
about the liturgy and discuss it. Give the section
number in your discussion.
SCRIPTURE LESSON
St. Paul writes:
"What I do is discipline my own body and master it,
for fear that after having preached to others I
myself should be rejected." (1 Corinthians 9:27)
Hell is real. It
is separation from God, but since we are going to be
physically resurrected it is also a plane of
existence. Some people do go to Hell. See Romans
16:18 "Such men serve, not Christ our Lord, but
their own bellies, and they deceive the simpleminded
with smooth and flattering speech." In Philippians
3:19, St. Paul says, "Such as these will end in
disaster! Their god is their belly and their glory
is their shame." See also Romans 1: 18-25.
God does not
necessarily enjoy it when we are physically hungry,
but He certainly doesn't want us to wind up in
Hell. We sinners live in a material and spiritual
world, but it is so easy for the material to choke
out the spiritual. We have so much trouble keeping
the First Commandment ("Thou shalt have no other
gods before Me"), let alone the rest. "Where your
heart is, there your treasure will be also," Jesus
tells us.
We can help keep
our eyes on the Lord if we join the good company of
St. Paul by "disciplining our body," and "bringing
it into subjection."
1)
Do you see a connection between the Ten
Commandments and Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 9:27?
2)
Would a hair shirt and flagellum help us to
keep our priorities on the kingdom of God?
3)
Would the practices in question 2 be
excessive?
4)
What is the danger of being excessive in our
physical discipline?
5)
Do most Americans run the risk of too harshly
disciplining their bodies for spiritual reasons?
ANSWER: What can
you do to maintain balance regarding mortification
in your life?
A YEAR WITH THE SAINTS
(Optional)
Read each day's
reading for this month.
ANSWER: Select
one writing of a saint from this month and comment
on its relevance to your life.
ASSIGNMENTS
·
Begin to
observe Saturday as a day of abstinence from meat,
adding this to the Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
abstinence days.
·
Submit
BRIEF answers to the questions above to your
formator.
SECOND
YEAR NOVITIATE: LESSON SEVEN
RULE LESSON
Chapter VII of the
Rule and Constitutions with particular attention to
section 22.
ANSWER: How have
you been able to observe this section?
Chapter III of the
Rule and Constitutions with particular attention to
section 8, and Appendix A of the Constitutions.
ANSWER: On fast
days, how will you determine how much food to eat?
CATECHISM LESSON
Read Sections
1145-1228.
ANSWER: Pretend
that a non-Christian friend asked you how the
liturgy was celebrated. Write a one paragraph
summary to answer this inquiry.
SCRIPTURE LESSON
"The day will
come, however, when the groom will be taken away
from them; on that day they will fast." (Mark
2:20)
In some places
Jesus and the disciples could be distinguished from
the Pharisees because they disdained false outward
religion as they feasted and drank. On other
occasions Jesus taught that the Pharisee's piety was
not even close to being pious enough.
"There is a time a
purpose for everything under heaven," said wise King
Solomon. This is why the Church, in her wisdom,
gives us regulations for both fasting and feasting.
"In all things equilibrium," though not catchy,
might be a worthwhile slogan for us. In this verse
Jesus is contrasting the behavior of His disciples
with those of John the Baptist (see preceding
verses, Mark 2: 18-19). He is not saying that
neither He, nor His disciples, ever fasted until
after He was crucified. He was indicating that the
true purpose of the disciples' fast would center
around their Master, a fact which would only become
clear to the disciples after the Resurrection.
(Note: In the Mosaic
law, only the fast on the Day of Atonement was
required. After the Babylonian exile of the Jewish
nation, four other yearly fasts were observed. In
Jesus' time, the Pharisees fasted twice a week.)
1)
How should we offer up our prayers and fasts?
2)
Around what or Who should they be offered up?
3)
Our prayers can go through to the Father
because we pray through Jesus even if in union with
Mary or St. Joseph. Is fasting any different?
4)
Have you studied the feast and fast days of
the Church?
ANSWER: How can
we center our fasting around Christ?
A YEAR WITH THE SAINTS
(Optional)
Read each day's
reading for this month.
ANSWER: Select
one writing of a saint from this month and comment
on its relevance to your life.
ASSIGNMENTS
·
Begin
from now on to fast as well as abstain on every
Friday of the year except those which are
Solemnities or within the Christmas and Easter
Octaves.
·
Return
BRIEF answers to above questions to your formator.
During the ninth
month of Second Year Novitiate, you will be asked to
make a personal evaluation of your journey so far
into a life of penance. Is it your intent to
complete this year successfully and move into third
year novitiate? Between now and the ninth month,
please pray about this question. It is very
important. If you are behind on a few lessons,
strive to catch up. If you need help understanding
the lesson or getting through it, let your formator
know.
SECOND YEAR NOVITIATE:
LESSON EIGHT
RULE LESSON
Chapter VII of the
Rule and Constitutions with particular attention to
sections 23-25.
ANSWER: How are
you observing these sections?
Rule/Constitutions
6 with attention to Constitutions 6c, 6d, 6g, 6i, as
well as Rule/Constitutions 8 and 11, and Appendix A
of the Constitutions.
ANSWER: Write
from memory how often penitents (who are not
dispensed from the fasting and abstinence provisions
of the Rule) eat, with the exception of Solemnities
and Sundays.
CATECHISM LESSON
Read Sections
1229-1321.
ANSWER: Summarize
the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation.
SCRIPTURE LESSON
"Rather put on the Lord
Jesus Christ and make no provision for the desires
of the flesh." (Romans 13:14)
"Work out your
salvation with fear and trembling" is a verse
similar to this one which directly opposes salvation
by faith alone without the necessity of works (a
Protestant teaching from Luther and the Reformers).
Why can we say
that? The verse is filled with verbs. The subjects
are understood to be you and me. YOU put on the Lord
Jesus. How? Through the Sacraments! Through prayer
and fasting! Through daily consecration! Through
disciplining your body through periodically
depriving it!
"Make no provision
for the desires of the flesh." Does this mean don't
go to work, feed your families, or buy life
insurance? No! It means avoid occasions for sin and
temptation. Are there certain television shows and
movies that fill our brains with nonsense or
propaganda? Yes, and these lead to what someone has
called "stinkin' thinkin'". Don't forget that your
sanctification is God's will. His Holy Spirit works
"in you, both to will and to do His good pleasure."
But even our Lord Jesus said, "I work and My Father
works." Let us work to stay consecrated to our Lord
in union with St. Mary and St. Joseph.
1)
Is there a place where we should be the
subject of the verbs and not God?
2)
Is there a place where we should consider
ourselves the object of the verbs and God the
subject?
3)
Are we saved "by grace through faith?"
4)
Do our works have a place in our salvation?
ANSWER: Reflect
on this month's Scripture verse and tell what it
means to you.
A YEAR WITH THE SAINTS
(Optional)
Read each day's
reading for this month.
ANSWER: Select
one writing of a saint from this month and comment
on its relevance to your life.
ASSIGNMENT
·
Determine
how you will reduce your meals to two per day in
light of Constitutions 6c. Will you need a bite to
eat for a third meal? This month try out different
patterns of eating to see which seems to work best
for you. You will implement this plan next month.
·
Submit
BRIEF answers to the above questions to your
formator.
SECOND YEAR NOVITIATE:
LESSON NINE
RULE LESSON
Rule/Constitutions 26-27.
ANSWER: All of us
have offended others. Think of one or two people who
most need your apology and write or speak an apology
to them. Then submit your response to this activity
to your formator.
Chapter II of the
Rule and Constitutions with particular attention to
section 6.
ANSWER: Explain
how you will observe Constitutions 6c.
CATECHISM LESSON
Read sections
1322-1390.
ANSWER: How do
the Eucharist and the Mass support each other? How
meaningful is the Eucharist to your faith journey
with Christ?
SCRIPTURE LESSON
"The man who will
eat anything must not ridicule him who abstains from
certain foods; the man who abstains must not sit in
judgment on him who eats. After all, God Himself has
made him welcome." (Romans 14:3)
Does the CFP Rule
indicate that we must follow it strictly even in
public where other people might be somehow
scandalized? No, it does not. We are to follow a
rule of simplicity, but where that would unduly
burden our spouses it becomes a scandal to the
spouse and we are not to do that. We are not to make
a show of our piety by refusing meat in public
unless it would not be a problem to those around us.
Do we sin if
conformity to the crowd conceals our Christianity?
God tells us that we must obey Him and not mankind
in those instances in which the Catholic Church has
set up certain fasting and abstinence provisions
(such as meatless Fridays during Lent). However,
where there is a voluntary discipline involved, as
there is in the case of the CFP Rule, we run the
risk of performing our discipline to be "seen by
men" if we are overly rigid in public situations.
We are certainly
to never gloat over our discipline of fasting and
prayer; to do so would indicate that we are far from
understanding its purpose. God, through His Church,
is working in us through our Rule. We must not
bring scandal upon it by a false public show of
rigidity.
1)
Is Paul talking only of abstinence here, or
could fasting be included as well?
2)
Do you understand the difference between
fasting and abstinence? (Abstinence is denying
ourselves meat at meals; fasting is limiting the
amount of food intake).
3)
What sin is involved if we gloat over our
supposed spiritual superiority?
4)
Be sure to read the rest of Chapter 14 to
truly understand Paul's full thrust! Once you have
done so, decide what are two of the key issues in
this passage. Hints: For whom did Christ die? What
is the essence of the kingdom of God?
ANSWER: Answer in
writing number 4 above.
A YEAR WITH THE SAINTS
(Optional)
Read each day's
reading for this month.
ANSWER: Select
one writing of a saint from this month and comment
on its relevance to your life.
ASSIGNMENT
·
Reduce
your meals on every day of the week except Sundays
and Solemnities to two per day. If you feel you need
a bite to eat at the third meal, decide what that
will be in light of Constitutions 6c.
·
Submit
BRIEF answers to the above questions to the
formator.
SELF-EVALUATION
Am I keeping up with
the novice lessons and turning in my answers on
time?
Am I incorporating the
assignments into my life?
Is it my intent to
successfully complete the next months of the
formation and move into Third Year Novitiate?
Or do I feel it would
be better for me to repeat or continue this year of
formation before moving on?
ANSWER: Do I, or do I
not, plan on entering Third Year Novitiate and why
or why not?
SECOND
YEAR NOVITIATE: LESSON TEN
RULE LESSON
Rule/Constitutions
28, 38.
ANSWER: How are
these sections being observed in your CFP Circle or
Chapter?
Rule/Constitutions
8, 9, 10, 11.
ANSWER: Unless
you are dispensed, how will you observe the
pre-Christmas fast as required by Constitutions 9a
and the Wednesday fast between All Saints' Day until
Easter, as required by Constitutions 8a?
CATECHISM LESSON
Read Sections
1391-1470.
ANSWER: What is
the purpose of the Sacrament of Penance and how may
one receive it worthily?
SCRIPTURE LESSON
"They gave Him a
drink of wine flavored with gall, which He tasted
but refused to drink." (Matthew. 27:34)
Jesus refused to
drink this mixture because He wanted to be fully
conscious until His death. Gall was used as a
numbing agent to somewhat mitigate the suffering,
but Jesus had to taste suffering for everyone of us.
He had to be conscious until His death. Modern
mankind seeks not only to avoid suffering but also
to stay numbed for recreational purposes. This makes
us who seek to live as penitents stand out at times
like sore thumbs. We, in some small way like our
Master, choose to experience suffering and
deprivation. Ours is to help us focus on our
spiritual life and on the needs of the world around
us. We, along with Jesus and Mary, say, "not my will
but Thy will be done." God works on us through our
surrender. We surrender our wills somewhat, through
our voluntary living of the CFP Rule and
Constitutions.
1)
Do you see that the living of the penitential
life must be prayerfully considered and fully
voluntary?
2)
Is there a self-emptying involved in your
life as you fulfill your pledge to live this Rule?
3)
Have you grown in your "inner man" through
daily spiritual discipline?
4)
Have you meditated lately on our Lord's
suffering and its voluntary nature?
ANSWER: How does
the penitential life and its voluntary nature relate
to our dealings with our family, co-workers,
friends, and other Catholics?
A YEAR WITH THE SAINTS
(Optional)
Read each day's
reading for this month.
ANSWER: Select
one writing of a saint from this month and comment
on its relevance to your life.
ASSIGNMENTS
·
Unless
dispensed, observe the fasting provisions during the
pre-Christmas fast as discussed under Constitutions
9a.
·
Also
implement the Wednesday fast from the Feast of All
Saints until Easter as stated in Constitutions 8a.
·
Submit
BRIEF answers to the above questions to your
formator.
SECOND YEAR NOVITIATE:
LESSON ELEVEN
RULE LESSON
Rule/Constitutions
32, 34, 35, 36, 39.
ANSWER: What is
our obligation as penitents regarding scandal or
serious sin involving ourselves or another member of
the Confraternity?
Chapters II and
III of the Rule and Constitutions.
ANSWER: Of all
the stipulations in these two chapters, which one do
you feel is most important and why?
CATECHISM LESSON
Read sections
1471-1553.
ANSWER: Define
these terms in one sentence each:
·
Indulgences
·
Anointing
of the Sick
·
Viaticum
·
Holy
Orders
·
Ministerial Priesthood
SCRIPTURE LESSON
"Jesus said to
all: "Whoever wishes to be My follower must deny
his very self, take up his cross each day, and
follow in My steps." (Luke 9:23)
Dietrich
Bonhoeffer, German theologian and Hitler martyr,
said, "Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness
without requiring repentance, baptism without church
discipline, Communion without confession, absolution
without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace
without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace
without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate. Costly
grace is the treasure hidden in the field....Such
grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and
it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus
Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his
life, and it is grace because it gives a man the
only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin
and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above
all, it is costly because it cost God the life of
His Son: 'ye were bought at a price,' and what has
cost God much cannot be cheap for us." (The Cost of
Discipleship, p. 36-37)
The term
"Christians" given to believers in Jesus means
"Christ's people" or "belonging to Christ." Do we
"belong" to Jesus?
Bonhoeffer also
wrote, "When Christ calls a man, He bids Him come
and die." (79) "Discipleship means adherence to
Christ, and because Christ is the object of that
adherence, it must take the form of discipleship."
(50)
1)
For Bonhoeffer "to deny oneself is to be
aware only of Christ." Do you agree, or disagree?
Why?
2)
Is such a thing possible given our nature? Is
it something to strive for?
3)
". . . the wounds and scars we receive in
the fray are living tokens of this participation
in the cross of our Lord." What does this mean?
Have you heard this before? Where?
ANSWER: Reflect
on the Scripture passage for this month and tell
what it means to you.
A YEAR WITH THE SAINTS
(Optional)
Read each day's
reading for this month.
ANSWER: Select
one writing of a saint from this month and comment
on its relevance to your life.
ASSIGNMENT
·
When Lent
comes, observe the daily fast as stated in Rule and
Constitutions 9, with particular attention to
Constitutions 9a.
·
Submit
BRIEF answers to the above questions to your
formator.
SECOND YEAR NOVITIATE:
LESSON TWELVE
RULE LESSON
Rule/Constitutions
29, 30, 31, 33, 37.
ANSWER: Pretend
that you found a ragged copy of the Rule and
Constitutions. All you could read were the above
sections and no others. What would these sections
tell you about the objectives of the Confraternity
of Penitents?
Constitutions,
Appendix A.
ANSWER: Evaluate
yourself on how well you are doing in adjusting the
way you fast and abstain under the Rule and
Constitutions, with the regulations set down by the
Church as delineated in Appendix A.
CATECHISM LESSON
Read Sections
1554-1600.
ANSWER: List five
important facts about Holy Orders from this
section.
SCRIPTURE LESSON
"Life is more
important than food and the body more than
clothing." (Luke 12:23)
This is not the
prevailing philosophy of today's world, especially
as represented in pop culture (movies, T.V.,
commercials etc...). Public education teaches
children that religion is at best a myth and crutch.
Many youngsters today look at life as ending at
biological death. But the Bible teaches that "life
is more than....." that. Jesus says, "Do not fear
him who can destroy the body, but Him who can
destroy both body and soul." (Matthew 10:28)
Our pledge to live
the CFP Rule helps us be mindful of what's truly
important and hopefully helps us communicate this
lovingly to others. We do not lord our Rule over
others but use it as a vehicle to draw nearer to God
and to be made more into the image of His only
begotten Son. Let us meditate on that in this our
second year of living the Rule of the Confraternity
of Penitents. May the Love of God, the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ, and the communion of the Holy
Spirit be with you now and forever. Amen.
1)
Where is your "treasure?"
2)
Do you understand that grace can neither be
bought nor sold? It is a gift, and, like beggars, we
thank the Giver for it. Grace can be "merited" but
even the merit is God's gift.
3)
If you fail in living your pledge of fasting,
do you take this to our Lord and ask for His
empowerment to try again?
4)
Has your spiritual improvement caused you to
look at others in a new light?
5)
Are you being "salt" and "light" to those
around you?
ANSWER: Answer
number 4 above in writing.
A YEAR WITH THE SAINTS
(Optional)
Read each day's
reading for this month.
ANSWER: Select
one writing of a saint from this month and comment
on its relevance to your life.
ASSIGNMENT
·
You
should now be living the full fasting and abstinence
requirements of the CFP Rule. Evaluate with your
spiritual director how you are doing with these and
how you are physically and spiritually feeling. Do
you need to make any modifications?
·
Complete
the application form requesting admission to Third
Year Formation.
·
If your
formator wishes, obtain the text Abandonment to
Divine Providence (Jean-Pierre de Caussade,
Image Books/Doubleday, c. 1975) which is available
from the CFP Holy Angels Gift Shop, to use as part
of third year Novice formation.
·
Make a
Day of Recollection prior to entering 3rd year
formation. This may be done formally at an
established Day of Recollection or informally in the
privacy of your home.
·
Submit
BRIEF answers to the above questions to your
formator.
