Training at novitiate, contents and stakes
Novitiate is a period of training in many respects; a period of initiation to a new pattern of life, in the wake of Christ. In this way, the person is introduced to a new way of seeing herself, of seeing God and the surrounding world. In the beginning, this will result in some destabilization due to the break with the former pattern of life, then the discovery of a new balance, a new meaning and acquisition of new attitudes adjusted to the new situations she is supposed to live.
This initiation leads the novice to the root of her being, which will trigger in her an attitude of interrogation, understanding, adherence, adaptation and conversion. However, there is only true conversion if the person enters on her free will and forms part of this adventure. Because nothing can be formed in her without her consent, adherence and contribution are absolutely necessary. This dynamic urges the novice to stand on her own and accept to freely loose the hold; otherwise, the training shall turn into a taming and conditioning process. So, the training as a whole aims at helping the person to fully admit the maturation process of her personality through many awareness-takings, rising little by little to Christ’s full caliber that she came to follow.