Four novices of the Custody of the Holy Land made their first profession of the evangelical counsels (temporary vows) in the hands of the Custos, Fra Francesco Patton. They are Fra Mark Kabbabeh, Fra Manuel Isaù Kingombe, Fra Winfred Mensah and Fra Luis Alejandro Mora López. The ceremony, presided over by the Custos, took place in La Verna (Italy) on Saturday, 31 August. Three novices from the Egyptian Province of the Friars Minor also professed their temporary vows, in the hands of their Provincial.
Fragility and responsibility
In his homily, the Custos dwelled on an aspect of the “call” which often is not brought to light: “God has chosen us as we are, fragile and limited people.” Being aware of this is not mortifying, “but on the contrary gives value to your whole person, because you will never be able to attribute to yourselves what belongs only to God.” This does not mean that each one does not have to play their part: “To each call corresponds a service and a responsibility, which is in proportion to our capacities. God gives us confidence, enormous confidence! Only one thing is not allowed: that we let ourselves be defeated by the fear of making a mistake and for this reason we do nothing.”
Three knots
After the homily, each novice kneeled in front of his Provincial, and in his hands he pronounced the formula of the temporary profession, promising to “live for one year in obedience, without anything of his own and in chastity” according to the Rule of St Francis (of which they received a copy at the time of the profession) and the General Constitutions of the Order of the Friars Minor. As an exterior sign of this promise, each friar put on for the first time the cord that he wears tied around his waist with three knots, whereas the cord worn during the year of the novitiate is simple, without knots.
Franciscan formation
The first profession takes place at the end of the year of the novitiate. Each year, until they are admitted to the perpetual profession, the temporary professed renew their vows. After the temporary profession, the path of the friars of the Custody normally continues in the Holy Land. Here they study philosophy and theology and study Franciscan life in further depth.
The “robes of the trial”
On Sunday 1 September in Montefalco (Italy), in the house of the postulants of the Custody of the Holy Land, eight young people put on the “trial robes”, i.e. the Franciscan habit, made up of the cassock, the hood and the cord. The ceremony took place during the prayer of Second Vespers and marks the start of the year of novitiate, which will take place in La Verna. Some friars of the Custody visiting from the Holy Land, friends and relatives and some young people who in a few weeks will begin, in Montefalco, the year of postulantate, were present. In this phase, those who aspire to enter the Order can get to know Franciscan life directly, living in brotherhood, but remaining laymen.
Marinella Bandini
