Saturday, February 26, 2022, The Clothing of a Novice in the Society of Saint John the Evangelist

The Clothing of a Novice in the

SOCIETY OF S AINT JOHN THE EVANGELIST

Michael Taylor Hardgrove Saturday, February 26, 2022

The Clothing of a Novice in the Society of Saint John the Evangelist The Angelus Officiant People

The angel of the Lord announced unto Mary, and she conceived by the Holy Spirit.

Officiant

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with you.

Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

People

Holy Mary, Mother of God, { pause } pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

Officiant People

And Mary said, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, Be it unto me according to your Word.”

Officiant

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with you.

Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

People

Holy Mary, Mother of God, { pause } pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

Officiant People

And the Word was made flesh, And dwelt among us.

Officiant

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with you.

Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

People

Holy Mary, Mother of God, { pause } pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

Officiant People

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Collect

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The Invitatory Officiant

O God, make speed to save us.

People

O Lord, make haste to help us.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

To you, O Lord, be glory, King of endless Majesty.

Anthem

Hymnal S 59

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Psalm 145 Exaltabo te, Deus

1 I will exalt you, O God my King, * and bless your Name for ever and ever.

2 Every day will I bless you * and praise your Name for ever and ever.

3 Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; * there is no end to his greatness.

4 One generation shall praise your works to another * and shall declare your power.

5 I will ponder the glorious splendor of your majesty * and all your marvelous works.

6 They shall speak of the might of your wondrous acts, * and I will tell of your greatness.

7 They shall publish the remembrance of your great goodness; * they shall sing of your righteous deeds.

8 The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, * slow to anger and of great kindness.

9 The LORD is loving to everyone * and his compassion is over all his works.

10 All your works praise you, O LORD, * and your faithful servants bless you.

11 They make known the glory of your kingdom * and speak of your power;

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12 That the peoples may know of your power * and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; * your dominion endures throughout all ages.

14 The LORD is faithful in all his words * and merciful in all his deeds.

15 The LORD upholds all those who fall; * he lifts up those who are bowed down.

16 The eyes of all wait upon you, O LORD, * and you give them their food in due season.

17 You open wide your hand * and satisfy the needs of every living creature.

18 The LORD is righteous in all his ways * and loving in all his works.

19 The LORD is near to those who call upon him, * to all who call upon him faithfully.

20 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; * he hears their cry and helps them.

21 The LORD preserves all those who love him, * but he destroys all the wicked.

22 My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD; * let all flesh bless his holy Name for ever and ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: * as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

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Psalm 146 Lauda, anima mea

1 Hallelujah!

Praise the LORD, O my soul! * I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

2 Put not your trust in rulers, nor in any child of earth, * for there is no help in them.

3 When they breathe their last, they return to earth, * and in that day their thoughts perish.

4 Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help! * whose hope is in the LORD their God; 5 Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them; * who keeps his promise for ever; 6 Who gives justice to those who are oppressed, * and food to those who hunger.

7 The LORD sets the prisoners free; the LORD opens the eyes of the blind; * the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; 8 The LORD loves the righteous; the LORD cares for the stranger; * he sustains the orphan and widow, but frustrates the way of the wicked.

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9 The LORD shall reign for ever, * your God, O Zion, throughout all generations.

Hallelujah!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: * as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

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The Lesson John 15: 1–5 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.

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The Song of Mary Magnificat

An antiphon will be sung by the community

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; * for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed: * the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him * in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm, * He has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, * and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things, * and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel, * for he has remembered his promise of mercy, The promise he made to our fathers, * to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: * as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

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The Clothing

The congregation is seated.

Novice Guardian

Let us welcome into our midst Michael Taylor Hardgrove.

Brothers

Michael, we welcome you in the name of the Lord!

Superior

Michael, you have been sharing our life and seeking in our company signs of the will of God. What do you now desire?

Postulant

I desire the grace and mercy of God and to be admitted to the Society of Saint John the Evangelist as a Novice.

Superior

In your baptism you received the Holy Spirit and were clothed with Christ. You received power to bear witness to the new life of the gospel and were made a minister of the new covenant. Do you believe that God is planting in your heart the desire to live this new life as a member of our community?

Postulant

I do.

Novice Guardian

We believe that God is drawing you to test your calling here. We are ready to make you a Novice in the community. Will you give yourself wholeheartedly to the life of a Novice, trusting the guidance we give you?

Postulant

I will, with the help of Christ’s Spirit.

Brothers, will you receive me as a member of the community and share with me your experience of the living God?

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Brothers

We will.

Postulant

Will you support me with your prayer and friendship as I learn to abide in Christ more deeply by living the Rule of this Society?

Brothers

We will.

Superior

Michael, we rejoice when our prayers for the gift of new members are answered. New members bring with them the promise of new life for our brotherhood. We rejoice in the talents and gifts of the Holy Spirit that you bring us.

Superior

The novitiate is a time of progressive initiation into the life of the community. During this time of growth and change the grace you received in baptism to die and rise again in Christ will be at work.

You will need to draw on that grace as you seek to deepen your conversion in Christ.

As a Novice you will be sharing our life of worship and prayer. You will learn to practice the spiritual disciplines that deepen our abiding in Christ. Through study and meditation you will explore the resources of Christian knowledge and wisdom. We will help you understand the role of the monastic way in the life and mission of the Church. We will open to you the meaning of our Rule of Life and share our tradition and the teaching of our founders.

Set your heart on making the Gospel of John your own. An affinity with the witness of the disciple whom Jesus loved is one of the signs of belonging to our brotherhood. Seek to identify yourself with him and realize the intimacy of our union with Christ.

If you are truly called to our way of life, the novitiate will be a time not merely of adaptation, but of inner change and conversion of life.

Expect emotional and spiritual trials, since stages of genuine transformation are marked by experiences of confusion and loss. The Brothers who have responsibility for the work of formation will help you face these times with courage and gain insight into their meaning. All of us are here to encourage you in the stress of adjustment and change. We want to foster your readiness for commitment by our prayerful friendship. Together we are putting your vocation to the test of experience.

Michael, we now open our arms to you and offer you the habit of our Society. The habit is a powerful sign of our common life and identity. As you put it on you are accepting the gift of membership in our community.

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First Brother

Michael, receive the cross of the Society as an emblem of our common life and mission. When you wear it, let it be close to your heart as a sign of the lifting up of Christ from the earth that he might draw all people to himself.

Second Brother

Michael, let the habit remind you of the baptismal gift of your union with Christ. You have put him on; he clothes you with his own self.

Third Brother

Michael, let the triple cord round your waist be a sign of your readiness to meet Christ in his coming. Be prepared for him to come to you in new and surprising ways as you become one of us.

The Novice steps forward and the Superior takes his hands.

Brothers

Michael, we receive you as a Novice in our Society, with the blessing of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Novice then exchanges the Peace with each Brother in turn, beginning with the Superior.

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The Lord’s Prayer Superior All Superior All

The congregation stands.

The Lord be with you And also with you.

Let us pray.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen.

Collect Shed upon your Church, O Lord, the brightness of your light, that we, being illumined by the teaching of your evangelist John, may so walk in the light of your truth, that at length we may attain to the fullness of eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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Hymn

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Hymnal 580

Dismissal Cantor People

Let us bless the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Superior

Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to God from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen.

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