Postulancy
Upon her enterance into the monastery, the candidate begins her postulancy which lasts a year. It permits the postulant to acquaint herself more with our customs. The period of postulancy is flexible, adapted to the person’s needs. The purpose of this period is for the candidate to experience the monastic life gradually before taking the formal step of becoming a novice.
The postulant does not, however, assume the whole austerity of our life at once, but only little by little, according to her capacity. During this period she continues to reflect on her vocation before God. If it turns out that she wishes to continue in our Order, and if the community is favourable to it, she then begins the novitiate and receives the Carmelite habit.
God calls us but He does not constrain us. He grants us full liberty to accept or to refuse His divine invitation. “If thou wilt be perfect…come, follow Me” (Mt 19:21), says the Lord to every soul that He chooses, but as with the young man int he Gospel, He leaves to each soul the responsibility of answering or rejecting His call. However, when God calls us, it would be rash to close our heart to His voice and spurn His invitation. Who would dare turn away from the glance of predilection which the Most High casts on one whom He calls to follow Him?
We ought to answer God’s call with great humility and joy, with gratitude and readiness, saying with all our heart, Ecce venio, “Behold, I come…that I should do thy will, O God” (Heb 10:7).
Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalene
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the LORD’s house
all the days of my life,
To gaze on the LORD’s beauty,
to visit his temple.
Psalm 27:4
Whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.
John 14:13-14