BERNARD

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: PROFESSION. 23 CHAPTER III. (a.d. 1114. Aetat. 23.) GROWTH OF CITEAUX?FOUNDATION OF CLAIRVAUX?ILLNESS OF BER- NARD?WILLIAM OF CHAMPEAUX?WILLIAM OF ST. THIERRY?PETER DE ROYA. A. Year after he had entered Citeaux, Bernard's noviciate was over, and he solemnly made his profession. This ceremony was a very important business, and was surrounded with all that could impart to it awe and majesty. The novice was called into the chapter, and, before the assembly, made disposal of any worldly goods he might possess. His head was shorn, and the hair burnt by the sacristan in a piscina used for this purpose. Going to the steps of the presbytery, he then read the form of profession, made over it the sign of the cross, and, inclining his body, approached the altar. He placed the profession on the right-hand side of it, which he kissed, again bent his body, and retired to the steps. The abbot, standing on the same side of the altar, removed from it the parchment, while the novice on his hands and knees implored pardon, repeating three times the words, Receive me, O Lord. The whole convent answered with Gloria Patri, and the cantor began the psalm, Have mercy on me, O God, which was sung through by the two choirs alternately. The novice then humbled himself at the abbot's feet, and afterwards did the same before the prior, and successively before all the religious present, even going into the retro-chorus and prostrating him- self before the sick, if there were any. Towards the end of the psalm, the abbot, bearing his crosier, approached the novice and made him rise. A cowl was blessed and sprinkled with holy water, and the abbot, removing from the novice his secular garments, replaced them with the monastic dress. The Credo was said, and the novice had become a monk, an...

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