Interview with Fr. José Félix Medina, LC
The candidacy of the Legionaries of Christ in Spain will take place this year throughout August and the first week of September at the Madrid novitiate. It is a process of vocational discernment for young people called to the priestly life in the Legionaries of Christ. Currently, three young men are participating in the Vocational Pastoral course led by Fr. Miguel Segura, LC, which is a preparatory course.
After these weeks, those who decide to continue will enter the novitiate on September 13. To learn a little more about what the novitiate entails, we spoke with its rector and novice master, Fr. José Felix Medina, LC. He shared many things with us in this extensive interview, but above all, he emphasized that in a novitiate “all that relates specifically to the life and doctrine of Jesus Christ, ecclesial spirituality in general, and the spirituality of the congregation and of Regnum Christi is studied.” He also mentioned that the novice seeks “a mature and personal assimilation that transforms the mind and heart of the young novice. The ideal is to gradually become ‘another Christ’ who brings the message of love and salvation to the world, which is asked of the priest.”
Father, let’s start from the beginning… where does the word ‘novitiate’ come from?
It comes from the root “new,” “novelty,” indicating someone who begins a path or the start of a new period. It designates the person taking the first steps in a congregation; it also includes the place and the initiation program. We call it this in the Church’s religious life to define the period of vocational discernment before making the first religious profession. Therefore, the central focus is on an intense prayer life and the Eucharist, where the novice develops his relationship with the Lord.
So, with this approach, what does the novitiate contribute to a young person’s life?
It provides greater personal knowledge in maturity and freedom, the mature discovery and personal experience of Jesus Christ. It also helps deepen understanding of a charism within a religious congregation that one approaches with admiration and surprise, moved by the Holy Spirit. It is therefore an ideal time to learn the fundamentals of a vocation of total dedication, and a period to be known and accepted within a religious family.
Let’s clarify what discernment is, because in reality, we spend our whole lives discerning; in fact, the entire life of a seminarian is discernment…
To discern is to discover and freely decide on a path or commitment to a person. There are specific discernments for choosing particular life situations; and there are profound discernments that commit one’s life forever, such as marriage, religious life, or priestly ordination. Essentially, one chooses God primarily according to His Will, manifested through signs, prayer, and the guidance of experienced persons.
Given this, the novice faces great challenges… what are they at this stage?
First of all, in this initial stage of Legionary life, the greatest challenge for the novice is to achieve a personal experience of love and intimacy with Jesus Christ to hear His call and respond generously. The novice also faces the challenge of knowing himself thoroughly, his qualities and limitations. And the task of discovering the charism and spirituality of the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi. For these purposes, we rely on three fundamental means: the Gospel, the Eucharist, and the cross embraced in love.
This experience of Jesus Christ is evident even at the entrance of the novitiate “Christus vita vestra”…
Indeed, it is the motto of the Novitiate, reminding us that Christ must be our life, that our spirituality is Christ-centered from the very beginning, and that we must clothe ourselves with the Lord, the new man, leaving behind other models that are not compatible with the one who said to be “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”
There is a detail that catches people’s attention: why two years?
The Legion of Christ is a congregation that seeks to combine deep contemplation and evangelizing apostolate. For the initial stage of the novitiate, we consider that two years are necessary for the enormous task of delving into interior life, spirituality, opening the heart to God’s Love, deep knowledge of the Church, the Legionaries of Christ, fraternal life, and the congregation’s own spirituality. Because it is about laying solid foundations to support what will be the rest of religious life. On the other hand, a mature and serious discernment requires time and cannot be rushed.
I would like to talk about the family: what is its role in the vocational discernment process of your son?
The family is a key piece because it supports, sustains, prays, visits, and accompanies the novice with love and faith in his vocational discernment. Especially, this help and spiritual and emotional collaboration is very beneficial in the early years. It is true that following Christ involves separation from the family, but during the novitiate, visits, Skype calls, shared celebrations, and the closeness of loved ones are enjoyed… etc. Sometimes, the family is not very supportive at the beginning of the process, but gradually, they become convinced that their children’s happiness must prevail and that they should support the divine choice that also benefits close relatives.
This relationship has evolved over time…
In the Church, there are changes and adjustments according to the signs of the times, in line with the proper adaptation of Vatican II, and the renewal of religious life in the Legionaries of Christ. Decades ago, the novitiate was more separated from the family and removed from the world. Today, there is more encouragement of relationships with family, youth apostolates, apostolic outings to schools and parishes to give catechesis and offer a courageous testimony of one’s vocation. Current topics are studied, major ecclesial news followed, moderate internet use is practiced, and the emotional and sexual maturity of the novices is promoted, etc.
We have discussed this before on LomásRC, but tell us what the environment of a novitiate should be like
An environment of seclusion, silence, and prayer that fosters interior life, the study of one’s own spirituality, peace of soul, and separation from the world to discern a vocation of dedication to the Lord without noise or interference.
It should also be a community life environment, of union, joy, and charity among brothers, centered on the Eucharistic celebration and adoration before the Blessed Sacrament in the chapel.
For all this, it is also necessary to have time and space for recreation, sports practice, swimming, and gymnastics, including daily physical work around the house to practically embody the Latin adage: mens sana in corpore sano.
Father, to nourish that mens sana, what do the novices study?
All that relates specifically to the life and doctrine of Jesus Christ, ecclesial spirituality in general, and the spirituality of the congregation and Regnum Christi. The goal is a mature and personal assimilation that transforms the mind and heart of the young novice. The ideal is to gradually become “another Christ” who brings the message of love and salvation to the world, as expected of the priest.
And to that “another Christ,” how do they arrive?
The most important thing is that becoming “another Christ” is achieved through the action of God’s grace. Alone. On our part, the novices take courses in Christology and the New Testament to immerse themselves in the person, doctrine, and life of Our Lord. Catechism and Church doctrine to establish the foundations of sound theology that will develop in the near future. The spirituality and charism of the Congregation and the Regnum Christi movement to thoroughly understand and live the call to priesthood in the Legionaries of Christ. Treatises on spiritual life, religious consecration, vows, and Christian virtues, prayer life, and means of sanctification. Latin and Greek to read and understand sacred texts of the Bible and the Church Fathers. English, as a tool for apostolate and preparation for mission in a globalized and international world. Liturgy, sacramental life, communication techniques, and apostolic dynamics to live out one’s vocation fully and adapt to the modern world.
They also take courses on emotional-sexual maturity, training in feelings to develop their own identity and priestly vocation in a wounded world in need of strength and conviction.
What else is learned in a novitiate?
They learn to pray, sing, live in community, practice household chores and work, play instruments, lead groups of children and youth in catechesis, be well-mannered and correct externally, practice various sports… etc. All of this aligns with the model of a noble and upright man, foundational to the holy man that God shapes in each of us.
They learn to live austerity; to practice cheerful and prompt obedience; to love brothers selflessly and sincerely; to serve the poor and needy; to forego personal preferences for the good of others… They learn to live the continuous gift of self for others, with joy and enthusiasm, just as Jesus would.
What role does prayer play in a novice’s life? Is prayer taught, or do they already arrive knowing how to pray?
It is the most important activity in the novitiate. Without prayer and dialogue with God, one falls into emptiness and self-reference. They have vocal prayers in community and times of personal meditation, either in their room or in the chapel.
The novitiate is the best time to learn to speak with God, to listen to His voice in Scripture or alone with the Beloved, following various methods explained by the instructor: lectio divina, reading the Word of God, discursive-affective meditation, contemplation, prayer of supplication, liturgical prayer… Some come with prior small experiences, but deep prayer is learned in the novitiate; it must be the vital foundation that accompanies them throughout their lives.
Within prayer practice, it is helpful to learn to interpret the Lord’s signs, His inner voice, listening to His divine Will, and the art of discerning His calls and invitations through inner lights and motions. This way, they grow in spiritual life and develop a solid, objective spirituality that frees them from the swings of subjective feelings.
Father, given the special stage the novices are in, what prayer practices characterize their lives?
First of all, personal meditation as a daily activity of contact and dialogue with God, through a discursive-affective method that fosters spiritual growth and intimate experience with the Lord.
They also have vocal prayers at the start of the morning, at noon, mid-afternoon, and at night with the prayer of Compline. During the day, they pray the rosary, spend half an hour in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, fifteen minutes of spiritual reading, and half an hour of evening prayer with texts from our spirituality.
To conclude, and since you are the master of novices… recommend us a book that is important for a novice and also for a layperson!
The inner peace of Fr. Jacques Philippe, Theology of Christian Perfection by Fr. Royo Marín, Treatise on Ascetics and Mysticism by Tanquerey, Life in the Lordship of Christ by Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa.
