Human - Intellectual - Pastoral
Human formation leads to and finds its completion in spiritual formation. Human formation continues in conjunction with and in coordination with the spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral dimensions of formation. It steadily points to the center which is spiritual formation. '…For every priest his spiritual formation is the core which unifies and gives life to his being a priest and his acting as a priest.' (Pastores Dabo Vobis, 45)
The basic principle of spiritual formation is contained in Pastores Dabo Vobis, 45 and is a synthesis of the teachings in Optatam Totius: to live in intimate and unceasing union with God the Father through his Son Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit. This is the foundational call to discipleship and conversion of heart. Those who aspire to be sent on mission as the apostles were, must first acquire the listening and learning heart of disciples. Jesus invited these apostles to come to him before he sent them out to others. Saint Augustine alluded to this double identity and commitment as disciple and apostle, when he said to his people, 'With you I am a Christian, for you I am a bishop.'
To live in intimate and unceasing union with God the Father through his Son Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit is far more than a personal or individual relationship with the Lord; it is also a communion with the Church, which is his body. The spirituality that belongs to those who are priests or preparing for priesthood is at one and the same time Trinitarian, Christological, pneumatological, and ecclesial. It is a spirituality of communion rooted in the mystery of the Triune God and lived out in practical ways in the mystery of ecclesial communion.
The spirituality cultivated in the seminary is specifically priestly. Through the Sacraments of Initiation, seminarians already share in the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ with other members of the Church. They also aspire to become priests who are configured to Christ, Head and Shepherd of the Church, our great high Priest. Therefore, their spirituality draws them into the priestly, self-sacrificial path of Jesus. He is the one whose service finds its high point in giving his life as a ransom for the many. He is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep 'so that they may have life and have it more abundantly.' He is the bridegroom who loves his bride, the Church, 'and handed himself over for her.'
Given these basic dimensions of priestly spirituality that are foundational to the program of spiritual formation in the seminary, the seminary should identify those characteristics and practices that foster its growth. It is a formation that includes:
- Holy Eucharistic
- Sacrament of Penance
- Liturgy of the Hours
- Spiritual Direction
- Bible (lectio divina)
- Retreats and Days of Recollection
- Personal meditation
- Devotions (Bl. Virgin Mary, the Saints)
- Apostolic Dimensions
- Asceticism and Penance
- Obedience
- Celibacy
- Simplicity of Life
- Reconciliation
- Solidarity
- Ongoing Spiritual Formation
Spiritual formation needs to be integrated with the other three pillars of formation-the human, the intellectual, and the pastoral. From human formation, spiritual formation assumes that the candidate has a basic relational capacity. In other words, the seminarian is able to enter into significant, even deep, relationships with other persons and with God. He is to be a 'man of communion.' Intellectual formation contributes to spiritual formation. The study of the traditions of faith and the experiences of faith among the saints and the people of God serves to deepen one's own spiritual journey. Pastoral formation is intimately linked with spiritual formation. In the process of spiritual formation, candidates are called to a greater and wider-ranging love of God and neighbor. When they respond positively to this invitation and grow in that love, they find the basis for pastoral and ministerial outreach that culminates in pastoral charity.
Formation Advisors: Although the titles may differ, on every seminary faculty, certain members function as formators in the external forum. They observe seminarians and assist them to grow humanly by offering them feedback about their general demeanor, their relational capacities and styles, their maturity, their capacity to assume the role of a public person and leader in a community, and their appropriation of the human virtues that make them "men of communion." These same formators may, on occasion, teach the ways of human development and even offer some personal mentoring or, at times, coaching. More generally, they offer encouragement, support, and challenge along the formational path.
Spiritual Directors: These priests, functioning in the internal forum, also play a role in the human formation of seminarians. When they engage in the dialogue of spiritual direction with seminarians, they can be of great assistance in cultivating those virtues of self-reflection and self-discipline which are foundational for human development.
Copyright USCCB Program of Priestly Formation (5th Edition-6th Working Draft)
