Angelus

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Angelus

• Jesus then went up the mountain and summoned the
  men he himself had decided on, who came and
  joined him. He named twelve as his companions
  whom he would send to preach the good news.
• Mark 3 13-14

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Announcements

• Attendance sheet
• Thursday schedule Group Discussion and Evening
  Prayer
• Powerpoint presentations at
• www.lantericenter.org/ipf.htm
• Class material and spiritual direction

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Seminary FormationSources

• Quickening the Fire, Ch. 7
• Pastores Dabo Vobis, Ch. 5
• Directory for the Life and Ministry of Priests,
  Ch. 1-2.

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Definition of a seminary

• A community established by the Bishop to offer
  those called by the Lord to serve as Apostles the
  possibility of re-living the experience of
  formation which our Lord provided for the
  twelve. (PDV, 60)

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Theres no perfect seminary!

• What are some possible weaknesses in a seminary
  formation program?

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Robert F. Kennedy

• All of us might wish at times that we lived in a
  more tranquil world, but we dont.
• And if our times are difficult and perplexing, so
  are they challenging and filled with
  opportunity.
• May 6, 1961, Athens, Georgia

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Seminary Formation

• Change and Transformation
• What you have done is put aside your old self
  with its past deeds and put on a new man, one who
  grows in knowledge as he is formed anew in the
  image of his Creator. Colossians 39
• We priests become privileged heralds of this
  mystery of salvation. Yet unless we sense that
  we ourselves are saved, how can we be convincing
  heralds? Pope John Paul II, 2005

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Seminary Formation

• Change and Transformation (continued)
• We need to learn the message
• to become and effective herald.
• We need to experience the mystery
• to become a witness.

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Seminary Formation

• Radical Reorientation
• Seminary formation should not obliterate your
  personality individuality but it should purify
  it!

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Seminary Formation

• Renunciation
• To re-announce my identity
• The good is recognized and strengthened.
• The bad gets purged.
• Image of a blood transfusion.

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Four levels of Identity

• How I define myself
• self-image
• How I project myself to others
• public persona
• How others define me
• impression others have of me the person they
  expect me to be
• How God defines me
• My true identity the new man God forms by
  grace.

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Goal of Seminary Formation

• Monasticism of the Heart
• Disengagement from the world
• Engagement with God
• Mission to the world, within the Church

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Seminary Formation
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Centrality of 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. PDV, 45
• The essential foundation of priestly ministry is
  a deep and personal bond to Jesus Christ.
  Everything hinges on this bond, and the heart of
  all preparation for priesthoodmust be an
  introduction to it. (then) Cardinal Ratzinger,
  Called to Communion, 1996

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The Identity of the PriestThe priest is
configured to Christ as

• The Beloved Son of the Father
• Spouse of the Church (celibacy)
• Spiritual Father (ministry of the Word)
• Spiritual Physician High Priest (celebration
  of the Sacraments)
• Head and Shepherd (authority pastoral charity)

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Before tomorrows class

• Catch up on reading, if necessary
• Quickening, chapters 1-7
• Review notes
• What holds the most meaning for you?
• What will you pray over?
• What will you talk over with your spiritual
  director?
• Pray for a thoughtful, meaningful discussion.
• Remember your hour of prayer!

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Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Praise
Him all creatures here below! Praise Him above
ye heavenly hosts! Praise Father, Son and Holy
Ghost!Amen!
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Seminary FormationAgents of Formation

• Church
• Bishop
• Seminary Community
• Professors
• Other communities and associations
• Seminarian himself
• The Holy Spirit is the agent par excellance

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As an agent of your own formation, what you can
you do?

• Affirm your freedom to respond.
• Welcome the action of the Holy Spirit.
• Welcome the human agents which the Holy Spirit
  employs as mediating forces.
• Offer your heartfelt and convinced cooperation to
  your formation.

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Charisms of Diocesan Priesthood

• 1. Ordinary Priest in the midst of common,
  ordinary people
• 2. Always on call, on the front-line
• 3. Living an active, non-monastic spirituality
  founded in a monasticism of the heart
• 4. Not called to the commitment of Consecrated
  Life
• 5. Ordained to represent Jesus as Head of the Body

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Charisms of Diocesan Priesthood(continued)

• 6. Distinctively marked by poverty, chastity and
  obedience
• 7. Spousal relationship
• 8. Territorial with special relationship with the
  Ordinary