THE
IMPORTANCE OF MORAL FORMATION IN CONSECRATED LIFE
Bro. A. Vincent, SVD
GENERAL
INTRODUCTION
“God created a
reminder, an image. Humanity is a reminder of God”.
Rabbi Abraham J.
Heschel.
The ‘Consecrated’ are persons who are set apart to lead
the way of life with the evangelical vow and to live in community. Consecrated
life is the heart of the Church. Thus, it is relevant for the functioning of
the Church. But the influences of the world allure them and their focus deters.
Their way of life is a sign and pointer to the life lived by Jesus Christ. It
is not only the way to reach God, but is the reminder of the presence of God.
They are called to be dynamic, resourceful and creative apostles in the present
times. The present generation looks for idols that they can imitate. Can the
consecrated be an idol of spiritual wealth? Can they be idols of virtues? Can
they be prophets for the 21st century?
The topic, that I have chosen is titled, “The
Importance of Moral Formation in Consecrated Life”, in the chapter, I have
portrayed the General Understanding of the consecrated life. Everyone is caught
up with the cares of this world and no one has time to spend with the other.
The interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships are peripheral and respect
for life is deteriorating in its significance and meaning. The aim of this work
is to throw light upon the importance of moral formation in consecrated life by
reminding the Religious to return to the practice of virtues.
This work helps us to
understand the meaning of morality and ethics in the secular and in the
religious area. It also considers the importance of one’s religious formation
in the families, formation houses and one’s own responsibility of character
formation. The Church is now giving importance to holistic formation. Vatican
Council II says that, moral life is not about what I should do now or next; it
is about a manner of life. This work can be an effective tool in the field of
religious formation, inspiring each formator to take adaptive measures to face
the contemporary challenges and make a difference in the life of each formee.
I have chosen this
topic to read about, reflect upon and help rejuvenate morality in consecrated
life in the light of Scripture, the teachings of the Church, etc. Today, in
families as also in the religious life, morality is at stake and consecrated
life is challenged and threatened. We are overwhelmed by unhealthy competition,
consumerism, globalization etc. The scope of this work is to present the
understanding of morality in the Scripture, Ecclesial sphere and to reawaken
the vigour and enthusiasm of Consecrated persons through the practice of
virtues.
This work “The
Importance of Moral Formation in Consecrated Life” is divided into three
chapters with a general introduction and a general conclusion. The practices of
faith in God and virtues in day to day life have parted ways with the
exigencies of modern life. The first chapter “The General Understanding of
Consecrated” sheds light on the family bond, ethos and traditions that are
facing a serious threat under the umbrella of development. Since the religious
live in the world, these challenges affect them too. In the current scenario
Consecrated life which is the body of civilization has been under serious
threat of scandal. The Church has taken its stand to teach the people of God
about her stand on some of these developments.
To understand moral
formation, it is necessary to know about human beings, through the discipline
of psychology and the different theories dealing directly with morality and
moral formation in particular. It enables one to choose good in a given
situation and avoid evil. Moral formation is conscience formation. The
formation of conscience is a lifelong process and every instance contributes to
it in a positive or negative way.
The “Importance of
Integration of Virtues for Moral Formation” is essential in every walk of life.
The third chapter lists the relevance of the theological and cardinal virtues
along with some of the virtues needed for a joyful living of the consecrated
life. The virtues have been instilled in a person from the family, religious
practice, diverse experiences and school. It is a re-visit to awaken those
virtues that have been learned and those that are lying dormant. Wrong
instructions received early in life forms wrong priorities in it and later
these become a habit. It also gives us some practical suggestions on how to
live these virtues in our lives.
The General Conclusion
brings to its culmination by addressing an electic of suggestions that propose
the need of putting virtues into practice in one’s life. The current family
life and the Consecrated life call for integrity in order to improve the
quality of human life. We as missionaries I feel the pressing need today is to
be authentic and integrated persons. Thus, to uplift the moral degradation the right
knowledge, follow-up is imperative to be fully human and fully alive.
CHAPTER
I
THE
GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OF CONSECRATED LIFE
Introduction
Consecrated life
does not find a place among the seven Sacraments of the Church. Neither does
occupy a particular position in the hierarchy of the Church. Nevertheless, it
is in the church, and for the Church. The essential relationship between Christ
and the Church, and the Church and Christ are reflected in the consecrated
life. This life has its foundation in the Bible, not only because its
consecrative elements are evangelical counsels but also is reflected as a
particular life style from the beginning of Biblical life. The Lord destines
everyone for heaven-some by one way and some by another. Some are called to it
by the usual way of the Commandments, while others are called to it by the
special way of the evangelical counsels. In the first chapter I make an attempt
to bring the nature and role of consecrated life as is revealed in both the Old
Testament and the New Testament.
In
the first chapter I would like to foster on the main aspect of religious life
and its basic views, foundation, purpose, the role of the consecrated life etc,
which are all essence of religious life. Today, the religious life needs our
commitment and dedication to Christ and his values to God and the people. So,
in this chapter focus is on the religious life in which the details of religious
life, dynamics, its placement in the scripture, the Church. The role and
purpose of consecrated life convey that this life is a free gift of God given
to certain individual for the building up of his kingdom.
I would continue further this chapter to say
that this special life needs a special training and loving guidance by the
elders. This act in religious life is
known as formation, which moulds, guides and strengths the person who are
interested to live this life. I also share about the aim, purpose, agents and
biblical perspective of formation, which will give an idea of meaning and
essence of religious formation.
Concept, Meaning and Significance
To ‘Consecrate’ means to ‘dedicate’, ‘to set apart’,
or ‘to dedicate for a special purpose; the term ‘consecration’ indicates the
total dedication of a person or a thing to God. One of the most common
applications of this term is the dedication of bread and wine to God thatthey
are transformed into the body and blood of Jesus in the Eucharistic
celebration. Consecration expresses the dynamic religious aspect of belonging
entirely to God. It is a lived experience of faith in Him as homage to His
divine sovereignty and, therefore, a sacrifice of the whole person to Him, in
constant and continual progress which elevates every action of the religious to
God (Monis, 2005).
Fundamental Elements of the Consecrated Life
Life consecrated by the profession of the
evangelical counsels is a stable form of livingby which the faithful, following
Christ more closely under the action of the Holy Spirit, are totally dedicated
to God.They strive for the perfection of charity in service to the Kingdom of
God and, having become an outstanding sign in the Church, they may foretell the
heavenly glory (Synod of Bishop IX Ordinary General Assembly, 1994).
Consecration of a brother and sister
in religious life is a sharing in the common priesthood of God though not in
sacramental ordination, nor in its charismatic dimension. It is a closer
sharing than that of the royal priesthood of the laity in which we all share
through Baptism and a qualitatively different sharing. In religious life
emphasis is primarily on the sacrificial element and on the ministry of the
Word. The witness lies in being a consecrated person. It is in being this
unique life style that the consecrated person bears testimony to the
possibility of a sacrificial life and to the realization of Christian
perfection. In this way he/she belongs to the history of salvation for the
people of God (Doherty,
1971).
Vocation to Consecration
Vocation is a theme that is central
to the Christian life in general, and particularly to the consecrated life. We
usually think of Christian life in terms of our individual presence and action
in the world, as persons and families who live and work day by day in faith,
hope and love. The purpose of vocation, the foundation and guiding star of
Christian life, is expressed succinctly by Jesus when he says; “I have come
that they may have life and have it to the full” (Jn 10: 10). Vocation
signifies a special call from the Lord. From a theological and sacramental
perspective, our vocation is specifically enunciated very early in life, in
baptism and later in confirmation. Our call or vocation is oriented towards
mission towards a particular way of being and acting that should encompass and
pervade every aspect of our being. Consecrated life is seen, first of all,
within the context of the universal vocation to holiness. As the decree Lumen Gentium puts it: “From the God
given seed of the counsels a wonderful and wide spreading tree has grown up in
the field of the Lord, branching out into various forms of religious life lived
in solitude or in community” (Azevedo, 1995).
A Biblical Profile of Vocation
In
the Bible Vocation is not the privilege of a single individual nor is it a
distinction that ends in a particular person or group that has received a call
(e.g. Abraham, Moses, The Prophets, Mary, Paul and even Jesus himself).
Instead, vocation is a call to become involved in the process of mission. It is
a call to be sent. Vocation is never an imposition. There is a clear sense of
human freedom in the response to the call to a vocation. A vocation is not
always same in every aspect. We may experience coming and going, advances and
withdrawals. There are crises. God always calls us in the midst of specific
historical context in which we or the group to which we belong find ourselves (Azevedo,
1995).
Consecrated
Life in The Old Testament
In the Old Testament, the person or
object that is consecrated is usually connected in some way to worship. The
notion of consecration may derive from traditions about Israel’s formation in
the generation of the Exodus. When they came to Sinai, Moses ascended the
mountain and heard God speaks about Israel’s election. After his decent, God
instructed him to consecrate the people as a preparation for a theophanic
experience of God on the third day:
"Go to the people and have them sanctify (consecrate) themselves
today and tomorrow" (Ex 9: 10, 14). Two aspects of consecration were
washing their garments and abstaining from sexual intercourse (Ex 19: 14 - 15).
It seems that God’s promise to them, that they will be a “holy people” (Ex 19: 6)
leads to reciprocal acts, in which they consecrate themselves as a people of
God (Stuhimueller, 1994).
Call, Consecration and Commitment
The accounts of creation of human
beings could be analyzed in terms of call, consecration and commission. In (Gen
1: 26), God’s initiative in making human is conspicuous. His self-address: “Let
us make man” is a proof of a decision to ‘call’ man into existence. The very
act of creation reflects God’s will for creation as well as God’s imparting of
the gift of existence. The truth “all
that exists, exists in God” shows God’s existential presence in every animate
and inanimate being. The creation of man in God’s own image and likeness points
to the further consecration of mankind. Unlike other creatures his uniqueness
and particular identity are also commissioned by God to have dominion over all
creation (Gen 1: 26) (Alumkal, 2007).
Consecration, as God’s choice and
person’s dedicated response implies mission. Both are aspects of the same
reality. When the Lord consecrates persons, He gives them a special grace so
that they can fulfil his will of love. As Christ “whom the Father consecrated
and sent into the world” (Jn 10: 36) and in imitation of him, all consecrated
persons are, each according to the Charism of the institute, engaged by necessity
in mission. Vocation always involves a relationship between God and us. We
experience vocation fully in our lives not merely as a function, but as feeling
and loving, being and acting. As persons and members of communities, we will
always be confronted, challenged and provoked with new situations, choices and
decisions. The permanent ‘yes’ to the divine call must be reaffirmed
continuously with ever new yes. Like mission, vocations are living and evolving
realities. In them we can be affirmed and we can grow within the context of our
personal and communal histories. The consecrated religious life is one of the
forms of Christian vocation (Azevedo, 1995).
Consecrated
Life in The New Testament
In the New Testament as in the Old
Testament, the relationship between God and man continue to be in the same mode
of call, consecration and commission. The very life of the Incarnate Son of God
could be seen in this pattern. The annunciation event in the Synoptic Gospels
(Lk 1: 8 - 38) recalls the call of Samson the Nazirite (Judg 13: 1). At the
occasion of Jesus’ baptism, the call is confirmed and he is consecrated for the
apostolate of salvation of mankind by the Holy Spirit (Mt 3: 13 - 17).
Consecrated life is rooted in the example and teaching of Jesus Christ. According
to the teaching of Vita Consecrata,
every consecrated person receives the Father’s Call to follow Jesus Christ with
undivided heart. If one takes the New Testament seriously it is only within the
context of a vital community that the Christian is empowered by God to make the
radical self-oblation on which St. Paul insists of religious life. He and many
others give the impression that they believe that religious community is
constituted by those who have made their self-offering, so that self-oblation
comes first and community second. The ideal of life after the manner of Jesus
was translated into a new form at the out pouring of the spirit on Pentecost
when the first Christian community was formed to be an example.
In the Synoptic Gospels
The Synoptic Gospels give us the beautiful account
of Jesus calling His disciples and apostles. There is a special call within the
general call of the disciples. The Marken narration of choosing of the twelve
contains the aspects of choosing, separating and sending the chosen ones (Mk 3:
13 - 19) to be with Him and to be sent out for a particular mission becomes the
purpose of Jesus choice. While “coming and following” Jesus points to the
following of Jesus the chaste and obedient one. Jesus himself testifies that
celibacy is a gratuitous gift of God (Mt 19: 11 - 12). The differentiation in
the Church is brought out by Mathew’s presentation of Church’s words, “Sell
what you possess and follow me” (Mt 19: 21), a presentation that is in striking
contrast to the presentation of (Mk 10: 17 - 22) and (Lk 18: 18 - 23) where the
person to whom Christ speaks is implied to be an older person who has kept the
law but who still needs something else if he is to gain eternal life.
The Disciples of Jesus
The
fundamental mark of a disciple of Jesus is that he is called by Jesus himself.
The initiative of God in all that pertains to the realm of grace is something
that has been jealously guarded throughout the long history of Christian
theology. It applies also here, in the call to follow Christ. Mark spells this
clearly: And Jesus said to them, “follow me and I will make you become fishers
of men” (Mk 1: 17). In all of the call, they are but called to ‘follow’ Jesus,
who says of himself: “The son of man also came, not to be served ‘but to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mk 10: 45) (Jerome, 1987). Jesus
clearly stated how the disciples of him to be: “If anyone want to become my
follower, let them deny themselves take up their cross and follow me” (Mk 8: 34).
Jesus did not want his disciples to be governed by the values of the world. So,
he warned them saying, “Whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of
all”. He also imparted to them the same lesson by his own life example by
washing the feet of his disciples (Jn 13: 5).
Vita Consecrata
Pope
John Paul II promulgated Vita Consecrata, the apostolic exhortation for the
ninth ordinary session of the synod of Bishops, held to through 29 October
1994.Pope offers the document to encourage the consecrated person by the
profession of the councils to meet the challenges of today’s world (Dermott,
1996). Consecrated persons are beloved of the Father, who sends them forth-as
he did Christ and the Spirit – in dedicated service to the world. The document
also says that, this vocation cannot be lived without the willingness to enter
into the paschal mystery of suffering.
In this
framework of reflection, we can pick up, almost as logical consequence of the
charismatic identity of the consecrated life, a growing interest for the study
of the specific charism of the founders. In this regard the document Vita
Consecrata seems significant to us; besides offering important elements of
content, it uses a sober and clarifying terminology relating to founders (VC No
72).
Religious life is “a closer imitation and abiding
re-enactment of the way of life which Jesus, the supreme consecrated one and
missionary of the Father for the sake of his kingdom embraced and proposed to
his disciples” (Ukken, 2009). His poverty, chastity and obedience are for the
sake of the kingdom that is in order to fulfil perfectly the Father’s plan of
salvation for humankind. In conclusion this document says “The consecrated life
truly constitutes a living memorial of Jesus, way of living and acting as the
Incarnate Word in relation to the Father and in relation to the brethren. It is
a living tradition of the Saviors life and message” (VC No
22). This call is accompanied,
moreover, by a special gift of the Holy Spirit, so that consecrated persons can
respond to their vocation and mission (Ukken, 2009).This vocation is an
essential part of the church’s life and holiness. Consecrated persons configured
to Christ stand ready to meet the needs of peoples.
Consecrated Life:
A Call to Holiness
Consecrated life is a beautiful gift of God to the
Church through which God manifests His abundant and everlasting love for the
world (Venceslaus, 2007). It is
understood as a life, in response to the call of God. Living according to the
evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience and by their
single-minded pursuit of the Absolute the consecrated persons show to the world
that there is something more important in their lives namely a whole-hearted
love, dedication to God and service to the people. Pope John Paul II in Vita
Consecrata says that, by virtue of their dedication lived in fullness and
joy, the consecrated are called in a very special way to be signs of God’s
tender love towards the human race and special witnesses to the mystery of the
Church (VC No 57).
The Present Challenges the Consecrated Life Faces
In a world which runs
contrary to Gospel values some may think that the evangelical counsels may lead
to psychological imbalance and immaturity. Although in the eyes of the world it
is a misconception we have seen this being lived in the life of Jesus. There
are some problems faced by the consecrated today.
Ø In this chapter, ‘the contemporary challenges’
throw light on the realities faced on the exterior life. All the institutions
that are entering into this era are either prepared or not to face such
realities. Some see it as a moment of crisis, others as an opportunity for
growth and change. This is a situation where we are unable to continue our
ancient practices, piety, traditions, life style, daily time table, apostolic
activities and lifelong commitment.
Ø The consecrated persons are called to be witnesses
to the simplicity of Christ and the spirit of the beatitudes: There is a
widespread complaint today that the life style and living standards of the
religious corresponds to the rich and the super-rich.
Ø The importance of formation at different levels
including that of ongoing formation calls for continuous effort and discipline.
Today, formation is given within the four walls of a formation house and is
isolated from the daytoday lives and struggles of people. If there are chances
given to the candidates to do different activities and the ministries of a
particular congregation, the religious can accompany people who face such
unwanted situations and provide them with ‘spiritual respite’.
Ø The crisis in vocations: The decrease in number of vocations
is alarming. It is evident that a vocation to consecrated life depends on the
social situation.
Ø Tension and conflicts within the Church hierarchy,
the religious community and laity. The hierarchy of the Church instead of
trying to control and monopolize to meet its needs should co-operate and promote
a possible way without imposing their authority and rules on the faithful.
The Renewal of Consecrated Life
According to Vatican II
Consecrated life is
primarily a prophetic call, a witness to the primacy of God and the truths of
the Gospel. The four main elements of all the religious orders and institutes
are the evangelical counsels, prayer, apostolic activities and community life.
The intense and radical following of Christ entails not only following the
life-style of Jesus by the evangelical counsels but continuing his mission and
ministry of proclaiming God’s reign by pastoral care and apostolic activities.
The following are mandatory:
Ø Return to Christ and the Gospel.
Ø A closer look at and a faithful following of the
charism and orientations of the founders.
Ø Reading the signs of the times and attending to the
urgent needs of the Church and society and responding to them in a creative
way.
The Teaching of
The Church on Contemporary Challenges
The contemporary
world has created a lot of contradictions which the Vatican Council II in
elucidates it at length Gaudium et Spes.
v In
no other age, has humankind enjoyed such an abundance of wealth, resources and
economic wellbeing and yet a huge proportion of the people of the world are
plagued by hunger and extreme need while countless are totally illiterate.
v At
no time have wo/men had such a keen sense of freedom, only to be faced by new
forms of slavery in living and thinking.
The
advancements in the world generated inequalities, differences and imbalances. The
Vatican Council II brings out these tensions and imbalances under three levels.
1. On personal level: “There often arises an imbalance between an outlook which
is practical and modern and a way of thinking which fails to master and
synthesize the sum total of its ideas. Another imbalance occurs between the
concern for practicality and the demand of moral conscience… third imbalance
takes the form of conflict between specialization and an overall view of
reality”. 2. On the family level: “There are tensions arising out of
demographic, economic and social pressures out of conflicts between succeeding
generations, and out of new social relationships between the sexes.” 3. On the
level of race and social class: We find tensions between the affluent and the underdeveloped
nations…the ambitions of ideological indoctrination along with national or bloc
expansionism. In the midst of it all stands wo/man, at once the author and the
victim of mutual distrust, animosity, conflict and woe (Gaudium et Spes, 8).
Conclusion
The
reflection upon the prophetic role of religious has enriched and elucidated for
me a vision of our day. Every call has a special role to play and to discover
the real meaning in our daily events. Religious life has been nurtured and
deepened by our surrender to God’s signified will as well as our trust and
confidence in the grace of God.
Our world today, expects to see in
consecrated men and women the concrete reflection of Jesus way of acting, of
His love for every person. Our life must be an experience like that of the apostle
Paul and witness through these words; “I still live my human life, but it is a
life of faith in the son of God” (Gal 2: 20). Religious life should not seek
praise and appreciation but it is repaid by the joy of continuing the work
untiringly for the kingdom of God, to be the seed of life, which grows in
secret, without expecting any reward other than that which the Lord will give
at the end.Today our life demands of us not to close our eyes to the
difficulties, trials and challenges but look out every opportunity to
rediscover more profoundly the meaning and equality of consecrated life.This
chapter was an attempt me to unearth the tip of an iceberg so to turn our
attention and focus on the changing patterns in the attitudes, value systems,
religion, family, society and their impact on modern lifestyle. The mother
Church is watching and taking care of her children, when they stumble as she
instructs them. Her voice resonates in response to the problems faced by her
children.
I am convinced that whatever may be
our apostolate; it cannot be live out unless we are prepared to face the
challenges and also to share our deep solidarity with the concrete life
situations of our times. Listening to the word of God should become a life-giving
encounter, which questions, directs and shapes our lives. It must be continued
to be that of Jesus and like Him we too should take upon ourselves the pains
and the sins of the world with love. The religious must strive to catch a
glimpse of the burning vision of St. Paul. For Paul, Christ was the fiery
center of an intense existence. We also see in the book of (Phil 1: 22 - 23)
saying “For tome, living is Christ and dying is gain. If I am to live in the
flesh, that means fruitful labour for me; and I don’t know which I
prefer”. Each religious can make Christ
the dynamic center of his or her existence. It could prove a moment of flash back
onto life and thus help to clarify ourselves the very soul and relevance of
religious life in today’s world.
CHAPTER TWO
MORAL
FORMATION AS PSYCHO- MORAL DEVELOPMENT
Introduction
Morality is concerned with what is good for human in
their domain of personal relations with others. To achieve eternal destiny,
known good has to be done and known and evil has to be avoided. The first
chapter has been situating the problems of contemporary world. These challenges
affect Consecrated life and life itself. Here we focus on the formative
dimension of the person using
various theories dealing with psychological and moral development of a person.
Formation
is a period of knowing oneself and experiencing God in one’s life. This moral
formation begins at home from the very beginning of one’s life. Some renowned
psychologists help us to understand formation better through their theories.
Although they have considered the male section of the society in their
experiment, observation, study etc. it is applied to both the sexes. In this
chapter, the area of concern is the moral development of the individual with special
reference to Carol Gilligan. This comprehends the problems faced by the
individual, family, society and the world at large. The overall glance at five
of the important theories and their research is important not much for the
solutions of human problems but to understand moral development. To analyze
these theories, one needs to have prior knowledge of them because the intention
here is not to deal with the theories in detail.
This chapter unearths
some of the important theories of personality and moral development and tries
to explain the moral development that takes place at each stage.
A human being is
complete only when he/she is in harmony with his/her whole being. The
integration in a person happens only when one consciously forms one’s own conscience.
A person is a united whole, physical, emotional, moral, intellectual and some
spiritual strata makes them whatever they are.
The development of a person is a complex process. It
starts from conception and continues throughout life. The person undergoes
changes in different stages of one’s growth and development. From the moment of
birth, the rest of sexual development is profoundly influenced by psychosocial
factors interacting with our biological heritage. The different theories of
personality development are an aid to understand and facilitate formation in a
better way. It is essential to study the different theories because during the
passage of time the theories, their approaches, studies and analyses are
advanced. If we stick to one theory, we may only get a partial understanding of
personality. Each theory is not complete entity in itself and so the three main theories do give us
an understanding of personality and the moral development that takes place in
every person.
Sigmund
Freud
Sigmund Freud was born in Moravia on May 6, 1856 and
died in London on September 23, 1939. He wanted to be a scientist. With this
goal in mind, he entered the medical school of the University of Vienna. Though he never wanted to practice medicine,
the needs of the growing family forced him to practice medicine. While
practicing, he found time for research and writing. This accomplishment as a
medical investigator earned him a solid reputation (Hall, 2007). Freud’s main
contribution in psychology is his theory of the structure and stages of
development of personality.
Sigmund
Freud’s Contribution
According to him, personality is made up of three
major systems: the id, the ego and the super ego. Though each of these has its
own function, they interact so closely with one another that it is difficult to
disentangle their effects in contribution to human behavior. Behavior is the
product of an interaction (Hall, 2007).
The distinction between the id and the ego is while the id knows only
the subjective reality of the mind, the ego distinguishes things in the mind
and things in the external world. The ego has control over all the cognitive
and intellectual functions and thus performs its role efficiently. The ego is
the executive of personality.
It comes into existence to forward the aims of the
id, it has no existence apart from the id. The super ego is the moral arm of
personality. It represents the ideal and strives for perfection. Its main
concern is to decide the right and wrong and act accordingly to the moral
standards authorized by the agents of society (Hall, 2007). “Freud states that if the ego successfully
manages the opposing forces of id and superego and takes into consideration the
reality of every situation, there is the maturing of a well-developed
personality” (Chenginimattam, 2010).
Freud proposed that the early
unfocused sexual feelings pass through a series of developmental stages that
are necessary for the formation of a mature adult personality and behaviour.
According to him, this development occurs in five stages. Each stage
concentrates its sexual energy in a specific area of the body. The psychosexual stages are as follows: the
oral, anal, phallic, the latent and genital (Hall, 2007). The most important
driving force in personality development is the need to express sexual energy.
The oral stage: lasts from birth to about 18 months to
two years. The focus of sexual energy or pleasure is in the mouth; sucking and
biting are favourite activities.
The anal stage: lasts from about 18 months to three or
four years. The focus of sexual energy or pleasure is the anus. Holding it in
and letting it go are greatly enjoyed at this stage. It is a toilet training
which is important for the development of the child.
The phallic stage: lasts from three or four to seven years.
The focus of sexual energy or pleasure is the genitalia. Each stage has certain
difficult tasks associated with it where problems are more likely to arise. For
the oral stage, this is weaning. For the anal stage, it’s potty training. For
the phallic stage, it is the Oedipus complex. Here the child wishes to possess
the parent of the opposite sex and free himself/herself from the parent of the
same sex. As a result, boys experience castration anxiety which is important in
gender formation.
The latent stage: lasts from six, or seven to puberty, that
is, somewhere around 12 years old. The sexual impulses are dormant and are
sublimated into nonsexual behaviours and interests. The experiences and
excitations of the previous stages are in infantile amnesia.
The genital stage: begins from puberty. It is characterized
by growing independence and a final transition into adult genital sexuality.
Carol Gilligan
“calls Freud a self-proclaimed conqueror of an inner world: the dark continent
regarding women’s experience of sexuality and relationship” (Chenginimattam,
2010).
Freud was influenced by Fechner’s philosophy and he was not an experimental
psychologist, nor did he collect data and analyse it.
Erik Erikson
Erik
Erikson was born in Frankfurt, Germany, on June 15, 1902. His biological father
was an unnamed Danish man who abandoned Erik’s mother before he was born. His
mother, Karla Abrahamsen, was a young Jewish woman who raised him alone for the
first three years of his life. She then married Dr. Theodor Homberger. The
development of an identity seems to have been one of his greatest concerns in
Erikson’s own life as well as in his theory. During his childhood, and early
adulthood, he was Erik Homberger, and his parents kept the details of his birth
a secret. When he became an American citizen, he officially changed his name to
Erik Erikson (Hall, 2007).
Though Erikson
builds up his own theory on the analytical theory of Freudian theory, he is
more elaborative in situating it within the totality of the human person. Freud
was concentrating on the pleasure, sexual energy and parents influence on the
child’s development, Erikson pointed out that children influence their parents’
development as well. So, there is an interaction of generations which he called
‘mutuality’ (Chenginimattam, 2010). In contrast, Erikson proposed that the ego often operates independently of the id’s emotions and motivations. The ego often helps individuals to adapt
constructively to the challenges presented by the surroundings, which Erikson
calls the ‘ego identity’ (Erikson, 1963).
In
1963 in his book ‘Childhood and Society’ he proposes eight stages in
personality development. The first five stages are closely similar to Freud’s
proposed psychosexual stages of development. The last three stages are his own
contributions to psychology. According to him, the first four stages occur
during infancy and childhood. The fifth stage during adolescence and the last
three stages are during the adult years and include old age. He gives special
emphasis to the adolescent period because it is a transition between childhood
and adulthood. What happens in this stage is of great significance for adult
personality. Identity, identity crisis and identity confusion are his concepts.
Each stage is not a water tight compartment but contributes to the formation of
the total personality (Hall, 2007).
Stage I:Basic trust versus basic mistrust
(Infancy): In
this stage, the infant becomes more familiar with sensual experiences and
comforts. It depends completely on others mainly the mother for all its needs
like food, warmth and affection. The mother’s attitude to the child shapes her
interaction in society. Positive Strength: If the needs are met considerably,
the infant develops a basic trust and hope to the people around, the
environment and on itself. As a result, the child becomes a trust worthy person
later. Negative Strength: The infant will develop mistrust towards people, the
vicinity and even towards itself.
Stage II:Autonomy versus Shame and Doubt (Childhood): In this stage, the child learns to talk,
walk and use the toilet. The child learns what is expected, its obligations,
privileges and limitations. The child should be encouraged to experience
situations that require the autonomy of free choice. Excessive shamefulness
will only persuade the child to be shameless and force the child to get away
with things by being secretive, sneaky and sly. This stage promotes the freedom
of self-expression and lovingness. A sense of self control provides the child
with a lasting feeling of good will and pride; however, a sense of loss of
self-control can cause a lasting feeling of shame and doubt. Doubt is the brother
of shame (Erikson, 1963). Positive Strength: The encouragement from the parent
for the initiatives by the child and reassurances during mistakes will help the
child to develop confidence to cope with the future. The freedom and will help
the child to achieve autonomy by growing in personal independence. Negative
Strength: If the parents are over protective or disapproving of its little
initiatives and mistakes then, the child may begin to feel ashamed of its
behaviour or may doubt its own abilities. Consequently, shame and doubt
regarding oneself will prevail in the child.
Stage III: Initiative
versus Guilt (Play age): From three/four to five/six, this is an age of expanding mastery and
responsibility. The task confronting every child is to learn the initiative
without too much guilt. Initiative means a positive response to the world’s
challenges, taking on responsibilities, learning new skills, feeling
purposeful. The child is eager to learn and grows in the sense of obligation
and performances. Parents can encourage initiative by encouraging children to
try out their ideas. Initiative is the attempt to make that non-reality a
reality. The parent has the responsibility socially to encourage the child to
grow up; ‘you’re not a baby anymore!’ This type of statement creates a
confusion of transition in the child. But if this process is done too harshly
and too abruptly, the child learns to feel guilty about her/his feelings. A
good balance leads to the psychosocial strength of purpose. Purpose is a connection between an inner and
outer world and how memories of the past apply to goals of the future. The
child actively participates in playacting, wearing costumes, imitating adult
personalities and pretending to be anything. Positive Strength: In this stage,
the child takes a lot of initiatives and has imaginations if parents are
encouraging but consistent in discipline. Children will learn courage and
purpose in life. Negative Strength:If the parents
are too harsh
and too abrupt, the child learns to feel guilty about her/his feelings and
ruthless to achieve their goals no matter how.
Stage IV: Industry
versus Inferiority (School age 6-12):
The child develops a sense of industry and learns the reward of perseverance
and diligence. The interest in toys is shifted to working tools. The virtue
industry emerges in this stage. The task is to develop a capacity for industry while avoiding an
excessive sense of inferiority. The parents and other family members are joined
by teachers and peers and other members of the community at large. They all
contribute: Parents must encourage, teachers must care, peers must accept.
Children must learn that there is pleasure not only in conceiving a plan, but
also in carrying it out. They learn the feeling of success, whether it is in
school or on the playground, academic or social. A good way to tell the
difference is to a seven-year-old, who is dedicated to the rules, considers
them pretty much sacred, and is more likely to get upset if the game is not
allowed to come to its required conclusion. Positive Strength: The children
develop pleasure in intellectual stimulation and more of mature life sets in. Negative
Strength: If right guidance is not received they will develop an inferiority
complex.
Stage V: Identity Versus Identity
Confusion (Adolescence 12-18): It is the transition period between childhood and
adulthood. It is a search for identity that Erikson defines as “a coherent
conception of the self, made up of goals, values and beliefs to which the
person is solidly committed- one which comes into focus during the teenage
years” (Papalia, 2004). During this stage, children ponder on all the
information about themselves, society and ultimately commit themselves to some
strategy for life. This task during adolescence is to achieve an ego identity
and avoid role confusion.
First
and foremost, the adolescence that interested Erikson and the patterns that he
saw here were the bases for his thinking about all the other stages. Ego
identity means a feeling of being at home in one’s body, knowing who you are
and how you fit into the rest of society. Erikson says that s/he is suffering
from an identity crisis. In fact, a common question adolescent in our society
ask is a straight-forward question of identity: “Who am I?” If one successfully
negotiates this stage, one will have the virtue Erikson called ‘fidelity’.
Fidelity means loyalty, the ability to live by societies standards despite
their imperfections, incompleteness and inconsistencies. Positive Strength: If
parents allow the adolescent to explore the many different roles, and solve the
conflicts successfully, s/he comes out with a strong identity. The emerging
virtue is fidelity. Negative Strength: If not, the adolescent will be left with
a role confusion and a negative identity.
Stage VI: Intimacy versus Isolation: (Young Adulthood 20-40):
At this stage, the individual forms intimate relationships with others. Erikson
describes intimacy as finding oneself yet losing oneself in another. The person
who has a secure identity risks entering into a love relationship with another.
If the young adult forms healthy friendships and an intimate relationship with
other individuals, intimacy will be achieved, if not, isolation and the
avoidance of contacts occur. People who do not develop a capacity for
productive work and intimacy withdraw into themselves, avoid close contacts and
thus develop a feeling of isolation. This disturbance can lead to severe
“character problem” (Erikson, 1963). If individuals develop a greater capacity
for intimacy than for isolation during this stage, they will also emerge with
the virtue of love. Positive
Strength:If they have identity, they can enter into close relationships and
intimacy. Negative Strength: If they do not develop
a capacity for productive work and intimacy they withdraw into themselves,
avoid close contacts and thus develop a feeling of isolation.
Stage VII: Generativity versus Stagnation: (Adulthood 40-60): Here
the chief concern is to assist the younger generation in developing confidence
and leading useful lives – this is generativity. The feeling of having done nothing
to help the next generation is stagnation. If one has been fortunate enough to
develop a positive identity and to live a productive, happy life, one attempt
to pass on the circumstances that caused these things to the next generation.
This is done either by interacting with children directly or by producing or
creating things that will enhance the lives of those in the next generation.
The person who does not develop a sense of generativity is characterized by
‘stagnation and interpersonal impoverishment’. If the person has a greater
sense of generativity, then one leaves this stage with the virtue of care.Positive Strength:Here persons generate
life by nurturing life, ensuring productive living and passing the virtues to
next generation. Negative Strength: If this crisis is not resolved stagnation
occurs and bitterness, self-centeredness will creep in.
Stage VIII: Integrity versus Despair: (Old Age 60 onwards): Here
the person can look back on a rich, constructive, happy life and does not fear
death. Such a person has a feeling of completion and fulfilment. In Erikson’s
thought, this is the fulfilling stage of a person’s life. The person who looks
back on life with frustration experiences despair. The lack or loss of this
accrued ego integration is signified by the fear of death (Erikson, 1963). Here
the person reflects on the past and either pieces together a positive review or
concludes that life has not been spent well. If the older person has developed
a positive outlook in most or all of the previous stages of development, then
the retrospective glances which reveal a picture of a life well spent, the
person will feel a sense of satisfaction and integrity will be achieved. The
vice versa is when the older person has resolved many of the earlier stages
negatively and the retrospective glances will yield doubt, gloom and despair.
If the person has more integrity than despair, his/her life will be
characterized by the virtue of wisdom (Hall, 2007). Positive Strength: The person with sense
of fulfilment in life will have integrity. Erikson said just as the healthy
child will not fear life, the healthy adult will not fear death. Negative
Strength: An unfulfilled life will bring despair and the fear of death (Chenginimattam,
2010). Not only are the eight stages progressively related to each other, but
they are directly related to the first. The eight stages are interrelated in a
circular fashion.
Lawrence Kohlberg: (1927- 1987)
Lawrence
Kohlberg was an American psychologist his contribution to psychology was moral
development. He unified sciences- psychology and moral philosophy and brought
about a new teaching on moral education (Chenginimattam,
2010). In
Kohlberg’s theory, the moral development of children and adolescents accompanies
cognitive maturation. When youngsters shed egocentrism, they advance in moral
judgement and become capable of abstract thought (Papalia, 2004). Kohlberg’s
research on moral development describes three levels of moral reasoning. Each
level was divided into two stages and they are universal to all human beings.
Level I: Pre-conventional Morality: In this level, people act under external
controls. They obey rules to avoid punishment or reap rewards or act out of
self-interest. Their reasoning is egocentric; it focuses on the personal
consequences of the individual’s behaviour. This level is typical of age 4-10.
Stage 1: Orientation Toward Punishment and
Obedience:
S/he obeys rules to avoid punishment. S/he ignores the motives of an act and
focus on its physical form or its consequences. It is an egocentric perspective
where morality is external to oneself.
Stage 2: Instrumental Purpose and Exchange: Child conforms to rules out of
self-interest and consideration for what others can do for them. Personal needs
determine the right and wrong action. S/he looks at an act in terms of the
human needs it meets and differentiates this value from the acts, physical form
and consequences. Human relations are in the form of mutual exchange, ‘If you
do this favour for me, I will do that favour in return.’
Level II: Conventional Morality: In this level, people internalize the
standards of authority figures and are concerned about being good, pleasing
others and maintaining the social order. Their reasoning fits into what
societies consider to be acceptable moral rules. The person values the
expectations of his/her family, relationships and nation.
Stage 3: Maintaining the approval of others as a ‘good girl or
boy’ is prioritized. They take circumstances into account and live up to the
expectations of other people by pleasing them and getting approval from others.
At this stage, it appears that the child moves from physical pleasure to
psychological pleasure by seeking approval as a good boy/girl.
Stage 4: Social Concern and Conscience: At this stage, people are concerned with
doing their duty, showing respect for higher authority and maintaining the
social order. If an act violates the rules and harms others, they consider such
an act as wrong regardless of its motive or circumstances.
Level III: The Post-Conventional Morality: In this level, people recognize conflicts
between moral standards and make their own judgements on the basis of
principles of right, fairness and justice.
Stage 5: Morality of Contract, of Individual Rights
and of Democratically Accepted Law: In this stage, laws are open to
evaluation. People think in rational terms, valuing the will of the majority
and the welfare of society. It defines right action in terms of general
individual rights and in terms of standards that have been critically examined
and agreed upon by the whole society.
Stage 6: Morality of Universal Ethical Principles: this is the highest stage of moral
reasoning in Kohlberg’s theory of moral development. Here the individuals, do
what they think is right, regardless of legal restrictions or the opinions of
others (Papalia, 2004). The “right is defined by the decision of conscience in
accord with self-chosen ethical principles appealing to logical
comprehensiveness, universality, and consistency” (Chenginimattam,
2010).
Internal disposition is an impetus to do good.
Kohlberg later
added a transitional level between levels II and III said that when people no
longer feel bound by society’s moral standards and not yet reasoned their own
principles, they base their moral decisions on personal feelings. Later, he
even questioned the validity of the stage 6 since very few reach there and also
proposed the seventh stage that is ‘cosmic stage’. In this stage, people
consider the effects of their actions not only on other people but also on the
universe as a whole (Papalia, 2004). According to him, moral reasoning is still
thought to pass through a sequence of levels, beginning with egocentric moral
judgements and moving towards abstract moral principles (Margan, 2004).
Kohlberg’s moral stages do not consider moral emotion and volition. It is too
cerebral; it misses the morality of the heart (Chenginimattam,
2010).
The moral concepts as objective norms of morality
can be compared to signposts and markers on the road, which indicate the
directions the traveler must take in order to reach a high goal. The mere
existence of the signposts however is not enough to help people on their way.
They need a sense to perceive the signs, to select from among them the relevant
ones and also to help them where there are none. They also need knowledge of
the goal to be reached. This sense is a person’s conscience. In other words, conscience is that moral
faculty which tells people subjectively what is good and evil and which manifests
their moral obligation to them.
“Conscience
is the immediate know of every action. An important characteristic of genuine
Christian morality is the primacy of personal conscience as the immediate norm
of morality” (Lobo, 1973). The word conscience comes from the Latin word Conscientia which means knowledge within
oneself. The law is written on their hearts (Rom 2: 15 - 16; 1Jn 3: 19 - 21).
The Vatican Council II affirms of conscience as a voice, ever calling one to
love and to do what is good and to avoid evil… it is inscribed by God. One’s
dignity is to observe this law…conscience is the most secret core and his
sanctuary. Where one is alone with God… (Gaudium et Spes 16).
The
council reaffirms that it errs because no one is born with a readymade
conscience. It slowly develops through the intrinsic dynamism of the person
towards truth and various influences. It is formed by parents, peer group,
school, the Church, the media etc. “Even a well-formed conscience often needs
the support and guidance of others because of the very social nature of human
beings” (Lobo, 1973). It is not about objective moral laws and norms, but it
persuades us to act morally. In the moral sphere, we move when our conscience
moves us. In the formation of conscience, empirical psychology distinguishes
three aspects or dimensions in the functioning of conscience. They are
cognitive, motivational or behavioural and emotional. Cognitiverefers to the
moral knowledge in conscience. This dimension brings about awareness of moral
values, knowledge of moral principles and laws, the ability to think and judge
in the light of these norms.
The Motivational dimension is about an individual’s feeling of
persuasion and sense of obligation to act according to the promptings based on
his/her moral knowledge. Since there is an urge and persuasion to behave
morally, it is also called the behavioural dimension. The personalized (moral
norms and values) and meaningful are the cognition dimension where the stronger
will be the motivation to live according to them. The Emotional dimension refers to the various emotions people use to
act in accordance with the positive (happiness, satisfaction, joy etc.) and
negative (fear, shame, guilt etc.) according to their inner moral promptings.
The pleasant feelings reinforce good behaviour and unpleasant feelings bad
behaviour. These three are considered to render additional strength to the
motivational dimension. A good or mature conscience therefore pre-supposes the
ability to function harmoniously in all three dimensions on the basis of values
which are authentic and autonomous.
Moral Formation is Conscience
Formation
Christ compares the conscience to the eye: The eye
is the lamp of the body (Mt 6: 22 -23; Lk
11: 34 - 35). A well-formed conscience is a guarantee against insincerity and
hypocrisy, where as a partially formed conscience is a source of darkness and
anxiety (Marciel, 1992). The recent scandals among priests and religious
necessitate the formation of a well-integrated conscience which would assist
persons in reflecting on their own vocational commitment. Conscience makes
sense only when moral values are intimately and intrinsically rooted within the
human person and their experience of life. A positive response to the voice of the
conscience is a gift of grace from God who communicates Himself to us. Thus,
moral integrity could be seen encapsulated within the reality of human life in
the very depths of their personhood (Serrao, 2004).
Persons who are called to be men/women of God, it is
of prime importance to form his/her most secret core, and sanctuary. There he
is alone with God whose voice echoes in the depth of his/her being. Therefore,
formation should necessarily include the education of the moral dimension that
is the formation of conscience. To form one’s conscience is to prepare oneself
to encounter God and to listen to His voice as within us echoes the voice of
God by whom we are created (Marciel, 1992).
“Every individual has the grave duty to form his/her
own conscience in the light of that objective truth which everyone can come to
know, and which no one may be prevented from knowing” (Paul, 1991). Conscience is the capacity of man and woman
as conscious and free individuals and is therefore responsible to guide him/her
towards values, which contribute to his/her self-realization. Psychology shows
that ethical judgments are relatives it uses the term super ego. Conscience makes mistakes thus one has
the responsibility to form one’s conscience. Various influences are responsible
for it and consequently it should be formed in the community. The Holy Spirit
inspires and speaks to everybody, but the conscience should be formed to listen
and discern. The formation of conscience
is to find out what is worthy of a human and what is not, it is called
formation of conscience.
Our Lord Jesus Christ who as our brother was to
rehabilitate mankind, give it a new life and lay down for us certain revealed
principles, showing the way in which God expects us to act (Jn 3: 16; 8: 12). The
formation of Conscience must go hand in hand with the realism of humility,
which is aware of the necessary limitations of every individual. Conscience
formation is a practical process. It seeks to determine the right and
appropriate action in particular situations.
The Formation of a Christian Conscience
In Community living, there is reciprocity of
knowledge and faith experiences. Thus, the formation of conscience becomes
easy. A Christian is the living Word of Christ. This is lived in a community of
believers and in the company of each other which brings the awareness of
oneself. The Vatican Council II declares in Dignitatis
Humane that, “in the formation of their conscience, the Christian faithful
ought carefully to attend to the sacred and certain doctrine of the Church”
(Coleman, 1997). As we have seen above the functions and motives in the
formation one’s conscience one ought to take utmost care in this process.
Besides following the Sacred Scripture, magisterium, one’s will, value
clarifications, responsible choices of values and principles and one’s
responsibility to its consequences and the selection of role models are
essential for formation of conscience.
In today’s world of rapid communication, the media
plays an extremely important and essential role in furthering the search for truth
even though it provides limited interest of certain individuals, groups or
ideologies. For more and more people, the media is the only source of
information and therefore it has the great responsibility to communicate the
truth.
Some of the
characteristics of a mature Christian conscience are: Rational- conscience; is
able to assess people and situation objectively without prejudices. It is able
to discern moral values in a given situations. Autonomous/Free-conscience is
able to make one’s own decisions with the help of others. Conscience is able to
stand against oppositions. Altruistic-conscience is motivated by the needs and
an interest of one’s own neighbour. It will be sacrificing self- interest for
the sake of the others. Responsible- conscience is able to accept long or short-term consequences of moral
decisions. It does not mislead the sentiments of others.
The Formation of a Religious Conscience
Following
Christ is the essential and primordial foundation of Christian morality
(Veritatis Splendor, 19). Those who freely choose to consecrate themselves to
Him form a religious conscience. Besides the above-mentioned factors, the
religious charism, mission of the congregation, spirituality and constitutions
help in forming one’s own conscience. Besides following the religious norms
outlined by Code of Canon, every congregation has its own rules and directives
that are to be followed. All these are intricately knit to one another.
Moreover, the candidate must be helped
and enabled to be honest with him/herself in different aspects of his/her life;
to consider not only the objectivity of an act but also to understand the
subjective factors like intentionality, conditioning, motivation etc.… achieve
personal autonomy and grow in a desire to change things for the better. It is
also the responsibility of all those in formation to guide the formees in
building a healthy conscience to combat evil, perceive good, impel one to do
well and judge goodness. The formator must help the candidates to be honest
with him/ herself in his/her dedication for religious/priestly life and the
different aspects of his life. The aforementioned various dimensions of
formation are like the nutritious food that one needs during the formation
journey in order to be healthy.
Conclusion
Spiritual and psychological growth is important for
holistic formation. The analysis of psychology primarily enables an individual
to know him/herself, others and have healthy living relationships with one
another. Life is God’s own gift to His creatures and so one has the right to
enhance this gift of life and allow it to bloom to its fullness. Psychological
formation is a process wherein the life of individual, a consistency can be
brought. Here the ideal self and actual self is concerned, there by the person
will be able to have awareness about what s/he is and wants to become. This
chapter has highlighted some of the important theories with regard to
understand the moral development of the person and contemporary problems faced
by them. The integration of the person needs a balance between what one is and
ought to be. It is possible only by striking a balance between the psyche and
the mind. The important theories seen here are not complete study in itself.
The formation of conscience is essential and should
be given importance. However, there is a vital importance and responsibility in
the formation of one’s conscience. The special reference is to family, the
Church and Religious Institutions. Conscience is an impetus to life. The next
chapter deals with virtues that enhance and give direction to one’s formation
of conscience.
CHAPTER
III
IMPORTANCE
OF THE INTEGRATION OF VIRTUESFOR MORAL FORMATION
Introduction
The present systems and structures
have been created by a few of the influential for their selfish benefits. They
dominate and control the vast majority of the masses and thus the present
socio-political, economic and spiritual structures make a large majority of
people less free to unfold and function by themselves as humans. Though Asia
has a primeval history of spirituality and ethos, it has been challenged by the
guise of modernity. This chapter is an effort to help bring about
transformation in everyday life. The Christian call is a call to realize and
build the Kingdom of God which is possible through a strong value system.
Due to the influence of the media,
friends, advertisements claim for freedom, and the minimum role played by the
family, religion etc… there are lots of apprehensions with regard to the
future. Today there are new questions, new challenges, doubts, expectations and
dreams. First of all, one needs the courage to accept oneself as one is, with
the sensitivity of the painful experiences that it brings, as well as the
precious gifts that it bestows. The challenges can’t leave one grim and
shattered but should give hope. It is unfortunate that everyone has goodness
but temporal attractions distract the focus and as a result one ends up
believing that these things are realities. However, the blue print of the life
programme is the building up of virtues, values and principles. For moral
formation one needs to cultivate virtues. They help to integrate the spiritual,
moral, behavioral, psychological, attitudinal and habitual nature and to have a
balance mature personality.
The
Preliminary Understanding of Virtue
One attains the ultimate end
through good actions that is those that are in conformity with the law and
one’s conscience. YOUCAT has this to say about virtue “A virtue is an interior
disposition, a positive habit, a passion that has been placed at the service of
the good” (Benedict, 2011). Good actions can be achieved through good habits
called virtues. Attitudes involve more than refraining one from prohibited
actions to the transformation of character and the realignment of values. The
redirection of moral vision can also be considered virtues. It’s a moral
strength that always springs from the spirit of creativity and freshness. It is
animated by the joyful acceptance of values. Thus, it is virtue that is capable
of cultivation. According to Mervyn, the Greeks expressed it as a tuned string.
Virtues help a person develop self-possession, sheer mastery, intrinsic beauty,
security in thought, word and action. It is the realization of ‘oughtness’ (Carapiet,
1985). Virtues are an impetus to lead a good moral life and are essential for
every walk of life.
Etymology and Definitions of Virtue
The word ‘virtue’ is derived from
the Latin word “vis” which means
strength. A virtue is a stable and firm disposition, a habitual readiness to do
good. A virtue is essentially operative and therefore it perfects one’s
attitudes (Pazhayampallil, 1995). The following three definitions give us the
crux of the concept. According to Mervyn, “Virtue is a consistent and felicitous
capacity for coping with some area of notable difficulty in human experience” (Carapiet,
1985). St. Augustine defines it thus, “virtue is a quality of the mind
improving it through a goodness that makes for right living. Virtue cannot be
put to evil uses” (Garrigou, 1964). His definition of virtue is based on its
contrast with vice. To him, virtue is infused and cannot be acquired by mere
human effort. Utilizing Aristotelian philosophy, St. Thomas Aquinas says,
“Virtue is an operative habit that is good. It makes its possessor good as well
as the deed he performs” (Garrigou, 1964). Intellectual virtues are not virtues
like science and art; they fail to make one morally good.
Classification of Virtues
The classifications of virtues are
done based on the difficulties met by a Christian in his/her leading daily
Christian life and not to cause further confusion. According to Mervyn, the
functions of virtues are as follows: 1. To judge and decide sincerely and
objectively in a given situation. 2. To treat others properly and respectfully
in all circumstances. 3. To overcome fear and hesitation that springs
spontaneously while doing the right things which involve danger, hardship,
trouble, etc. 4. To resist the allure of enticing objects that can lead us away
from God (Carapiet, 1985). Having seen the difficulties in leading a Christian
life, the virtues have been broadly classified into two according to their
source and their object.
According to their source, they
can be further divided into two. They are 1. Natural Virtues: They are acquired
by human effort or activity. They can be strengthened subjectively by repeated
good acts. 2. Supernatural Virtues: They are infused by God and developed by
divine-human power and collaboration. They are increased by good actions done
in the state of grace (Pazhayampallil, 1995). According to the object, virtues
can be further classified into two. They are as follows: 1. Theological
Virtues: They have God as their direct, immediate object and motive. The three theological
virtues are faith, hope and charity. They are connected with one’s last
supernatural end. 2. Moral Virtues: They do not have God as their direct object
but some created good to regulate human behavior. E.g. giving another his/her
due, moderation in eating and drinking etc. can be acquired by one’s own
efforts. They are the means to be deployed in pursuit of that end. They are the
four cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance
(Pazhayampallil, 1995).
The
Theological Virtues
The theological virtues have God
as their object and being intrinsically supernatural are infused by God. They
are directly intended to God who revealed and communicated Himself through
Jesus. St. Paul in his letter to the Romans states, “Therefore, since we are
justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we
boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also
boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and
endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not
disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the
Holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Rom 5: 1 - 5).
St. Thomas Aquinas concludes
saying, “In addition to purely human virtues, it is needful that some
particular virtues be divinely bestowed on man to fit him for his supernatural
end” (Garrigou, 1964). Through theological virtues, the human being enters into
God’s environment. These divine virtues produce understanding, receptivity and
response to God’s Word. The natural can now operate in a superior way. Natural powers aided by grace can perform
supernatural acts. Therefore, there is a greater unity created as a whole; with
God and self in relation to the other and creation.
Faith
To lead a happy life, one has to
believe and trust in the other. It means one’s acceptance of the other. In the
modern world one relies on many people like the butcher, grocer, builder,
driver, media, teacher, scientist, political leader, religious leader etc. This
does not demand for scientific proofs for the ordinary beliefs of life. As a
virtue, it is built up by discipline rather than by the discussion of various
opinions. Faith has many meanings- belief, reliance, trust, pledge, loyalty,
fidelity (Pazhayampallil, 1995). Faith is a self-surrender and a habit. It
allows God to fulfil His will in one’s life and from the part of the subject
s/he has to make some concrete efforts to develop them. For a Catholic, “Faith
is an entry into the history of salvation which God initiated with Abraham,
continued with his posterity and brought to fulfilment in Christ” (Carapiet,
1985). Truth enters into the heart of
the humble and pure “that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and
understanding and revealed them to babies; yes, Father, for such was your
gracious will” (Mt 11: 25 - 26; 5: 8).
Faith is the seed from which grows
the plant of spiritual insight. It has intellectual, volitional, emotional and
social aspects. However, it is much more than a mere acceptance of unproved
beliefs and going beyond what is known (Kak, 1967). “Faith is the assurance of
things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb 11: 1). The second
Vatican Council states ‘“The obedience of faith’ (Rom 16: 26; cf. Rom 1: 5;
2Cor 10: 5 - 6) must be given to God as He reveals Himself. By faith, man
freely commits his entire self to God, making ‘the full submission of his
intellect and will to God who reveals,’ and willingly assenting to the
Revelation given by him” (DV, 1975). Faith is a particular divine grace not
concerned with doctrine but with giving one powers which are quite beyond
his/her capability (Pazhayampallil, 1995). For instance, “If you have faith the
size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘move from here to
there’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you” (Mt 17: 20).
For a Christian, and above all for
a consecrated person, faith is truth, a certainty not only moral, physical, a
metaphysical certainty but also divine certainty. The deep seated Christian
experience is that God loves, cares and He cannot deceive. Christian faith is
purely a gift provided we honour, adore and receive this gift as a gift and
respond thankfully, profess it and strive to better understand the Good News.
Faith cannot be taught like mathematics but it always points to God. It bears
fruit according to the measure of our dedication to God, the Scripture and
meditating on His unconditional love manifested through His word and action.
Faith shows a human person his/her
nobility and sublime dignity and in turn, the person shows to God, others and
nature. Such a person can risk everything to bear witness in any situation. It
creates a community, a family of God and new, healthy and healing human
relations. In faith, everything we have becomes God given “What do you have
that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as if it
were not a gift” (1Cor 4: 7b) (Haring, 1997). It is a treasure given in the
hands of the Christian faithful. It bears fruit through leading a life of moral
virtues. The Parameter of our faith can be seen in the examination of our
conscience. When they have such beautiful gifts with them, why do they attract
very few or even those within the fold find no meaning? May be the so-called
Christians failed to understand the meaning of this virtue in its right sense
and share it with others by bearing fruits of justice, peace, love, tolerance,
forgiveness, compassion etc.
For the modern generation, there
are many sociological reasons for the abandonment of supernatural faith in
favour of the extraordinary and irrational belief in created inventions,
institutions and expertise. It is peculiar that the pull of material
surroundings has militated against faith in the invisible things of the spirit.
The more one is overcome by science and technology into the mysteries and the
powers of material order, the more difficult to emancipate oneself from the
temptation to worship the material order as the source of all immediate
benefits and consolations. According to Doty, the most serious reason for the
loss of true faith among moderns is their enchantment to the rediscovered
doctrine of human freedom. Freedom or
human liberty and democracy create their own truth. He further says that this
exalted and also distorted concept of human freedom is eventually bound to lead
the human soul away from worship of the true God toward self-worship or to a
divinization of mankind as a whole (Doty, 1964).
There are some sins against faith.
They are: Refusal to submit to God’s dominion and will, lack of trusting and
attachment to self, Secularism which is the preoccupation with merely world
values with no reference to God, Sin by neglecting to know, profess, spread and
safeguard the faith (Carapiet, 1985).
Faith also has liberating effect. Emotionally, faith leads to serenity
and lucidity. The opposite of faith is worry and persons with no faith lose to
these four terrors. They are: Worry about the necessities of life; about the
loss of reputation; about death and final things; and about the impression that
one makes on others (Kak, 1967). Faith enables one to shed all attachments and
experience liberation.
Hope
Life without hope is mean,
hopeless, shriveled, sad and wretched.
Hope is the firm expectation of a good that is possible and arduous to
attain. To attain this virtue, one should not only know the good, but also know
that it is possible to attain though it is difficult. It requires one to have
complete reliance on God as a unique source of help and support. One hopes for
a thing which one has not yet possessed and for something that is good. It is
for a future good and not a present one. The present good is called joy
(Pazhayampallil, 1995).
Hope is animated by perseverance
and constancy through the difficulties of all sorts which put obstacles in the
way of Christian holiness. It sometimes bears a heavy burden of
misunderstanding, contradiction and even persecution. Hope is the solution to
all ‘despair’ circumstances. Sometimes, it is thought of as illusory for
oneself and delusory for others. For a Christian it is not illusion, because it
aims at end things. Thus, it is not a wishful thing but solid confidence and
right action. Hope requires complete
reliance on God as the source and support. This support is seen in the form of
courage to do good, endurance in suffering, confidence and success. To reach up
to this goal one has got to practice virtues to overcome fears, hesitations and
despair. The hope of every Christian is to become fully human as shown by Jesus
the Master.
According to St. Thomas Aquinas,
hope is defined as, “the desire for something good that is hard but not
impossible to obtain” (Carapiet, 1985).
It is said that “one can live without food for thirty days; without
water for five days; without breathing for five minutes; but without hope one
cannot live his supernatural life even for a second” (Pazhayampallil, 1995).
God never leaves anyone without hope, Jesus is hope. In the Garden of Eden when
Adam fell he was given the hope of a redeemer.
Later when the Israelites saw that their future was grim due to their infidelity,
the prophets stepped in to give them hope.
St. Paul said, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are
not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us” (Rom 8: 18 - 24).
Hope is contagious. In the early Church, we see that the Christians accepted
death joyfully, but now death has become painful thing to accept. So, “Death
presents us with priorities, cancel our superiority, self-sufficiency, and make
easier the detachment” (Carapiet, 1985).
Sins opposed to hope are: Despair,
fear and worry about oneself; it leads to licentiousness, uncleanness and away
from the ultimate end (Pazhayampallil, 1995). The relevance and meaning of hope
is challenged in the present epoch of post- modernism, secularism etc.
Charity/ Love
Charity is an act by
which one loves God above all things for His own sake and for the sake of one’s
neighbor. It is a theological virtue infused by God. Charity is love, but not
all love is charity. The reasons for loving can be twofold. They are: 1. Love
of desire: One loves because that person or thing may be good for him/her.
Examples include: greed for money, gadgets, selfishness etc. 2. Love of
friendship: One may love the other because a thing or person is good in
itself. Charity is the love of
friendship. The principle material object of charity is God. In the Scriptures,
we find Jesus’ understanding of charity “you shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart… your neighbor as yourself” (Lk 10: 27) (Pazhayampallil,
1995). The secondary material object embraces all
creatures capable of attaining liberation. The formal object of love is divine
goodness, comprising mercy, wisdom, omnipotence etc (Carapiet, 1985). So, this love is
manifested through a threefold charity by loving God, the loving service to
one’s neighbor, and creation. This love comprises divine goodness and this
goodness is experienced by the person and shared with the others. Therefore,
theological virtues are good because here God is their object and motive. The
virtue of charity is: “The one which makes us most like God, it is called the
queen of virtues” (Romb, 1967).
To practice
charity, one needs to practice values to overcome selfishness, and resist those
things which lead one away from God. It is a complete virtue in itself because
where there is love there is faith and hope. Charity makes one a friend of God,
this gives one merit and is a practical aspect of one’s manifestation of the
depth of love. The other side of Love is forgiveness, “Her sins which are many,
are forgiven, for she loved much” (Lk 7: 47).
All actions
done in charity have an eternal value. Everyone is called for the eternal
perfection of holiness. This habit of charity is necessary as it is a means of
salvation “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit
that has been given to us” (Rom 5: 5). It is an invitation to do the same. “You
shall love the Lord your God with all your heart… this is the great and first
commandment” (Mt 22: 37-38). This virtue is an impetus to embark upon an
unbeaten path. People want an easy Christianity, a Christianity without
sacrifice, duties, renunciations, obedience, grief, in a word, without the
cross (Pazhayampallil, 1995). Christ’s life had its greatest, immediate impact on the
apostles. There is a need for honest relationship. There one is called to be
sanctified; nothing makes piety more attractive than kindness (Romb, 1967).
Charity is
towards oneself, others and creation. The fifth commandment “Thou shall not
kill” is applicable to oneself and others. Charity calls one to respect,
promote and protect one’s and others life in all circumstances. Sometimes it is
easy to protect others life and deliver speeches on promoting, preserving,
protecting and respecting life. However, some neglect to look after their own
health. One’s consumption of alcoholic beverages, smoking, rash/drunken
driving, suicide, over/under eating, over work, laziness, mutilation,
transsexualism, plastic surgery etc. can lead to uncharitable attitudes to
oneself. Being charitable has no boundaries. However, to the lazy person, being
charitable is an abuse of the virtue of charity. Charity should be extended to
our enemies too, “Enemies are those who do us some spiritual or temporal harm” (Pazhayampallil,
1995). “But I say to you love your enemies” (Mt 5: 44
- 46).
To illustrate
charity towards one’s neighbour Jesus narrates the story of the rich man and
Lazarus. The rich man was not bad man. His sin was the sin of insensitivity
towards poor Lazarus (Lk 16: 19 - 31). In the parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk
10: 29 - 37) Jesus drives home the message about who is our neighbour? The one
who helps his/her neighbour in need. Euthanasia, abortion, insensitivity,
tepidity, sloth etc. are ‘uncharity’ towards others. Vatican II mentions when
and how one should help one’s neighbour. “Charitable action today can and
should reach all man and all needs. Wherever men are to be found who are in
want of food and drink, of clothing, housing, medicine, work, education, the
means necessary for leading a truly human life… misfortune or illness, men
suffering exile or imprisonment, Christian charity should go in search of them
and find them out, comfort them with devoted care and give them the helps that
will relieve their needs” (VC II, 1975).
Fraternal
correction is a private admonition given out of charity to show the said
individuals own ways that are to be amended for a better community living (Pazhayampallil,
1995). Often, lack of communication makes the
religious uncharitable to each other.
“If your brother sins against you go and tell him his fault, between you
and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother” (Mt 18: 15).
The uncharitable observation in religious communities is that the younger
religious are hostile towards the older ones. The older one’s feel they should
be loved and respected because they have been pioneers. They cling to the old
because they love the community and its traditions and not because they do not
like the new generation. For the
younger, change is inevitable. Here the balance without compromise and
efficiency without laxity is needed. Some things should be left to individual
convictions but in the different phases of formation the individual convictions
should be checked and if need be help should be provided to amend them.
Modernization and the use of technology changes the concepts of poverty, this
has a hair line difference so letter of the law and legitimate needs clash at
this juncture (Romb, 1967). Charity is a call to exercise compassion.
The sins
against love or charity are indifference and hatred, “Anyone who hates his
brother, is a murderer” (1Jn 3: 15). Scandal means a snare, stumbling block or
an occasion to fall down on his journey to heaven. It can be an active or
passive scandal; through unbecoming words and deeds, which gives occasion to
another’s spiritual ruin. St. Anselm says the worst sin of ‘the consecrated’ as
a group is the lack of kindness towards their own. It is expressed through
jealousy over others promotions, snubs of offence against oneself, coolness,
indifference, individualism, studied disinterest etc.
The Lord was
clear and apt when he said, “You love one another…everyone will know that you
are my disciples” (Jn 13: 34 - 35). From the structures created one is able to
condemn sexual sins, pity the alcoholics, and immorality can be easily
identified. Formation stresses on the custody of the eyes and angelic virtues
etc. but often overlooked is the malicious, uncharitable person. S/he can be so
in different to spiritual activities like the Pharisee and the tax collector
(Lk 18: 9 - 14). The fifth superior general of the Society of Jesus, polled the
opinion of moralists and inquired about what objectively mortal sins were
committed by the religious. The entire group said that ‘uncharitableness
against one’s fellows’ was the most common of the possibly grave offences
against God. The mortal sins against poverty, chastity and obedience are rare.
However, against charity, it is possible in every community (Romb, 1967). The
families and the formation houses have got to promote this virtue in their own
quarter. The study within the four walls without any contact with the world
around makes one more insensitive.
Essential
Virtues for A Good Consecrated Life
A set of values and principles are
necessary in every walk of life. “Values give direction…they are like the rails
that keep a train on the track and help it move smoothly, quickly and with
direction” (Ignacimuthu, 2001). Besides the above mentioned theological and
moral virtues some more virtues are essential to lead a happy consecrated life.
In the consecrated life there are desired or important standards of behaviour
to make one’s commitment more enriching and fruitful to oneself and others.
Thus, these virtues strengthen and
give meaning to one’s character. Consequently, they facilitate one to dispose
personal attitude, judgment, decision, choices, behaviour, relationships,
dreams and visions. In the first chapter, we have examined the challenges faced
due to many reasons. Only a firm base of virtues can encourage one to face
life. In the present set up, there are a few important virtues besides the
evangelical councils that are required of consecrated for effective living.
They are explained below.
Simplicity
Simplicity refers to being
unassuming, ordinary and without artificiality. Simplicity causes one to tend
towards God always. This virtue is most pleasing to Him because it makes one
resemble Him. One becomes at ease with
oneself and is not worried about what others think of him/her. Children are
simple and innocent and therefore Jesus loved them. The apostles too were
simple and so Jesus loved them. Simplicity involves uprightness, sincerity and
right intention. Simplicity gives credibility and integrity to a person. It is
the result of one’s own honesty to self, awareness and reflection. Stillness
can enrich a person to go deep into oneself and the product of it is simplicity.
Simplicity of character is the natural result of profound thought. S/he accepts everything gratefully as a gift
from above.
Simplicity avoids unnecessary
spending on luxury, misuse, pomp and show. It emits envy, jealousy, force,
power and insincerity. One fails to understand an insincere person. “The
insincere religious is a confused person, ruled by his imagination. In his
effort to be pleased with himself, he deceives both himself and others. He
invents many expressions in order to show off or save face. In truth he does
not love God” (Alborine, 1970). The more a person experiences God, the humbler
one becomes because there is no room for a bragger.
St. Paul rightly told the
Corinthian community, “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you
received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift?” (1Cor 4: 7b). Lying is
opposed to simplicity and is even saying what is contrary to one feels or
thinks. If one is unable to speak, silence is preferred rather, than deceive
oneself, others and God by telling a lie. The world is losing its integrity.
Words and actions do not match, on account of which trust is lost. Once upon a
time, the youth would not dare tell a lie. Now it is a fashion to do so. This
trend sadly has crept into the consecrated life too. Widely, people have lost confidence and their
words have become noisy gongs. Instead of commanding respect as in the past,
the religious are now rarely trusted. Simplicity respects all people in spite
of their colour, status, caste, religion and region. True simplicity is the
hallmark of true greatness.
Generosity
Generosity is a sign of gratitude
and inner freedom. Generosity means giving back to God and giving to others out
of innermost freedom. This has a twofold liberation: those who received gifts
reverently and freely give to others. Without generosity, freedom as a virtue
does not exist. This value does call us to share things with the needy more
than that it invites one to be available to the other. The world around us has
created a lot of stress and tension due to different challenges posed by
different aspects of vice as seen in the first chapter of this thesis. People
have no time, the victims have no one to turn to and therefore the number of
diseases related to stress and tension are on the rise. The number of suicide
cases too is increasing in the IT world, cosmopolitan cities and even in the
religious scenario.
The generous persons are rich and
strive to become more and more an image of God, who is Absolute Generosity.
They do not seek to honour themselves but honour those to whom they give
(Haring, 1997). Generosity is sensitivity towards the other, self and creation.
Generosity is not exploitation but it gives what one deserves.
Hospitality
Hospitality is found in the
epistle of St. Peter: “Be hospitable to one another, without complaining” (1Pet
4: 9). The very next verse emphasizes how it should be done, “Like good
stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gifts
each of you has received” (1Pet 4: 10). Hospitality is one of the trademarks of a
Christian. The Christian authority calls one to serve as their master Jesus has
shown them to do. St. Paul re-emphasizes in his letter to Timothy: “Now a
Bishop… respectable, hospitable, an adapt teacher, not a drunkard, not violent
but gentle, not quarrelsome, and not a lover of money” (1Tim 3: 2).
Martha and Mary were notably
hospitable although there is a notable difference in their manifestation. One
was concerned with the externals and the other sitting at his feet giving Him
undivided attention. Hospitality is the readiness to receive strangers without
any expectation or reward. Contemporary hospitality has been weakened by cold
calculations, ingenuity, lack of authenticity and trust. “Individuals who have no
mutual personal interest and no desire to establish such interest confront
jovially over a restaurant table while each seeks to strike some bargain
favorable to his own ambitions” (Doty, 1964). In Asia, a guest was considered
god and treated like one. Unlike early days, the traveler would go to the
nearby house and take shelter, food etc. In the present day it has become a
business-like drinking water; eating at a hotel etc. Many misuses have emerged
and so the basic factor of trust and love has been replaced by money, pleasure
and gain.
Tolerance
When we glance at history, we find
that there had been wars fought due to the intolerance of a few. We also find
people who demonstrated great peace due to their exemplary tolerance. They were
always occasional, enlightened individuals who practiced real tolerance out of
sincere respect for the real conscience of self and others. Tolerance is a
prerequisite to any social or community life. No religion has monopoly on the
possession of truths, values and virtues. The prerequisite for this virtue of
tolerance is not merely putting up with someone, but mutual acceptance in
mutual respect. Tolerant people are not blind and do not pretend to not notice
the good and evil qualities and views of others.
They become tolerant to the extent
that they are aware of their own limitedness. It flourishes to the degree that
one is thankful to her/his fellow beings by accepting them despite their
shadows and mistakes. Truly tolerant people discover the good in others and
themselves. Some people find only the negatives as they do not like themselves
and others. This virtue proves itself when others contradict us (Haring, 1977).
It is the capacity to respect the beliefs or behaviour of others when it
differs from ours. Tolerance is a help to enable one to cultivate the endurance
of pain and hardship, adjust relationships, fosters integration, self-mastery
and harmony. It accepts and understands the differences in others and their
cultures.
Intolerant people always behave as
if they were infallible. They embed themselves behind ‘convictions’. In
reality, they have preconceived opinions. They make themselves incapable of
looking into the other side of the argument (Haring, 1977). Tolerance avoids
all misunderstandings, animosity, conflicts, riots, prejudices, biases,
disagreement and gossip. Tolerance acts as a unifying factor which promotes
peace and harmony. The virtue of humour is a good antidote.
Every human being has belonged to
a particular family, nation and the universe. The consecrated too belong to a
family and not only to the canonically erected congregation or community but
also to the whole human family. This entire family belongs, to the fourfold
relation created by God the creator, oneself as subject, others as object, and
creation. When one belongs s/he has to dispense some responsibilities. God is
the Creator; and one has the bounden duty to recognize the Creator and remain
united to Him. The members with whom one lives is a visible sign of the
presence of God, and therefore it helps to know that one cannot live as an
island.
All are dependent on the other
directly or indirectly. Also, “When our eco-systems are being dragged to the
slavery of economic interests and we are led by a purely utilitarian view of
life and of living things, it is good for us to see what our civilizations have
thought of nature and our relationship with nature” (Menamparampil, 2011). This
belongingness calls for freedom, accountability and responsibility. Freedom is
a spiritual ecstasy which is beyond all interests and selfishness. It is the
spiritual glimpse that can allow oneself to detach from the clutches of this
world. Everyone is accountable to God, self and others because each life in a
web, and so time, talents, ability, material possession etc. have to be used in
discretion. Responsibility is the focus or goal to be accomplished. It is a
dedication to reach one’s dream. It
makes one regular, punctual and trustworthy. It allows one to take risk or
challenges in life. It is good to end with the words of Peschke, “The need of
proper education, instruction and formation… must be guided by his parents and
educators to perceive the moral values and to gain an understanding as to why certain
things are good and therefore ought to be done” (Peschke, 2010).
Gratitude
Gratitude leads one to express
appreciation even for the smallest services received from God, family,
community, nation and nature. Gratitude comes from humility which expresses our
recognition of the finitude. It is the consciousness of being a guest on this
planet. It is the realization of having received a gift that surpasses any
equivalent gift in return. This gift must be handed down to the coming
generations. It urges one to be thankful and impels one to work for the good of
others, and prompts the individual to give freely of his/her one’s time and
service. St. Paul brought this to light in the Corinthian community, “What do
you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as
if it were not a gift?” (1Cor 4: 7b). Caring is another virtue connected to
this virtue. This virtue makes one realize one’s basic dependency on others for
survival and existence in itself.
Compassion
The word compassion has its root
word in Greek sumpatheo; sun means
‘with’ and pascho means ‘to suffer’,
which means to suffer with another; to be affected similarly (sympathy); to
have compassion upon; (Heb 10: 34), be troubled with; in (Heb 4: 15). The Latin
root word of compassion is cum patior
meaning to suffer with, to undergo with, to share solidarity with (Fox, 1979).
Jesus Christ showed compassion to all those who came to Him. Everyone had
experienced compassion from Him materially, spiritually etc.
Compassion was the dynamic force
which inspired God to create. Creation was the first embodiment of His
compassion. “Because of His compassionate love God could not remain separate
from humans. Instead, He made them stay in ‘Paradise’ and communicated with
them continuously. “And they heard the sound of the Lord walking in the garden
in the cool of the day” (Gen 3: 18) (Thaijasa, 2006). Compassion is the world’s
richest energy source. Now that the world is a global village we need compassion
all the more not for philosophy or theology but for survival’s sake (Fox, 1979).
Though it is energy, it still
remains unexplored largely in the wider perspective. The former president of
the National Council of Churches, Sterling Cary says, “Assesses the moral
conscience of humanity in our time in this way: ‘we are losing our capacity to
be human. Violence and oppression are becoming so commonplace that the modern
victims of injustice are reduced to mere statistics’”. Compassion is a call to
be with the other. This is a pathway to move to a fuller and holistic life-style.
Compassion is not only for the
elite as it is composed of everybody’s energy. Thus, it constitutes common
humanity. Compassion is not a pity, a feeling sorry for someone or a
preoccupation with pain. It is feeling of togetherness which means a celebration
in another’s joy and grief at another’s sorrow. If we consider God as our
Father, we all become His children. We as brothers and sisters who glance at
the daily Newspapers or view the News telecast experience the atrocities that
take place to human beings in one’s country and abroad and this is a cause of
concern. The basic trust in humanity is being lost in every person. Compassion
alone can retrace the brotherhood and sisterhood attitude. Thus, the journey
towards one’s goal can be enjoyable.
Conclusion
The Asian tradition is not only
very ancient but also deep in its practice of values, irrespective of diverse
castes, creed, cultures, religions, and languages. It has upheld in high esteem
many virtues like patience, truthfulness, respect, sharing, hospitality,
restraint, purity, liberality, self- control, non-violence, obedience,
sympathy, peace, endurance, and freedom from covetousness, anger etc. This
chapter is brought to its culmination by addressing tips for a healthy living
that is virtues and values. No virtue can be lived in isolation, they are an
integrated whole. The theological virtues are given by God but one has the
responsibility to cultivate them.
The above described virtues are
essential; but there are also many others which are needed for a happy
consecrated life. They fall in place because all virtues are interlinked. Love is the foundation and launch pad for all
virtues and values. Thus, they are subordinate to love. How can one practice
these all together? When one concentrates on spirituality s/he focuses on doing
good and choosing what is right and so all the rest fall in place. The
conscious effort is essential. All these are interrelated and interwoven. No
virtue can remain isolated as it is an integrated whole. One virtue influences
the other, and it is through constant practice that one can make moral
formation a habit or attitude. Thus, one must always do good and avoid evil.
Good virtues are the spontaneous and natural manifestations of good character.
Awareness is the key to it. To face life which is full of new challenges, it is
vital to empower oneself with good virtues. Thus, the quality of human life
improves spiritually and societally.
GENERAL CONCLUSION
This work, “The Importance of Moral Formation in
Consecrated Life,” is the fruit of my reflection and study on the Consecrated
life. Life has adopted tremendous change
and has become modern, consumerist and has lost its vitality of being prophetic
and spiritual. The Religious strive to be human of God which is their primary
purpose.
The first chapter is an attempt to provide the
General understanding of consecrated life and it origin, theological meaning.
The consecrated life is not a separate entity from the fast-changing world. The
changes that are taking place in the world will have a dramatic impact on the
lives of consecrated persons. At this
juncture, the Church makes an attempt to instruct people about the dichotomy between the freedom and
immorality; wealth and poverty; plenty and insufficiency.
The major portion of the second chapter deals with
the various theories of Erick Erickson, Lawrence Kohlberg on moral formation.
These theories have helped to understand the moral development of a person.
Thus, they have laid the foundation for the ‘considerable’ understanding of
moral development of conscience in persons in a way. While all the theories
deal mainly on the development of the male gender, Carol Gilligan deals mainly
with women and brings their voice to the lime light with their needs and
developments. The second part of this chapter elucidates the importance of
conscience formation. With special emphasis on Sacred Scripture, the
Magisterial teaching’s, one’s will, choices that one makes in life, the value
systems that one upholds, experiences of life, from insights received from
others and the selection of one’s role models, determines what kind of ‘Moral
Conscience’, one will form in life.
The knowledge of God has to be replaced by the
experience of God, which will lead to right conduct. The formation of
conscience is the moral formation for which the cultivation of virtues in one’s
life is a must. The conscious effort in practicing virtues makes it a habit in
a person. Thus, the life long process of one’s formation is enhanced. I have given some practical
suggestions as a conclusion to my work. These can be a guide to all those who
seek to tread the path of moral uprightness, want to make responsible choices
in life and form oneself and others into true image of God and make life
meaningful.
During the years of my consecrated life, I have
interacted with many Religious belonging to different congregations where I
have perceived that each religious congregation seems to have its own set of
Standards in their formation. Each formator tries hard to fit each individual
into these models with the sole aim of bringing out an exemplary ‘finished
product’. Young boys and girls who join religious congregations shows a lot of
enthusiasm, passion and zeal in the first stage of formation, and are made to
focus only on learning language, doing manual work, prayer etc. and there is no
room for the development of their own individuality. As a result, they tend to
prejudice that Consecrated life has limited scope. In the future, they have the
tendency to choose other avenues to use their energy constructively and to find
self-actualization. The outcome is the frustrations, loss of vocations, and the
spread of reports as misinterpretations about religious life. Therefore, it is
essential to consider one’s personality development along with religious
formation.
The candidates should be made to feel the
belongingness to each religious family. The formators should create an ambience
to nurture the formees own set of virtues. They can be made to internalize and
practice them for the following week/ month according to each one’s space.
Thus, consecrated living will be fruitful, meaningful and there is the aim ‘to
walk on’.
There is always a virtue that can be integrated into
our lives. In the world today, we find young girls/boys trying to imitate the
styles of heroes/heroines in their dress code, language, actions, life style
etc. By the practice of virtues, a person becomes integrated and this way of
living becomes a habit. This integration of virtues is a lifelong process.
Finally, there will be holistic growth in the person. This in turn influences
the person in the formation of one’s own conscience. Moral formation is a call
that Prophet Malachi emphasizes thus “Walk with Me in integrity and
uprightness” (Malachi 2: 6b).
Jesus
was a model of all virtues. Through His life, He set us an example to follow.
In his time, He made a difference wherever he went, whomever he met and to all
those who came to Him. The three evangelical councils that the religious are
called to live are not diverse from the virtues. They are all intertwined and
by practicing poverty in its true sense one can practice simplicity, sobriety
and compassion. By obedience, the virtues of faith, hope, prudence, gratitude,
tolerance and justice can be practiced. The vow of chastity calls for
charity/love, fortitude, temperance, generosity and hospitality.
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