VOCATIONAL
DISCERNMENT AND FORMATION IN A MULTICULTURAL CONTEXT
Sr Deepamol Sebastian
SdP
INTRODUCTION
Life
is a journey. It is quite certain that every journey has an aim and all those
who are well aware of their aim of journey will definitely have joy in taking
part in this journey. The aim leads to the journey. In the same way formation
is also a journey, a deep and serious movement towards transformation. The aim
of this journey is the complete maturity of the person. Since the purpose of
the consecrated life consists in configuration to the Lord Jesus and to a total
self-giving, this must be the primary goal of formation too. It can be compared
to the deep feeling of Christ towards the Father. This is an inner process that
involves the person in every aspect right up to shaping his or her ideas,
attitudes and life styles. This journey is called formation. The purpose of
religious formation is to motivate and guide the formee, for this the formator
has a greater role to play. Formation always provides the basis for a spiritual
rebirth.
Motivation
is the power or the energy that moves a person to act upon certain situations
in a particular manner. Hence, whenever we do this, motivation can be coloured by
one's own family background, cultural influence, intellectual, and emotional
aspects. Therefore it is very ambiguous to know the motivation of a formee. But
there are some areas or steps to evaluate the motivation of a candidate to some
extent through her daily activities in the formation period. The management of
needs, values and attitudes can throw some light into the real and right
motivation. The consistencies and inconsistencies also is a great tool to know
whether the motivation of the candidate is pure and sound. A religious who is
rightly motivated can bring tremendous change in the world, but at the same time
a religious who is wrongly motivated can easily cause scandals in the church
and society. In the field of formation, formators need to understand the degree
of maturity and the underlying motivation with which young people today enter
into religious life.
The
theme of interculturality is a significant challenge for religious formation
today. In fact, the phenomenon of globalization ironically leads to a certain
reawakening of nationalism and cultural particularisms. It is, therefore, urgent for us religious to face
up to the challenges of our modern times, preparing our religious to be steady
in their identity in the face of a culture that tends to weaken or water down
their choice of a life rooted in Jesus Christ. We are all aware that formation
is the ultimate priority, because our future depends on it. With the decline in
vocation in the different parts of the world, it is a matter of fact that we
have to change our approach to formation. In this area it is no longer possible
to work in an autonomous, self- referencing way, as loners. We must join forces
and resources, especially on account of the decline in the number of candidates
to the consecrated life. Formation in an intercultural context requires that
everyone be constantly engaged in one’s ‘internal pilgrimage’: from one’s own
culture to that of the other, and all together towards the culture of the
Gospel and of consecrated life. It is important to recognize that there is no
ideal or superior culture. We are all gathered in Christ. Our differences are
values we should accept and appreciate.
In the first chapter I would like to explain the general
understanding of vocation and formation by explaining the meaning of the term,
keeping in mind Jesus' style of formation of his disciple in the New Testament.
Secondly, how the Church is interested in the formation of religious for the
mission of Christ by mainly referring to the teachings and the documents of the
Church. Thirdly, I will try to explain the different aspects of formation like
human, spiritual and intellectual and finally I will conclude with a note about
the agents of formation.
In the second chapter I will
highlight the various causes that challenge the formation today. Family and
culture play a vital role in the life of a formee (one in formation)and shapes
his / her future mission and it influences his / her so much so that he / she
finds very difficult to practice the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.
There are also other challenges like the physical health and emotional aspects
like egoism, jealousy, envy, anger, and sexuality.
The third chapter is
the main part of my dissertation. In this chapter I will explain the
suggestions and requirements for intercultural formation and show how right motivation becomes very essential for a
formandi to be more value oriented to face the challenges of formation in a
multicultural context. The formator also has a vital role in forming the formee
to purify her motivation in order to remain faithful to her vocation and be
fruitful in the mission.
CHAPTER I
RELIGIOUS VOCATION AND FORMATION IN GENERAL
Introduction
Vocation and formation are the two basic
concepts which need greater understanding. Vocation can be understood as a
dialogue initiated by God in and through the Holy Spirit, the prime motivator,
and a desire or inspiration begins to take place in an individual. On the other
hand, formation is a process of facilitation, which is gradual, where a person
is helped to progressively incorporate the mind and image of Jesus, on the
basis of the vocation he / she has received. We believe that the call to
religious life is a call from God. It is He who takes the initiative. It is the
Lord who issues the invitation. Each one
of us is invited to lead a specific style of Christian life and service with
our eyes fixed on the vision and mission of Jesus Christ.
Vocation:
A Free Gift from God
Vocation is a divine call. It is generally received as an
internal grace. This gives a greater understanding of its characteristics: it
is purely gratuitous, absolutely free and strictly supernatural. Religious
vocation is God’s initiative (Hostie, 1962) . And He gives His grace to respond to
His call and to continue His mission here on earth. It is a invitation to
follow Christ, be one with him and to perform a special service in the Church.
This call from God requires a free response. Vocation is a sign of God’s love
and a call to love. In the hidden
recesses of human heart the grace of vocation takes the form of a dialogue. It
is a dialogue between Christ and the individual to whom a personal invitation
is given. Christ calls the person by name and says: come, follow me. This call,
this mysterious inner voice of Christ is heard more clearly in silence and
prayer. Its acceptance is an act of faith. It is an invitation into a process of self-discovery. Christ
calls us to endure through difficulty and hardship. Our response to vocation
involves transforming our life more deeply and fully to the Lord.
The calls to religious life means a special call of service and
self-surrender. It involves a commitment to the loving service of others just
like any other vocation. The consistency of the vocation will be tested over a
period of time. People discerning religious vocations will spend years in
seminary and religious formation before making vows for life. We need to seek
the Lord’s Word and action in every moment of our life and live our life in prayer.
Religious vocations can take a long time to reveal. Our life vocation is a
treasure. We need to pursue it at whatever the cost. Every Christian is called
to a life of consecration, a total self-surrender to the will of God in union
with Jesus Christ.
The Christian vocation is an invitation to
step outside oneself and make God the center of one's existence against the
temptation of making oneself the center of one's life. We must fill our mind
and our heart with an intense aspiration to God and to the things of God. This
must be our great longing. Vocation is basically an internal grace by which God
unites himself to the man /woman whom He consecrates to Himself and calls
either to the duties of a priest or to the life of the evangelical counsels.
Consequently four types of vocation can be distinguished: internal, external,
divine and ecclesiastical. The first applies to the internal grace, the second
to the sum total of aptitudes or external graces, the third embraces the first
two, and the fourth refers to the call from the superiors authorized by the
Church. When the ecclesiastical vocation authentically includes all the
foregoing elements, then it is morally certain that a vocation exists (Hostie, 1962) .
The religious
vocation presupposes the encounter of two liberties; the absolute liberty of
God who calls, and the liberty of man/woman who responds to this call. All the
authentic vocations are initiatives of God: but these are to be tested by the
church which is the sign and the instrument of God in the world, and in the
individual persons. Psychology is the great help in the selection and formation
of the candidates for religious life. The psychological area is set up in such
a way as to summarize the key components of human behavior- perception, cognition,
and emotion, self, social, and interpersonal relationship. The superiors have
the responsibility of accepting or rejecting a candidate. The formator must
allow the candidate to recognize the internal forces of the candidates and the
hidden values in them. Today we have a holistic formation- human, Christian,
religious, spiritual, psychological and social formation for community
life. It means forming Christ in people,
or forming people in the image of Christ.
It is Christ himself and the Holy Spirit who form each one.
Vocation
in the New Testament
At the origin of the religious consecration
there is a call of God for which there is no explanation apart from the love
which he bears for the person whom he calls. This love is absolutely
gratuitous, personal, and unique. It embraces the person to the extent that one
no longer pertains to oneself, but to Christ. The call of Christ, which is the
expression of a redemptive love, embraces the whole person, soul and body,
whether man or woman, in that person's unique and unrepeatable personal, for
example the call of Matthew. Before the Second Vatican Council, the Church was
concerned about the formation of religious. The Council, in its turn, gave
doctrinal principles and general norms in Chapter VI of the dogmatic
constitution Lumen Gentium and
in the decree Perfectae Caritatis. Pope
Paul VI, for his part, reminded religious that, whatever the variety of ways of
life and of Charisms, all the elements of a religious life should be directed
toward the building up the heart. Our Holy Father John Paul II, from the
beginning of his pontificate and in numerous discourses which he has given, has
frequently taken up the matter of religious formation.
The Concept of Formation
Formation is an ongoing process. It only ends
when we die. Spiritual formation is the process of spiritual shaping and
growth. It deals with the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit. The formation
process can be facilitated by spiritual practices, such as contemplative
prayer, silence, meditation, adoration and yoga. In formation the need for
spiritual growth becomes more evident, which invites us to be transformed,
refined, and sharpened and to grow in grace and holiness. The pursuit of
holiness is a lifelong battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil in
search of Christ likeness. Spiritual formation for the Christian basically
refers to the Spirit compelled process of forming the inner world of the
individual to become Christ like. It is an inward journey to find our true self
in Christ and to collaborate with him to fulfill all that he has planned for
us. The true formation take place when the person feels the need for it and
strive from within to achieve it. Formation is an education in the ways of
religious life and in ones Charism. Above all, it is an education in love that
unveils the unique Image of God in each individual. The
process of formation and development in the religious life has to be the
process of the clay in the hands of the potter, the Divine Potter, Who shapes
us uniquely to be filled with His Son, and yet each of us in a different way
because He wants us to be unique.
Our vocation is a free choice, God does not
force people. He wants our choices to be made in a human way and with freedom.
Then only true transformation takes place. Transformation in one area
influences the transformation of other areas. For example, affective
transformation favors religious and moral transformation. Intellectual transformation
reinforces the transformation in socio-political sphere. This is why an
integral approach is necessary for a holistic vocational growth. Growth takes
place in the concrete events of everyday life where a person learns to relate
meaningfully to God, oneself and others. Everything that happens in the life of
the person is an opportunity for self-discovery and growth. The hard path
religious has to tread is the narrow one that leads from desire to deed, from
words to action. Though there are no easy solutions to the problems we
encounter in formation, those very challenges do open new pathways to better
formation.
Forming a person to pursue the vocational
values with constancy and commitment requires a deeper understanding of the
person in his concrete realities of life. It also demands from the formators a
patient accompaniment of the formees in their journey through their struggles
and failures to greater stability and enthusiasm in their commitment. The Indian
values of interiority, God experience through the means of silence and
contemplation, bhajans, Yoga, etc...Should become integral part of the
formation program from the very beginning.
India is a land of great traditions,
cultures, and custom. The negative impact of these leads the candidates with
traumatic experiences and brokenness, which greatly limit their effective
freedom in internalizing the religious values. Formation should give special
emphasis on the growth of the formee in congregational spirituality and genuine
interest for missions. The formators should see in the formee that there is
sufficient intelligence, capacity to take initiatives, progress in affective
maturity, regularity in spiritual exercises, growth in the spiritual life and
ability to live in community (Zoungrana, 2013) .
Proper atmosphere should be created to enhance
the aptitude of the formee for an internal, spiritual journey and inculcating
the values of solitude, interiority and self-discipline. Personal accompaniment
in an intensive way is essential to guide them in the process of discernment
before their commitment to religious life through the first profession. In
conclusion the committed involvement and accompaniment of the formators is very
important for an integral formation of formee. And after the long journey the
formee could say as St Paul said, “it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ
who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the
son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20). But in fact the
process of following is a very difficult thing. The path that which Jesus shows us passes through self-denial,
the giving up of affection that reduce the fullness of the oblation and the
abandonment of attachment to all things. Nothing and no one is placed before his
love and the following of the master. Every formation is considered to be
successful when the individual gets almost matured in life and that is the
reason in religious formation there is a long years to go. The process of
formation will take place when the person walks carefully on the way of psychology
and spirituality and intellectual learning.
Formation is a process in which mutual
exploration, the Charism of the institution and the individual takes place. It
is a lifelong work and part of painful purification. This process can be
compared to the food that we take into our stomach. In the process of digestion
some part of it becomes flesh and blood of our body and we grow healthy,
beautiful and energetic. Similarly all the information that the candidates take
in, the training in various fields they receive and the spiritual nourishment
they get, should help them to grow in the spirit of nourishment they get,
should help them to grow in the spirit of Christ, in his passion, mission and
in the Charism of the founder. The Charism of the founder/ foundress and the
spirit of Christ should gradually become part of their existence (Serrao, 2004) . Therefore,
formation must help the candidates to acquire a profound and durable knowledge
of themselves, on various aspects of growth, on those infantile issues, on the
mastery over themselves and at the end channel all these energies and
dispositions towards the constructive realization of an ideal vocation.
The document Vita Consecrate (V C) emphasizes
that renewal of consecrated life depends very much on formation. It presents as
a vital process by means of which individuals are converted to the Word of God
in the depths of their being and at the same time learn how to discover the
signs of God in earthly realities.
A formation house is a school of Christ where
the candidates learn to become more like him through: Assimilating and
deepening of religious values in the daily life through dialogue with the
community, purification of the candidates through a life of charity, and a new
experience, a new vision of life through personal duties and community
obligations.
To help the candidates during the period of
formation it is indispensable for the formators to know the youth of today. The
radical religious formation should not disturb the human equilibrium. It is
necessary to know the different stages of growth of each one: not neither to
accelerate the maturation nor to allow it to be too slow. Every candidate in
formation should be helped to the suitable direction in order to develop in
harmony with physical, moral, intellectual, and emotional faculties: to grow in
a sense of justice, in a spirit of sincerity, an attitude of fraternal friendship,
appreciation of truth, just freedom and responsibility.
The success of formation also depends to a
great extent on the person directing the candidates. They have to be mature
persons, familiar with the demands of religious life. They must have the ability
to make real contact with the beginners. Every attitude that manifests itself
in the formators may gain or loose credibility. The formators must be able to
foresee inappropriate reactions and to channel youthful enthusiasm.
Aspects
of Formation
Human
Formation
Human formation indicates to what depth of
our interior life as human beings the process of conforming our life to Christ
Crucified must reach. In fact, human formation involves the use of all the
valuable potential energy in each one of us, in all its complexity. It allows
us to journey towards human maturity, aiming at uniting all our affective
energies around the experience of God’s love.
A gradual knowledge of self , of gifts and
weakness , of one’s sexuality and feminity; the acceptance and integration of
one’s personal history which leads integration of once affectivity, one’s life
and one’s past, marking the beginning of a new relationship with God, oneself,
others and creation , the ability to take autonomous and meaningful decisions
for one’s life. wonder and enthusiasm, typical of youth, which express passion
for the ideals of good, beauty and truth, courage and constancy in living
consistently the consequences of one’s own choices, bearing the pain of
renunciation and showing a willingness to grow and know how to make the first
meaningful detachments and separations from a previous life style , a journey
of human maturity which concerns not only the intellectual aspect , but also
and above all affectivity, emotions and the will , gradual affective maturity
expressed as the capacity to live solitude and serene social relationships with
both sexes, the capacity to recognize and call by name one’s own weaknesses and
fragility and make an effort to overcome them, and a journey of joyful self
giving and a humble and serene attitude of accepting the cultural diversities
which are present in the group. (Curia, 2013) .
Spiritual
Formation
It inserts us in the dynamism of faith. This
presupposes that we are able to transcend ourselves and be open to the divine,
to feel ourselves loved by him and love him in return. Thus the process of
growth becomes for us a process of real and radical transformation which is not
content with merely shaping our behavior, but wanting to reach our heart so as
to assume the same sentiments of Christ and the same desires of God.
Community Formation
It reminds
us that the Charism must be lived together and shared within the community.
Formation is lived out in the daily life of community and helps us face the
difficulties of apostolic service. Keeping in mind the words of Jesus “whatever
you do to the least of my brethren you have done to me”.
Apostolic Formation
Jesus entrusted the disciples to continue his
mission which he has started. Every Christian, especially the religious take up
this as the command of Christ. It is the closeness with the Lord that makes
them fruitful. Vita Consecrate (V C) states that: On the one hand, it is important for
consecrated persons gradually to develop a critical judgment, based on the
gospel, regarding the positive and negative values of their own culture and of
the culture in which they will eventually work. On the other hand, they must be
trained in the difficult art of interior harmony, of the interaction between
love of God and love of one’s brothers
and sisters; they must likewise learn that prayer is the soul of the apostolate,
but also that the apostolate animates and inspires prayer. It occurs, first of
all, within the community. It is in the community that we safeguard and
reinforce our identity; it is here that we engage in processes of discernment
for the mission. Experience of service in our ministries of charity,
discovering in them a humble, joyful style and being introduced to the
formative process of discernment. Mission, even beyond the boundaries her own
country, understood not only as serving others but also as the yearning of one
who feels saved and wants to share this gift with others, sharing also one’s
own spirituality of making Jesus known and loved.
Agents of formation
God alone, through the action of the Holy
Spirit, is the primary agent of formation. Christ Crucified is the centre of
the identity and source of spirituality for each sister. The contemplation of
the virtues of the Crucified Lord, his obedience, humility and poverty arouses
in each one love of God and the neighbor.
To help the candidates during the period of
formation it is indispensible for the formators to know the ‘youth of
today’. The radical religious formation
should not disturb the ‘human equilibrium’. It is necessary to know the
different stages of growth of each one. Every candidate in formation should be
helped by suitable direction in order to develop in harmony with physical,
moral, intellectual and emotional faculties; to grow in a sense of justice, in
a spirit of sincerity, an attitude of sisterly friendship, appreciation of
truth, just freedom and responsibility.
The candidates who wish to become religious
should be called by God. A person who is not called cannot be happy; neither
can she persevere in it. Hence, in the formation process it is imperative to
cultivate and sustain a close relationship with God in prayer. Since, formation
is not an exclusive task of God in the candidates, the formee should also
maintain a close relationship with the formator, who helps the candidates to
see God’s will in their life. All the three (God- formator- Formee) should
focus on the same direction. If one of the three takes a different direction
formation will suffer.
Conclusion
Formation is challenging; it is indeed possible
and takes place through trials. It is a precious instrument for our growth.
Trials, in fact, can help us to grow in our own identity, in belonging to our
own institute in conformity with Christ Crucified who also shared with humanity
the experience of temptation and the cross. Formation must train each one to
face trials and teach his / her how to draw lessons from them. Paradoxically,
on-going formation is not that which comes after initial formation, but it is
that which precedes it and makes it possible as a guiding principle; it is that
which generates it, guards it, and gives it identity.
CHAPTER II
THE CHALLENGES OF VOCATIONAL
DISCERNMENT AND FORMATION IN TODAY’S CONTEXT
Introduction
From
the very moment of the birth of a person life is challenged by various factors.
In the present world scenario, vocation to religious life is challenging and
demanding. The consumerist society is very strong and attractive to many young
people. There are many challenges like interpersonal, environmental, physical, spiritual
and psychological challenges faced by the candidates who come to embrace
religious life. According to the signs of the times, the needs of the youth and
the challenges of the society, church leaders, superiors of religious
congregations and the youth itself earnestly desire a personalized formation
which is rooted in the model of Jesus. Formation needs to take into
consideration the cultural setting of the place and of the people. Formation
houses need to make formation programs based on the Gospel related values found
in the cultures of the people. Every formator must take trouble to study and
understand the real nature of the cultural upbringing of the candidates.
Sensitivity towards culture in our formation period has a great role to play in
the fruitfulness of our work in the mission station, which will lead to the
building up of a true universal church. Formation embraces the whole life of
the consecrated person. The formator who accompanies the candidates and who are
from different cultures and traditions will have a lifelong influence in their
lives.
Major Challenges to Formation
Lack
of adequate faith formation and God experience, inability to recognize the
movements of the Spirit and even if it is recognized lack of confidence and
trust to execute it , unclear vision and
goal , lack of clear motivation to give oneself radically to Christ and his
mission , motivating the candidates for religious life takes more time as many
come with mixed motivation , loss of natural environment that produces boredom
and dryness in formee. Candidates (especially from tribal areas) are taken away
from their familiar culture and placed in a foreign culture. Formation houses are seen to offer security and comfort
therefore hesitation to opt for challenges, formee seem to be prepared for a
career rather than for a mission ,lack of
personal accompaniment , appointment of the untrained, unskilled and
unwilling formators due to the scarcity of formation personnel. Hence their
inadequacy to guide the formee due to lack of skills and proper training , lack
of apostolic and life experience of the formators, lack of knowledge about the
cultural, ethnic , family and social background of the formee , personal blocks
hindering the wholesome formation of the formee, demands and needs for
compliance seems to encourage the formee to remain more dependant rather than
move into inter-dependence , lack of role models , subjects taught are more
head oriented than person oriented , use of traditional methods in teaching
that are not suitable according to the need of the time , poor intellectual
capacity of the candidates , conflicts in the
communities pose counter witnessing values , pressure and interference
from vocation promoters, parish priests, authorities and family members.
One
more challenge today is related to the cultural dimension of life. We will be
called upon to respond to a global mission which means that our formation programmes
will have to prepare persons who would be able to serve international missions
with ease and competence. We will be challenged to develop language and
interpersonal skills that will enable us to live sensitively in any culture. We
will be called upon to move from assimilation of cultures and /or
multiculturality to interculturality which would mean encountering new cultures
and going beyond them in an organic manner. In India, this culture challenge
presents itself in a new way today. Today the candidates to priesthood and
religious life come mainly from tribals from central India and North East and
dalits, compared to vocations hailing mostly from Kerala and west coast
earlier. Another fact connected with this is that while formees are mostly
tribals and dalits, formators are still largely from other communities. In this
situation it is very important that cultural aspects are dealt with consciously
and squarely in view of making a transition towards inculturality. This is not
going to be easy but a challenge that needs to be faced all the same (Carlo,
2010). Some of the challenges we have to face are the lack of transparency, of
interest for and respect of other cultures. People seem to be more and more
attached to their own culture which they consider unique and better.
Formative Challenges Today
The
emerging global culture and fast growing communication media offer us
opportunities as well as challenges in the area of formation. The spirit of
inquiry and scrutiny has not left any aspect of human life out of the reach of
investigation and research. Some of these enquiries have focused public
attention on the private living of openly professed consecrated persons,
exposing at times the inconsistencies of the consecrated men and women. It has
resulted in honest efforts to bridge the gap between the ideal and the actual
and to look for effective and adequate pedagogy. These challenges can be summed
up in the following three aspects.
The Challenge
for Excellence
Every
field of human activity makes rapid advancement through systematic formulation
of goals and effective strategies to achieve them. All of us enjoy the fruits
of this progress in every sphere of life. For example, the advancement in
information technology in the past 20 years is incredible and the engineers in
this field make their expertise tangible to the common people. The world today
looks to us for expertise and excellence in God experience, word of God, transcendent
values, moral guidance, prophetic commitment and witness of religious truth.
The Challenge
for Authenticity
Many
cultures hold the consecrated person in high esteem and look to them for moral
guidance. Religious symbols and people in religious dress draw reverence from
people. But many advanced societies critically look at religion and are
outspoken about the deviations and inconsistencies in religious life. The
episodes of sexual abuse by clergy and religious in some countries have done
much harm to the Church. People no longer accept pulpit proclamations unless
they are backed by authentic life of the preacher. The global acclaim of the
lives of Mother Theresa and Pope John Paul II are clear manifestations of the
world’s appreciation for authenticity and need for Gospel mystique. It is astounding
to note that most formees are not automatically formed to deal with their human
passions and motivations which are central to meaningful living of the
consecrated life even after many years of formation. Another paradox observed
in the training process of church personnel is the ample space for clash
between the topics studied and the life lived. The golden periods of
congregations are marked by the presence of saintly men and women who lived
authentic lives and transmitted transcendental values to their followers. The
strong reactions of the public to the limitations of clergy and religious on
the one hand and high admiration of modern saintly figures on the other, seem
to be the expression of a longing for authentic spiritual leaders in the world
that is becoming more and more fragmented and violent.
The
Challenge for Fidelity
A
third challenge comes from the global, consumerist and self-indulgent
post-modern culture that covers all societies with the offer of very many false
attractions. The mystery of the cross, renunciation, and values of evangelical
counsels are held in contempt. The consumer culture plays on base emotions to
thrive, but devours the victims for sensational news, especially when they are
clerics and religious. When a person is not grounded enough in Christian values,
it is easy to be caught up in the game and fall for the trap of money, easy life,
and immature affective adventures. For example, the lure of internet, in spite
of being a great blessing, trap people into addiction by offering easy,
accessible and affordable private world of gratifications in the present world. Effective
formative journey should necessarily take into account the human maturing
process and empower the self-capacities of the formandi to live the vows and
the renunciations involved in it without serious inner conflict. In a context
where external structures are not very supportive of our life style, it is
important to have solid internal structures to live our commitment joyfully.
Intercultural Living
Discernment of vocations and formation of missionaries
in a fast-changing socio-cultural world marked with the effects of
globalization is indeed a complex reality. The intercultural context makes it
extremely urgent to train the candidates for intercultural living.
Basic Assumptions about the Dynamics of Interculturality
The dynamics involved in the intercultural community
living is an essential part of human growth and maturing. It includes the
process of leaving the zone of security and safely to walk into new zones to
explore greater truth about oneself, others and God. This movement necessarily
brings one into contact other people and cultures beyond one’s own and broadens
one’s vision and sense of identity. Israel’s experience of Yahweh matured from the
image of a tribal god to the God of the universe, the creator of all, as the
people encountered other peoples and cultures in the course of their history.
The early Church discovered the universal impact of Jesus message more clearly
when the Christians stepped out of the Jewish confines and encountered the work
of the Spirit among the pagans. Our vocational journey starts with leaving our
homes to join the new charismatic family convoked by the Holy Spirit.
Missionary vocation by its very nature is a call to be sent where the Lord
wants. An authentic missionary life is a self-emptying process of going out of
oneself to reach others with the Good News of God’s love.
Preparation for Sharing of Personnel for Mission
There are three situations, which call for preparation
and formation for intercultural living and mission. 1) Sharing life and
mission among the members of different ethnic groups, castes, languages, and
regions require a higher degree of intercultural maturity. 2) Preparation
and formation of students and priests/ sisters who are sent to mission outside
their provinces. 3) Preparation of the receiving provinces and their
communities to welcome and integrate the new members from other parts of the
Congregation. The graces and challenges which can come across in intercultural
communities are many.
Intercultural Community: Graces
Missionaries who live in intercultural communities
appreciate the wonderful opportunities they have in intercultural communities
for their personal growth and missionary witness despite the moments of
difficulties and misunderstandings. The communities where differences are
perceived positively and conflicts are addressed maturely, there are many
blessings: 1) Witness of God as the Father of us all 2) A model of
communal harmony and unity in diversity in a fragmented social context. 3) Opening
to broader perspectives about reality 4) Better Self- knowledge and
personal growth. 5) Healthy confrontation and mutual learning. 6) Apostolic
effectiveness through a wide variety of evangelizing approaches. 7) Acceptance
the universal brotherhood/ sisterhood as members of the universal congregation.
8) Widening of the periphery of one’s cycle of responsibility to include
people of other cultures.
Intercultural Community: Challenges
In the communities where differences are perceived as
a threat, there are various defensive dynamics that drain the vitality of
members and enthusiasm for mission. 1) Stereotypes and prejudices about
each other's culture and behavior patterns 2) Cultural domination by the
majority group; dominant group’s cultural insensitivity; taking the minority
for granted. 3) Cultural shield: justification of self-interests as
cultural differences. "At-home-it-is-like-that” attitude resulting in
obstinate resistance to adaptation. 4) Undue attachment to home
culture: Facilitated by web tools
and free Wi-Fi, one may live mentally in one’s home culture by talking to
people, texting messages and watching films and news in native language while
remaining relatively ignorant of the host culture.
Formation
for Cultural Competence
The intercultural living and missioning calls for
adequate training apart from spiritual and intellectual formation. Various
cultural studies help us to understand different cultures and improve intercultural
communication. Candidates coming from different cultures may have trouble
to understand each other when their cultural traits contrast with that of the
other. Often tensions mount slowly starting with practical aspects of common
living especially when there is not enough space for dialogue and open
communication.
Understanding of Differences and Similarities among Cultures
Awareness of the
cultural differences can reduce anxiety and improve relationships. Knowledge of
these differences is helpful to understand the behavior of members of a certain
culture and improve communications with them. Relationships are powerful. Building relationships with
candidates from different cultural background is a great task. It is based on
trust, understanding, and goals. Due to lack of knowledge of the uniqueness of
different cultures formator may face various problems. Lack of knowledge about
different cultures end up in misunderstanding and misinterpretations. It can be
between the formator and the candidate or between the candidates.
Growing from
Ethno-Centrism towards Cultural-Relativism
Ethnocentrism is an early stage in intercultural
relations at which a person tends to hold the view that one’s own group is the
center of everything, and others are scaled and rated in reference to it.
A highly ethnocentric person sees his/her group as virtuous and superior and
the values of his/her group as universal. Person also sees out groups as
disgraceful and inferior and rejects their values. Cultural relativism is a
stage that transcends ethnocentrism.
Immature forms of intercultural relationships prevent
growth, drain the creative energy of members, and reduce apostolic
effectiveness. Avoiding difficulties and refusing to address issues may give a
temporary sense of well- being, but in the end, it will only promote
individualism and groupism among the members of a community. Here are some
principles to promote group unity in intercultural communities: 1) Priority
of vocational values over cultural values: A religious community is formed by
the call of the Lord and the values of Consecrated life. We need to allow the
Gospel values to become the sole criteria to affirm, purify and develop the
cultural values both of one’s own culture as well as that of the culture of the
place where a missionary is sent. 2) Clarity between cultural relativism
and moral relativism. Cultural relativism is a positive attitude that respects
and appreciates each culture and its differences. Moral relativism holds that
different cultures have different moral standards and they are valid in their
respective culture. 3) Promotion of Inculturation and interculturation:
Our presence in a culture is because we are sent there to proclaim the Good
News to the people there. In an intercultural missionary community, customs,
language, and practices of the host culture should have priority over that of
the culture of individual members. It does not prevent the missionary from
other cultures to fruitful the mission with the gifts and resources that he/she
brings with him/her when it helps effective proclamation of the Gospel.
4) Conflict management: Conflicts and tensions are natural for any group.
In an intercultural community conflicts may assume cultural nuances and can
create added complications. Healthy ways of managing community conflicts
address the core issues of differences and refuse to give them any cultural
label.
Proposals
for Intercultural Formation
The Church
affirms that the renewal of religious life depends on effective formation of
its members. It calls for appropriate training of suitable directors of
formation. Formators have a crucial role in accompanying candidates in growing
in intercultural competence and capacity for inculturated evangelization.
Formators’ Role
Formators
need to focus on ongoing formation anchoring the love for God. Start with
telling candidates what it really means to be the brides of Christ. Because
they will not love and desire what they do not know. When one falls in love with Christ then there
is nothing to do but to follow him (Kane, 1956). Have constant dialogue with
formee in an atmosphere of love and openness and not fear, devaluing and
domination. Visit their families and pray for the formee. Built on what they
already have so many cultural and traditional practices and not feed them with
western culture. Focus on faith formation and rightful motives to religious
life. Encourage healthy human relationships among the members. Give due
importance to human formation. Remember to be a good religious one has to be
first a good human person (Carlo, 2010).
According
to the Directives the formator should have: a) The human qualities of insight
and responsiveness. (b) A certain experiential knowledge of God and prayer. (c)
Wisdom resulting from attentive and prolonged listening to the Word of God. (d)
Love of liturgy and understanding of its role in spiritual and ecclesial
formation. (e) Necessary cultural competence. (f) Sufficient time and good will
to attend to the candidates individually and not just a group. (g) A formator
requires inner serenity, availability, and patience, understanding and true
affection for the candidates.
A
Person of Faith
A formator must be a person of
conviction and with a profound faith that is reflected in his/her words and
actions. His /her faith should be manifested in an evangelical way of life.
He/she should help the candidate to discover the importance of faith and its
value in day today lives. A formator who lives by faith gives witness by what
he/she is.
Psychological
Maturity
In
order to give guidance to the candidate the formator should have sufficient
psychological awareness and maturity. He/she needs to be aware of his/her
positive and negative aspects of personality. Psychological maturity implies a
mature control of the emotions, a realistic self concept, an ability to form
interpersonal relations and a mature self–confidence.
An
Awareness of Other Culture
The
formator needs to have a broad knowledge of contemporary culture. If he/she is
aware of the cultural background of the candidate it is easy to understand
them. Formators
need to listen to the expectations of candidates and try to understand the
cultural roots of these. It would allow him/her the opportunity to explain the
formative expectations from the part of the institute and avoid eventual
frustrations in the case of a clash of unveiled assumptions.
Young
Faith Communities
Most
of the candidates come from young faith communities. They may not be rooted in
deep faith. To assimilate the spirit of sacrifice or austerity may not be that
easy for them as it is not part of their culture. Helping them to see the
happenings of life in faith vision also becomes a challenge for the formator.
Motivation
Motivation
is a driving force. It sustains certain goal directed behaviours. Person needs
motivation to do anything. To get the correct information and to find out the motivation
of the candidate is a challenge for the formator. Lack of motivation affects
the formation process. If one is not having the right motivation and clear
conviction to religious life it can affect the whole group.
Materialism
and Consumerism
Materialism
undermines love and beauty, families and friendships, values and creativity.
Materialism respects no boundaries. Consumerism is a specialized form of
materialism. Candidates come from a world where the influence of consumerism
and materialism already felt. In this context it is a challenge for the
formator to make them firm in right convictions of consecrated life.
Stress
and Brokenness of the Candidate
Some
of them undergo stress and strain due to particular situations like ethnic
clashes, abuses etc. This can influence the candidates adversely to co–operate
with initial formation unless it is rectified. To choose the lifelong
commitment gives them more stress as they come from promising and attractive
situations.
Lack
of Family Support for the Candidates
Some
of the candidates do not get the spiritual support from their parents or dear
ones. Poor economic background which is a barrier or a block during their
initial formation where we expect support from the parents.
Lack
of Role Models
Role
models are highly important. They help us and guide us in our life journey by
their incredible life. An important challenge in the initial formation is the
lack of role models to imitate. What they learn they fail to see in practical
life. They come across contradictory witnessing.
Looking
for Immediate Results
We
have a tendency towards expecting things to happen immediately. Spiritual growth is a gradual process. We
need to wait patiently to discern the will of God that comes through various
events and people. It is noticed that candidates find it difficult to wait for
the good to happen in their personal lives.
The
Vowed Life
Living
vowed life challenges the present formee who opts for the religious way of
life. In this modern world, the practice of poverty, chastity and obedience
demands a lot from priests and religious. The vows, to
be life-giving, must capture the essence of what committed life is and the
mission it is working toward.
Obedience
Our understanding of obedience has
changed a lot in recent times. The vow of obedience is now less connected to
questions of command and control, and is increasingly less focused on leaders.
Rather obedience is discussed more in terms of the root concept underlying the
word, listening. The one to whom one must listen, in a vowed obedience, is God,
speaking to the person through the inner authority that exists in everyone, but
also through the community, and through the charism, vision, and decisions made
within each congregation. It is a freeing vow in that when it is lived deeply
it gives one the power to live in fidelity, in freedom, and in service. It
always challenges us to discern God’s will with faith and love in the signs of
the times.
Poverty
To live the vow of poverty is to
live authentically, to live in a way that matches what we say about ourselves
personally and corporately. It means to live in a way that is countercultural;
that challenges what our society says is necessary for life and happiness. It
places us on the way to defy materialism, consumerism, and the justified
selfishness of “me-ism”. Such a vow has less to do with ownership and more to
do with stewardship, not owning things but caring for them and sharing them with
all. It is part of the call to live simply so that others may simply live.
Today poverty calls religious to share not only things, but also themselves,
their time, their energy, their skills and talents. At its deepest level, the
vow calls us back to a deep trust in God, living in the security of divine love
rather than in the security of congregational assets and properties.
Celibacy
As we know it today, celibacy has
more to do with being loving persons than in sacrificing our sexuality. The
essential aspect is that the single-hearted love of God, which we have always
said was most important, is leading us into a deeper understanding of what
loving others means. It has to do with loving others without necessarily being
loved in return, not limiting our love to community, family, friends, and
like-minded people. It calls us to an encompassing love rather than to a
restrictive one. It opens us, if we are unafraid, to the true passion of life.
Much of what is problematic in
religious community life is engendered by the lack of true love. Love means
caring, being just, being willing to walk the extra mile, giving of time and
energy. Jesus gave us the measure of love when he said: “Love one another as I
have loved you.” This is what the vow of celibacy means today (Harmer, 1995).
Conclusion
The
inter-culturality is a gift and an opportunity for witnessing the Gospel of
love amidst a broken world and, at the same time, a task to grow into the level
of maturity to appreciate and live the beauty of it. Without this growth, the
very diversity becomes the cause of tremendous suffering in community life and
an obstacle to effective mission. It impels us to give due attention to
vocational discernment and suitable formation for intercultural community
living and mission. Whatever formative strategy is followed, it has to keep the formee focused towards conformity with the mystery of
Christ and work through the blocks that restrict this journey of
Christ-centered self-transcendence. Though there
are no easy solutions to the problems we encounter in formation, those very
challenges do open new pathways to better format.
CHAPTER
III
SUGGESTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR
INTERCULTURAL FORMATION
Introduction
Today formation is a difficult
task. In rapidly changing times, it is difficult to be too sure of oneself. One
cannot fix up a syllabus and say that this is how formation should be. One
cannot just repeat the old methods of formation as if they are the best and
most valid methods. Today, we humbly search and try out new ways to make the
formation relevant for our society and times. In this difficult but exciting
task, the novices themselves are our first and foremost teachers for us. If we
listen to them carefully, we can hear their silent voices telling us what to
teach them. More than us, they are aware of the world in which they are going
to work. We formators only facilitate the growth. We only allow the Spirit to
do the work. Humility and constant evaluation and continuous discernment and a
lot of detachment to our ideas, are needed as a formator, so that while doing
our best, we may not interfere in the work of the Spirit (Inigo, 1999).
The challenges of life become seeds for
something new. Wherever life is, there is challenge. Formation is no exception
to this rule of life as the life of a person called to religious or priestly
life has to learn to face it. Challenges, in fact, mold, sharpen and shape a
person’s life, with right and healthy attitudes. They make a person, like
flowers, bloom and blossom as life is in the constant process of being
nourished and nurtured, enriched and vivified, realized and actualized, cherished
and relished. The complexity of the challenges is so great that the very
purpose of formation must be to enable the candidates to respond to God’s call
in freedom, courage and generosity. The challenges faced in formation do
enhance the candidates to be fruitful in the mission of God. Therefore it is
vital to identify those challenges so that both the formators and formees are
in a position to tackle them with appropriate and effective measures. It will
help the formees to meet the challenges faced by the very call of God.
My choice of this topic is intended
to stress the important aspect of cultural sensitivity in formation. The
characteristic features of society and culture from where they are coming might
have influenced the candidates to a great extent. So I felt there is a great
need to emphasize cultural formation especially in this modern world. A multi-cultural religious community becomes
an asset when there is a healthy and inspiring interaction among the members.
Requirements for Intercultural
Living
Intercultural
living being very important in today’s context, care should be taken to develop
that in the formee. The following can be considered as some of the main
requirements.
Sensitivity to Culture
Jesus Christ and his Gospel transcend all cultures.
Every culture should be evangelized, that is to say, purified and healed of the
wounds of sin. There are seeds of truth in every culture. But, the wisdom which it contains has been
surpassed, enriched and perfected by the wisdom of the cross. The Gospel frees
the ultimate truth of the values contained in a culture. All these recommendation advocate the need to
inculcate the candidates to imbibe the ethos and values of the people.
Empathy
Empathy means to
feel with the people or to understand them just as they are. But empathy is not
an easy affair. The consecrated person’s attitude very often leads to value
judgments about other cultures. Ethnocentric persons criticize everything in
other cultures as inferior to their own. As their culture is for them
normative, they are tempted to despise people who do not share their beliefs or
views and do not behave in their own manner. We know how offensive and hurtful
it is when we make comments on the culture and people whom a missionary claims
to have adopted as his or her own. Empathy requires violence to self. A
missionary with true empathy views all local ways, not through the colored
glasses of his or her own cultural background, but in the full local context.
Adaptation
Adaptation implies both internal approval and external
usage of local ways and values by the missionary in a foreign culture. This
must be done within the limits of sound reason, prudence, faith and scientific
knowledge. Actual adaptation is not blind but selective. Empathy leads to
tolerance and dialogue, i.e., openness to difference, knowing always that one
will be a stranger in a foreign land, a guest, and as such one must respect the
law and cultural of the place and recognize one’s own shortcomings. This will
enable the missionary to grasp fully the world-view of the new culture after a
long period of slow learning.
Culture is so intimate an aspect of human life that
includes language, way of worship, thinking pattern and life-style. Therefore,
it is a vital area that formators cannot afford to ignore. At the same time we
cannot ignore cultural pluralism. It is their sensitivity to other cultures
which should make the candidates understand the importance of dialoguing with
cultures.
Indian Christianity is by and large rural based. While
most of our people are living in remote villages, most of our formation centers
are in towns and thus we are cut off from our own people. Can our formation be
rural-people focused? This supposes that we need to move out of our formation
houses in a large institutional set up. Let the formation house be attached to
our mission field where they could spend a few hours every day in the mission
along with their studies. The location and setting of formation houses,
life-style and outlook should facilitate a common interaction with the grass
root realities of our country. Equally important is constant contact with the
people. The problems, needs and struggles of the people must touch the person
in formation in the depth of his/her being.
Formation today therefore needs to be programmed in the
context of diversity and not uniformity, of creativity and not exclusivity. It
will then make us searchers and not settlers. Here the language of love should
reign supreme. We should consider their cultural roots, family background,
traditions, customs, beliefs and myths that they have grown up with. The
spirituality and charism of the congregation and the Gospel-values would have
to be communicated in a manner that is understandable.
Formators have to demythologize a package of images,
concepts, and the language they use to communicate to God that is products of
patriarchal culture. We need to help them to de-code their minds from reciting
rituals to reflecting realities, from being devotees to disciples, from conducting
pious associations to be involved in the struggles of the poor. The type of God
given to us was a time and space bound God. In this women and poor have no
place, because God is male. When Israelites had to wage war, they needed such a
God. Today we need to re-image God and read the scriptures from our cultural
ethos.
The formator should make every effort to create harmony
and good will among different cultural groups. Creating a more intimate
understanding and appreciation of one another’s cultural traits will go a long
way to facilitate greater integration and cohesion among the members. Group
discussions, seminars, study circles on cultural differences and behavior
patterns should become part of the formation program at every stage.
Festivals are another occasion to build cultural
integration. The eco-spirituality that each festival signifies can be made
suitable for community prayer and worship. Again it depends on the formator to
use his/her initiative in promoting and celebrating cultural diversity. The
world is moving fast towards a multicultural society in which differences need
to be understood, esteemed and appreciated. The eventual outcome of all this
should be that our religious of the future should come out as women and men for
all cultures capable of joining forces with like-minded people to create a
better world for humanity.
Cultures need to be transformed and evangelized by our
prophetic intervention. A self-critical spirit is certainly needed for this.
Culture is not merely a way of life. It also involves creativity. The creative
talents need to be recognized and encouraged (Inigo, 2013).
The Roman Canon Law no. 646 precisely speaks of the
formation of “heart and mind” towards the spirit of the religious institute.
This formation is done gradually and with serenity, through the process of
accompaniment. It should not remain
theoretical but is to be lived in the community in its day to day life.
Motivational Formation
The purpose of
the formation program is intended to lead the candidates along the period of
formation to discover the deeper motivation of their vocation. So, our
formation must be: 1) Informative and formative. Wake up the desire among the
candidates to do, to create something great and magnificent. 2) Help the
candidates to grow in encouragement. Give the living hope and ardour necessary
to face the difficulties. The candidates are assured of timely help and
sustenance. Following are the some of the ways to motivate the candidates to
personalize the formation to consecrated life:
1) Through frequent personal colloquy with the candidates, the formators
are able to know the positive and negative aspects of their temperament. 2)
Learn to know and respect the personal rhythm of each one which can be
different from that of the group. 3) Gradual approach to reach to the
reciprocal confidence. 4) Experience the religious life together in the proper
institute, to be close to the candidates with a brotherly/ sisterly presence.
5) Teach the candidates to participate with personal responsibility in the life
of the community. 6) Not only the formator has patience but also the
candidates, both with themselves and with others. 7) Encourage the candidates
with expressions of true love and not of mere sentiments. 8) Individualize the
working of the Holy Spirit in each candidate. 9) Serene and positive relation
with the persons in the community. 10) Help them to manage the conflicts in community
living. 11) Obtain affective maturity through personal donation and encounters.
12) Facilitate gradual maturation of
liberty and the capacity to make solid decisions, take responsibilities and
grow in creativity. 13) Enable the candidates to develop merciful wisdom with
dynamic and pedagogic equilibrium. 14) Provide them a clear vision of their
proper future towards a precise vocational choice (Serrao, 2014).
Integral Human Formation for Affective
Maturity
The integral
human formation is a process of self-transformation that involves the whole
person, namely, the affective, intellectual, moral, communitarian, cultural,
spiritual, and socio-pastoral development of the person. One of the major
dimensions of integral human formation is the growth of affective maturity.
This affective maturity has to do with one’s way of feeling in one’s body,
experiencing one’s emotions, organizing one’s thoughts that precede feelings
and later expressing them in words and actions. It is said that on a healthy
humanity we can build a healthy spirituality.
A psycho spiritual assessment of an affectively mature
priest/religious includes the following aspects. Overall, a mature person acts
in proportion to the vision of his/her life and inner resources- he/she has the
capacity to face reality and confront it appropriately. He/she accepts and
integrates his/her needs according to the values and attitudes of the vocation
he/she chooses. He/she enjoys inner security, freedom and self- knowledge, and
he/she deals realistically with the demands of his/her vocation. He/she is a
person who accepts himself/herself (self-acceptance) with all his/her positive
and negative characteristics (a wholesome person). He/she is at peace with
himself/herself and trusts other people (Pinto, 2009).
Internalization
The reason to internalize a particular belief is the
personal desire to be right within one’s self, one’s conscience. The change
makes the formee a better, more human, more integrated, complete person. One
obeys, changes, not out of fear, to get some reward, to be liked by the
formator, but because the formator’s request and message is in keeping with
one’s self-understanding, of what is right and what the gospel demands. The
formator here does not rely on his/her power to punish or reward or on his/her
popularity, but on his/her credibility.
When
is Internalization Fostered?
When values are proposed and made attractive rather than
imposed from above; when the formator draws attention to authentic gospel
values rather than to oneself; when the formator lives what he/she teaches;
when the formator shows love and respect for the formee in his/her attitudes;
when the formees are also involved in the formulation of rules and regulation;
when there is discussion and clarification, and an attempt to understand; when
questions and doubts and difficulties are not brushed aside but taken
seriously; when the formator stresses rational rather than the emotional
reason; when the formator commands respect by his/her life rather than demands
it by position; when confrontation is not avoided but done in a non-threatening
atmosphere; when there is room to learn from mistakes too.
The following
suggestions were gathered for equipping a formator in integrating Gospel values
and cultural concerns in the field of formation.1) Formator should be a mature
person, healthy both spiritually and psychologically.2) Formator should be open
to the different cultures of the people.3) Make a study on the cultures of the
candidates. 4) Avoid comparison of cultures; give equal importance to each
culture. 5) Help the candidates to respect and accept different cultures and
communities.6) Study the family background of the candidates.7) Have clear
understanding of the motives of the candidates to join the convent. 8) Treat
all the candidates equally. Should not be overwhelmed by positive and should
not be surprised by negative aspects of the candidates. 9) Should have a
stability of character.10) Should seek guidance from God together with the
candidate. 11) Be truly open and listen to candidates’ suggestions, views and
visions. 12) Treat the candidates as responsible adults.13) Create an
atmosphere of dialogue, equality and freedom among the candidates.14) Above
all, the most important is a life of witness. No one can expect that the
candidates would easily be doing, what they have not seen done by their
formators.
If we have to
form the candidates according to the criteria already mentioned, then they need
to have the right motivations and aspirations. Vocation to consecrated life,
although a supernatural and entirely gratuitous gift, is necessarily based on
natural endowments; if one of these is lacking it is to be doubted whether a
vocation is really there. Various criteria need to be considered while
selecting them. A good selection involves a wise human judgment, enlightened by
Divine Grace.
Criteria for Selection
of Candidates for Religious Life
To
speak of the selection process in a quantitative way, we want to see some
variability in the person, some flexibility, the capacity to adapt to the
changing situations and the ability to imagine life being different than it is
now. Otherwise, conformity to the formation process will be only external, not
from the heart (Greer, 1999).
Sound
Motivation
Candidates
must undergo gradual purification of their motivation and develop a sound motivation,
which includes a lot of factors. They must develop 1) other centeredness: God
and people. 2) A Christian outlook on life. 3) A lively Christian faith
expressed through prayer, devotions, sacramental life, etc.4) Check and see if
they have love for the poor and the needy. 5) Vocational attitudes like
service, sacrifice, generosity etc. are inevitable requirements. 6) Ensure the presence of Christian values in
personal life. 7) Indicate moral uprightness and transparency. 8) A sense of mission.
Family Background
The
family is the starting point of a vocation to religious life. Children derive
their values from the way a family lives, its Christian faith, and importance
or esteem it shows for the priesthood or religious life. In recruiting the candidates
for religious life attention has to be paid to various family situations, such
as division in the family, conflicts among members, lack of affection, trauma
of fixation or affective regression, etc. 1) Religious, moral and economic well
being must be considered. 2) Healthy inter-personal relationship among the
family members is also important. 3) They need to be emotionally balanced,
especially the parents.4) Spirit of love and forgiveness to be found. 5) They
should develop good neighborly relationships. 6) They need to have concern for
the poor and suffering people. 7) They
must be practicing Christian values. 8) They
must have Physical and mental health. 12) They must have good practice of faith
and active participation in church activities.
Affective Maturity
Affective maturity is the capacity to understand
others and establish with them an adequate and cordial human relationship,
respecting and appreciating their human conditions; a capacity for emotional
security, acceptance of oneself with one’s own abilities and limitations, one’s
own qualities and a rational dominion of one’s own sentiments, reactions, fears
and enthusiasm, a capacity of considering sexuality as a value within the scale
of values, as the value of expression, as an integrative factor; a capacity of
adjusting to the objective reality through a healthy concept of oneself and a
social openness towards others. Also there should be a cheerful
disposition, positive self image, control over impulses and emotions, ability to cope with stress and
anxiety of life, sensitivity
to the needs and feelings of others,
capacity
to tolerate frustration, openness
to correction, capacity
for self discipline, sense
of humour, spirit
of endurance, ability
to delay gratification, and strength
of heart, mind and will.
Intellectual Ability
The intellectual formation has to enable the
candidates to acquire, along with the general culture, which is relevant to
present day needs, an extensive and solid learning in the sacred sciences. Such
learning can give a firm foundation to their faith. The candidates should be S.S.L.C.
or equivalent passed or above with minimum of second class marks, ability to acquire academic
knowledge, capacity
to learn personally, capability
to think and grasp independently,
potential
to articulate and write one’s ideas,
ability
to use logical and coherent thinking and to make decisions, practical common sense, awareness of social realities, general knowledge and creative thinking (Serrao,
2014).
Physical
and Mental Fitness
The
religious life demands a good health, relative to the nature of each religious
institute, in order to be able to face the difficulties, dedicate themselves to
the actions and contemplation, and lead an intensive life in common. The
limitation of mental or psychic health is also identified in candidates by
observing their capacity to love, to face the reality in a constructive way, to
profit from the past experiences, to accept the frustrations of the moment in
vision of future advantages, in being safe from the psychic tensions and from
anxiety during the period of their religious life. They must have the capacity
to be with others as well as alone with oneself, ability to relax and recreate,
must cultivate hobbies, be interested in extra-curricular activities and have a
positive outlook to life.
Human
Maturity
Human maturity
is characterized by some attitudes: autonomy, socialization, integration of the
reality, adapting to oneself and to the ambient orientation to the values. They
must have ability to live in community; ability to make friends across tribes
and cultures; have openness to and appreciation of other cultures; have a capacity
to mix with all without cultural and age considerations and the ability to
trust others; have a sense of loyalty; be good at communication; be concerned
about the weak and suffering; be willing to cooperate and have team-spirit; be adaptable
to different life situations; have a good personality and manners; be respectable
towards all and have a sense of responsibility and accountability.
Sexuality
They
must have basic knowledge about the facts of life, be at ease with persons of either
sex and have a positive outlook on marriage, must look at the life with
contentment and joy, have openness and transparency and the ability to form
healthy relationships respectful of the boundaries of each relationship, be
modest and practise simplicity in dress and behavior.
Contra-Indicators
It is good to consider
some psychological aspects too. Are they generally moody and depressed,
suspicious and distrustful of others? Are they openly aggressive and critical,
anti-social behavior such as cheating, telling lies, manipulating, sneaky
behavior, stealing etc.? Are they involved in sexual acting out over a period
of time, showing signs of narcissistic, schizophrenic, manic depressive
personalities? Is there a history of
drug addiction, mental break down in the family, any suicidal attempts, or sleep
walking? Is he/she a person who sees
hallucinations and delusions? Are they hypochondriacs or suffering from some psychosomatic
illnesses (Carlo, 2000).
Conclusion
Cultural
diversity is a reality of life. The only way the Church can be implanted in
different societies is in and through cultures. This implies that missionaries
must understand the working of culture in their own lives and that of others.
As a human being, a missionary naturally feels the constraints of living and
working with people of another culture. To a certain extent this could be
overcome by developing empathy. In order to become more open and less
ethnocentric one must have a deep understanding of his/her own culture and of the culture of the
peoples among whom they are sent to work.
The
first lesson a missionary should understand is that every culture, whatever
form it may take, is an honest attempt to cope with the physical, social and
ideational needs of a particular community. The understanding of culture as an
adaptable system should help a missionary to be more empathetic in his or her
endeavors. This understanding will lead to empathy and an appreciation of other
peoples’ culture. Above all, a realization of what it means to be a missionary
in a priestly and religious vocation is vital in the formation. We can say that
the basic value of priestly and religious life is total consecration to God,
complete self-giving, living an entirely God-centered life and bringing God to
others in various ways. Everything else hinges on that. Understanding cultures,
developing empathy, cultural adaptation, intercultural living in communities,
and other relationship with people of other cultures all will depend on my
personal relationship with God in Jesus Christ. To the extent I am rooted in
the Risen Lord, to that extent I will develop my empathy and adaptation of
people of other cultures in mission and intercultural living in priestly and
religious life (Michael, 2014).
CONCLUSION
In every journey there is a destination and while reaching the
destination there is joy. This joy is
not only because of the place where we are but also because of the happiness
which we enjoyed during our journey. Same way formation is a process and a
journey. The duty of each formator is to guide the formee to make a happy
journey. Christ urges us to start again because life is a continuous starting
again, with the risk that each departure involves, but also with new horizons
and new hopes. Let us be aware of our duty and know we are on move and not yet
reached the destination. “Woods are lovely, dark, and deep. But I have promises
to keep, and miles to go before I sleep” (Robert frost).
Since we are living in a multi-culture and post-modern society,
our vocation and formation is challenged. The family and the social values are
also changing rapidly today according to the worldly ideals. The formee who are
coming to become sisters are also affected very much by the present lifestyle
both during and after the formation. Hence, we cannot take for granted that all
who come to join this way of life come with pure motivation to become a
religious. And even if they became religious, many have wrong, insufficient,
confused, misplaced and mixed hidden motives. However, purification of
motivation is a life-long process. The lack of proper motivation creates a lot
of problems in the formation houses.
Many of the Church documents have emphatically stressed the
importance of assessment of the candidates, especially their right motivation.
Motivation is what is capable of attracting and moving a person based on
certain values. In other words, all the motives and expectations that urge
towards an action. But genuine motivation is founded on essentially
supernatural values: the love of God and the love of the neighbor. That is to
be and to do everything for the greater glory of God. In the process of
formation priority should be given to sowing the ‘Gospel culture’, which
professes universal love, for Jesus has come to save all humanity and its
different cultures. We believe that the human being, who is free by his own
nature, can also transform culture.
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