PEDAGOGY FOR AN
INTEGRATED FORMATION TODAY
Sr.Anna Mary,FIHM
INTRODUCTION
Various schools of thought
have manifested unique insights and perspectives on the pedagogical approaches
for an integral formation. The post modern world urges the religious to create
new ways of recruiting, screening
candidates, and forming the trainees for the sanctification of oneself and the
other through Gospel values in the context of multi technologies in current
India. The various philosophical and psychological theories and practical
techniques, though they lead to certain fulfillment, people search for inner
peace and serenity like that of Victor Frankl’s will to meaning in life and
find the core purpose of loving God in
the service of humanity.Ultimately the
search for tranquility leads to transcendence and self giving life.
Teachings of the Catholic Church from the chair of Peter, the apostle down the centuries till
today, the Christianity stands on its strong foundation on propagation of the
Dogma through new evangelisation.The Church is attractive in living the Gospel
Values and carrying out the charitable works which lead the humanity towards
path of sanctity.The Church responses as
per the direction of the Holy Spirit to challenge the signs of our times. Priests and religious of men and
women are quick enough to adopt the signs and take necessary measures in our
apostolate to prepare the people of God and spread His Kingdom.
We need to bring ecumenical
awareness to encounter the challenges in our times and create innovative ways and pedagogy in our Christian religious
formation, educational system, psychological, socio-economic,political,
cultural and spiritual reformation to bring Jesus alive today. The Church has
to undergo gradual paradigm for the renewal of the early christian community
living. We,priests and religious of men and women are God’s agents who strive
to manifest Christs’ supreme love ,compassion and solidarity in our mission
through various ministries.
All the Biblical
personalities, modern and living saints in our times reveal the mystery of
Christ and God’s revelation. They become great model to the world by their
prophetic courage, profound faith, inspiring and enriching messages.This is
marvel in our eyes today. Their faithfulness to God and their simple life style
reveal the greatness, goodness and holiness of Christ in the world and no one
can deny the true and living God and His revelation to all generation. The
specific project on “Pedagogy for an integrated formation today” encounters
great challenges in our field of human and spiritual formation towards
transformation. The first chapter deals with the wider perspective of
understanding an anthropology in Christian formation, Christian community life
and consecrated life in response to call and service. The second chapter
emphasizes the current scenario of Christian life and formation and consecrated life and
formation while the third chapter depicts the trainings for lay leadership and
Religious leadership in an integral approach.
CHAPTER 1 THEORY
: CHRISTIAN ANTHROPOLOGY
Definition:
Anthropology
The
science of the origins and development of human beings and their cultures is
called anthropology. The word anthropology is derived from two Greek words: ‘anthropos’ meaning ‘man’ or ‘human’ and ‘ logos’,
meaning “thought” or “reason .
Christian Anthropology
Christian Anthropology is a study of humanity from a Christian or
Biblical perspective. It is a branch of
theological study that investigates the origin, nature, and destiny of humans
and of the universe in which they live. Anthropology has a great reflexive
value for Christians. It widens their outlook and knowledge. It opens new
horizons and innovations of Biblical understanding, and reveal Christ the
universal Contemporary is greater than the Graeco-Roman world or Reformation
theology, bigger than geography, time or language. Granted, individuals may
discover this without anthropology, but Christian anthropology will develop
their capacity for it, and help them to recognize the warnings and
opportunities of the cross-cultural situation where their missioning is
performed.
Understanding of Christian Anthropology
"God
created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male
and female he created them." (Gn. 1:27). Genesis portrays that the
embodiment of human persons as male or female is part of God's design. Since
man and woman were created in His own likeness, they were holy, possessed
goodness and truth in nature. God spoke to him and manifested his love through
his intimate relation to him. He gave him a helper, his wife and authority to
govern His kingdom with full freedom and harmony. The all merciful God reveals
his love and his mystery by becoming human in the form of incarnation. He sent
his son Jesus Christ to redeem us with
his free will, undergoing his passion and death on the cross and by humbling
himself at the point of death, conquered the sin.He restored the distorted
image of
God and established the earlier state of homeostasis in His creation.
Christian Anthropology : Theological
View
Anthropology
is a branch of Theological study. It speaks about God and human nature. The
author of life is God and he has a specific purpose in His creation for the
human being. He wants us to possess His supernatural values by discarding our
sinful nature through the transforming process of taking risks of sacrifices to identify God’s
mystery to reach out His values to the
world in our mission and glorify the beauty and goodness of God in our
apostolate. It deals about how God and human collaborate in the salvation
history.
Christian Anthropology : Philosophical view
Sacrates, the great philosopher, says, “know oneself and search for
knowledge”. He has passion for learning
and truth and he is a lover of wisdom. To love wisdom is simply to be human,
just as to love beauty and goodness. The hunger for wisdom is an innate and
universal hunger. No one wants to be a fool. We have innate hungers not only in
our bodies, but also in our souls. We have not only physical hungers for food
and drink and sleep and sex, but also spiritual hungers for spiritual foods,
such as duty and truth, goodness and joy, wisdom and friendship and true search
for God to experience harmony and bliss.
Christian Anthropology :
Psychological View
Christian psychology is
a study of human beings, not just in the limited sense that he shares a
psychology with the animals, nor of his inner spirit exclusively in its
religious yearning, but of his entire humanity.If one considers the various theories of personality advanced by modern
psychology, their insufficiency for a study of the problems here in question
becomes readily evident.First of all,
practically all of these theories take no account of the transcendental and
objective values of Christ, which are the very object of the discernment of
Spirit. The various psychoanalytic theories, the humanistic approaches of C.
Rogers, A. Maslow, etc., are an existential approaches for
which experiencing is a value
in itself and independently of its content may be indicated in this context.K.
Rahner has remarked, Christology is the beginning and end of anthropology. It
is true that some of these theories, for instance those of Maslow and Allport,
include reference to values such as justice, love, liberty, etc.,but while
these values are proposed as self-transcendence for the good of another, their
measure remains that of the subject himself; thus the concrete norm remains man
himself, the measure of value remains subjective, and anthropocentrism may
easily become egocentrism. After all, many tyrannies have been initiated and
maintained in the name of 'liberty. Among modern theories, the one closest to
the ideals of the Gospel seems to be V.Frankl’s will to meaning and finding God
in wretched situation in his life.
Christian Anthropology: Social, economical and
cultural View
Anthropology
deals very obviously that people are human beings and they have body, mind
,soul and spirit. They need to be considered by the ministers of consecrated
people in the church to understand what people eat, dress, speak, communicate
and their work, beliefs, symbols and languages. We need to understand, how they
express their joy, grief, anger, worship and so forth is significant for our
ministry amidst them. Their responses and value system of their society
structures are to be considered and the
community needs spiritual, social, economical solutions to their problems. We
need to adhere to the various factors of individuals, behaviors, cultures and
their world view in the society for a new mission establishment. We adopt
whatever is good, true and holy among
diverse cultures for the Gospel proclamation.
Christian
Anthropology : World view
World view is formed from the basic
assumptions of beliefs, value systems, and allegiances that members of a
particular society give to that culture and reality. Christians have a high
concept of man, for the origin of his soul in God implies spiritual capacities, and a spiritual
calling. Although our failings are clear and sorrowful, they never overshadow
the invitation to be truly good, truly like our heavenly Father. Furthermore,
our life is eternal, and whatever grief may plague our life on earth, a
merciful justice will prevail at last. A key verse on Christian Anthropology is
Psalm 139:14,
"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are
wonderful, I know that full well. "Christianity is one of the best
religions in the world. People need to see how better Christianity is compared
to other religions. Christians have a culture that is different from the
cultures of other religions. Christianity is historical, event, fact,
truth and beyond the knowledge of human logistic.
Christian
Anthropology: Personal View
God created human beings in the
divine image, enabling humans to have some understanding of God and His vast
and complex design. The purpose of life is to love and serve God in order to
bring about God's glorious plan for creation. The fulfilment of God's purpose
depends on God's grace. For Christians, grace is God's freely-given favour and
love. Human’s natural tendency is prune to sin. This sinful nature distorts
God’s image and likeness. Our irrational beliefs lead to inflexibility,
inconsistence with reality, illogical thinking and dysfunctional behaviours.This
behaviours can be realised by Relational Emotive Behavioural Therapy(REBT).The
person becomes aware of an irrational thinking and slowly sets one’s mind to
rational thinking practices and change new behaviours for the happy living in
the communities. By using emotive,cognitive and behavioural methods,the client
learns effective ways to dispute, questions and replace the irrational and
self-defeating beliefs with more rational and self constructive ones, which are
likely to cause and create healthier and more constructive emotions and
behaviours. Ultimately, we begin to experience true peace, happiness and solidarity in our religious life and live harmony with our
‘Common Home’.
The formator has to equip
oneself with skills and techniques
required for the formation for training the formandi. He or she has to build a
comely rapport, showing an empathy and understanding of the formandi will be
greater opening for the formees in the initial stages and in the ongoing
formation. Thematic Assessment Techniques, interviews, individual and family
therapies, AMR, REBT, Anthropological pedagogies and spiritual guidelines will
help the formees to understand one’s personalities and traits. It will lead to
innovative thinking in our system which makes the person to grow with freedom
and responsibility towards transformation.
Need for study of Christian Anthropology
The
book of Genesis vividly tells us of the
entrance of sin into human life and the consequent distortion of the imaging of
God in the human person. As a result of sin, that person, instead of being open to the other in
self-donating love, become self-centred, self-seeking and self-absorbed. The
likeness of God i.e Holiness, Goodness
and Truth is distorted in human being and specially in the consecrated religious
life. We find disorders and disharmony in our relationship with God and
neighbours and consequently in our ministries. In order to order oneself and
bring harmony to the living communities in the world anthropology is essential
need for all.
Christian Anthropology deals with
who we are and how we relate to God. Whether people are inherently good or
inherently sinful is crucial in determining how our relationship with God can
be restored. Christian Anthropology helps us to understand ourselves from God's
perspective. When we delve into this subject, we get a clearer understanding of
our fallen nature, and this leads to a sense of wonder at the love of the
Saviour who saw our helpless state and died upon the cross to redeem us. When
we accept that sacrifice and receive it as our own, our natures are transformed
by God who creates in us a completely new person (2 Cor5:17). It is this new
person who can relate to Him as we should, as His adored children.
Understanding of
Formation
Formation emphasizes the process of specific methods of prayer and
meditation,spiritual discipline and practices and the historical religious
philosophy and techniques.The great minds discovered about formation that are:
”leading of the heart, sanctification walking in the spirit and character
formation of the formees.The formator is accompanying,educating,
forming,sharpening,directing and chiselling their heart and minds with various
tools,therapeutic techniques, skills,anthropological pedagogies,and spiritual
guidelines throughout the formation for
their integral growth.“Spiritual formation is a general term referring to all
attempts, means, instructions, and disciplines intended towards deepening of
faith and furtherance of spiritual growth.
Aim and Objectives of Formation
The prime motive and aim of the
formation is to become like Christ for the Sake of the Kingdom.The objectives
are to form the human person to grow in
maturity for an authentic Christian
Community living, to form the formees with an integrated effective
methods in religious formation,to form the
effective lay ecclesial leaders for the Church, to form the servant, prophetic and Charismatic leaders in
religious life to witness Christ, to form oneself towards the path of Theo centric Transformation for the mission
of Christ to witness Him in the world.
Christian spiritual formation
Christian spiritual formation is
often understood as a long-term process in which a believer desires to become a
disciple of Jesus and become more like
him.This process requires engagement of various sorts by the individual and
religious community but is enacted and guided by the Holy Spirit. St.
Paul, the apostles says, we are to grow mature in Christ.We grow up into the head of the Body,
who is Christ (Eph.
4:15). Such "growing up" is
the process of spiritual formation.
To be formed spiritually means to engage in specific practices and
disciplines with one clear goal: to draw nearer to God in Christ and so focus
less and less on self.Richard of Chichester, a 13th-century English bishop,
practiced to see Jesus more clearly, to love him more dearly, and to follow him
nearly.
Spiritual formation is a process that sharpens
our attentiveness to God and helps us to be more and more like Jesus. These
practices are shaping our temperament and personality trait. As Jesus defines
his ministry, we are destined for the kingdom of God. We need to make our spiritual formation towards the journey
of reflective reading, active repentance, total
stewardship, penetrating prayer, and community
accountability and apostolate with more affective maturity. As we consider
specific practices that aid in formation, it is essential to be prepared to surrender
our time and commit ourselves for the service of the people of God and thus to meet the
purpose of God.
Jesus, the
integrated Formator
Every person is called as a sign of Jesus. In some way His heart
and hands continue to embrace the little ones, to cure the sick, to reconcile
sinners and to allow Himself to be nailed to the cross for love of all. Being
for others, with the heart of Christ, is the mature face of every vocation.
Therefore,it is the Lord Jesus who is the formator of those who are called, the only one who can mould
them with His same sentiments.
Every disciple, responding to
His call and allowing himself to be formed by Him, expresses the truest traits
of his own choice. Accordingly "the recognition of Him as Lord of life and
history, brings with it the self-recognition of the disciple. The act of faith
necessarily brings together ‘Christological recognition' and Anthropological
self awareness'’.(Anthropology of Christian Vocation,Vol 1).
The pedagogy of the Christian
vocational experience is evoked by the Word of God. “Jesus appointed the
twelve, to be with Him, and to be sent out to preach" (Mk 3:14). It is a privilege to
participate in the work of the Father who forms the heart of the sons and
daughters whom the Spirit has called, said Pope Francis,to the formators in his
address on 13th April 2015. The formator has
a key role in accompanying the young in their growth into conformity with
Christ. In order to grow in the qualities of Christ, the formator submits to Jesus and learns from the supreme
formator, Jesus, whom he represents.
Jesus’ paradigm of
formation
John in his Gospel, proclaims a
unique paradigm of Incarnation, and who
identifies himself as the disciple Jesus loved summarizes Jesus life briefly as
“The Word became flesh and lived among us,and we have seen his glory,as of a
father’s only son ,full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14). Jesus’ life is the
manifestation of God’s way of leading humans to their divine destiny. Authentic
formation has to follow the same logic of incarnation. He carried out his
mission in constant communication with his Father and reaching out to the
People from the perspective of the Father. He gave the new commandment to love
God and neighbour.We need to be replicas of
Jesus and radiate His light to the world and take care and nurture our common
home. God reveals his plan through Holy Father and we are witnessing it in our
times and its a great marvel in our eyes. This is a new heaven and new
revelation to the world.
Jesus as companion and supreme model
Gospel accounts present Jesus who is
mostly with his disciples except in those moments when he went alone to pray in
solitude or in those times the disciples were sent in mission two by two. The
risen Lord gathered the scattered disciples and assured them of his presence in
the community till the end of times (Mt: 28). The formator’s awareness of the
presence of the risen Lord in his /her life and ministry is important for
communicating formative presence to the formees. Jesus directs His disciples to
be involved in the ministry and understand them well.so he asks them
question:“who do you say that I am?”(Mk8:29)
“Simon,Son of John, do you love me more than these?” (Jn 21:15).The power of these similar questions will strengthen the formees to open up their minds and hearts to form themselves in true spirit and equip themselves with the right knowledge of God, and enable them to grow in love and service. This manifests his intimacy and close relationship with disciples.Every formator has to cultivate Jesus’ attitude towards his / her formees to deepen self discipline for their effective self formation. Jesus said in the Gospel of John, ”If I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet”(Jn13:14). He highlights the widow’s offering in the temple and appreciates her self giving attitude.He associated with the lonely and the widows.He fed the poor, freed the prisoner, healed the sick; the dumb spoke, lepers were cleansed;He silenced the scribes and Pharisees, forgave the adulterous women and raised the dead. He directed his disciples to do likewise.
“Simon,Son of John, do you love me more than these?” (Jn 21:15).The power of these similar questions will strengthen the formees to open up their minds and hearts to form themselves in true spirit and equip themselves with the right knowledge of God, and enable them to grow in love and service. This manifests his intimacy and close relationship with disciples.Every formator has to cultivate Jesus’ attitude towards his / her formees to deepen self discipline for their effective self formation. Jesus said in the Gospel of John, ”If I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet”(Jn13:14). He highlights the widow’s offering in the temple and appreciates her self giving attitude.He associated with the lonely and the widows.He fed the poor, freed the prisoner, healed the sick; the dumb spoke, lepers were cleansed;He silenced the scribes and Pharisees, forgave the adulterous women and raised the dead. He directed his disciples to do likewise.
Pedagogic strategies
The documents of the Church on
priestly and religious formation rightly insist on the need for integral
formation that involves the whole person in every aspect of his personality. The goal of the formation is “conformity to the Lord
Jesus in his total self-giving”.This growing in the
sentiments of Jesus,with the primary role of the Spirit in the process, is a
realistic and holistic pedagogy of
formation .
The Human and the
Christian dimension of Formation
The
Second Vatican Council set forth the aims and means for every true education in
the service of the human family. It is important to keep these in mind in the
reception and formation of candidates for religious life, since the first
requirement for this formation is the ability to identify a human and Christian
foundation with a particular person.
The
integral formation of a person has
physical, moral, intellectual, and spiritual dimensions. The Second Vatican Council gives an account
of them in the pastoral constitution ‘Gaudium
et spes’, which considers the level of maturity for priestly life.“The
principal purpose of formation at its various stages, initial and ongoing, is
to immerse religious in the experience of God and to help them perfect it
gradually in their lives."(Gs No.100)
Sexuality and Formation
Today's generation has often grown
up in such situations that boys and girls are not helped to know and
appreciate their own respective strengths and limitations. Formation in this
area is particularly important due to apostolic contacts of all kinds and the
greater collaboration which has begun between religious men and religious women
as well as due to present cultural currents. Early desegregation and close and
frequent cooperation do not necessarily guarantee maturity in the relationships
between the two sexes. It will therefore be necessary to take means to promote
this maturity and to strengthen it with a view toward formation for the
observance of perfect chastity.
Contents of the Self
The self is fully packed with needs
, attitudes, traits, habits and values. All the physiological, social,
psychological and spiritual needs are realised an satisfied by the person which help him/her to maintain
healthy and mature living towards Christ values for the humanity. A formator has to use his/her wisdom to assist
the formees distinguish their dissonant and neutral needs which are
appropriate,acceptable and accountable for the religious way of living.
Learning process and Motivation
During the various stages of
formation every formee is observed reporting their perception, learning
capacities of conative, cognitive and affective processes,and their true self
in their daily activities.Fraternal correction is given if necessary.Their motivation
of conscious thirst for inner journey
towards higher values have to be analysed and assessed by the directress/
director. They also accompany the formandi in their prayer life, meditation,
grasp of the charism of the congregation, retreats, seminars and spiritual
dialogue for their discernment.
Basic Dialectics
The basic dialectics in the humans
are concretized in the structure of the self as both ideal self and actual
self. It is in the consistency or inconsistency between the components of these
two horizons of the self that we can speak of vocational consistency or
inconsistency. Formative strategies have to look into these components and help
towards healthy integration and harmony in the person’s self system.
The three dimensions
The concept of the three dimensions
could be constant reminder for the formator regarding the formees.He/she
directs the formees towards the vocational values and leads them to Theocentric
Transformation.They watch carefully for inconsistencies in adopting the apparent
and real good in the second dimension.Counselling and guidance are provided for
the third level,if they tend towards
natural or worldly values.
Internalization
The appropriate pedagogic process
towards vocational growth is an internalization of vocational values. Every
aspect of needs, emotions, feelings ,thoughts and attitudes are taken into
consideration for the progressive development towards sanctification.
Functional significance of
Consistency and Inconsistency
When a person is in harmony with the
needs of the system requirement,he/she is consistent and marching towards her
professed values along with institutional values.This will automatically lead
to Theocentric transformation and it is exercised in the functional activities
of the training in the formation.If the person is in disharmony with the
needs,she/he is in the state of
inconsistency and needs to be directed and counselled at the proper time as per
the requirement for the holistic growth.
The centrality of
affectivity
The
centrality of affectivity is love for Christ and love for one another in the
community. Ability to experience love-giving and receiving in response to our
call in our apostolate is very essential and is a profound sign of chastity in religious
life.It is a possession of the loved one and explicitly
taken into account that the one who has the bridegroom is the bride.
The
Domains of Transformation
The domains of Transformation are
physical aspirations to spiritual values, sickness to healthy life, richness to self emptying attitude, shedding
our shadows and
brighten up the strengths, unhealthy conative, cognitive and affective to healthy domains, physical needs to
neutral needs, abandon judgment and show
compassion, from all our disorder to orderly universal principle, narrow way to
broaden way, immature relationship to
affective relationship, immoral values to moral values, from false beliefs to
realities of life, physical
aspirations to spiritual values, abandon
hatred and nurture love ,justification to glorification, intercultural to
universal perspective, electronic gadgets to God’s word, the Holy Bible,
immoral life to holy life, from self egocentric to ideal and Theo centric transformation.
Christian Community
The Christian community can be
viewed biblically. The Bible’s original word for “church” is ekklesia,
Greek for “assembly” or “gathering.” This word took on the theological meaning
of “all Christians” in some contexts and of “local gatherings of believers” in
other places. Acts 2:42-47 reveals that the original “Christian community” was
known primarily for its devotion to Christ’s teachings and its love for one
another. After the Day of Pentecost, these first believers were together and
had everything in common. They met daily in the synagogue, ate together in each
others' homes and sold their possessions and goods to provide for the many
practical and economic needs some of them had.The same spirit has to be relived
by us in all our communities today to witness our consecration.
Christian Community as Christ
Community
One of the easiest ways to grow is
to connect with God and people who have a desire to learn and
grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. We build great
relationships, discover our full
potential, and reach out to those around us. We care for each other. We pray
for each other. The gospel of Jesus Christ is Good News to be shared,
particularly with those in need. Thus Christian community magnifies God growing
together. At Christ Community we "Magnify God, Grow Together
and Change Lives". We can make a
difference just being different. Christ has equipped each member of His church
with unique passions, spiritual gifts, and personal styles, which are to be
contributed to the lives of others.
A Christian Community focuses on the Root today
The
ecclesia and the CBCI Commission in India and global Church want the catholic
families to go back to the roots and maintain stability and adopt the early
Christian life style. In Acts 2:42–47, the Scripture provides a beautiful and
compelling picture of Christian community. The early Christian life style has
to be renewed in the Church for the vocational crisis and maintain the spirit of
evangelisation and mission.
Consecrated Life
Consecrated
life is a way of life in the world set apart for aspiring perfection for the
kingdom of God to renounce worldly pleasures and to embrace the Evangelical
Counsels in terms of radical values of the Gospel fit for all ages to come. In communion with God and members, in response to the Holy
Spirit,a consecrated person discerns God’s will in her/his life.The consecrated persons promise
Christ that they will live the rest of their lives dedicated exclusively to
Him. The vows help them to live simply, to be more open with God, and to depend
totally on Him.
Purpose of Religious Life
The purpose of religious life is to
live the life of holiness through evangelical counsels and establish God’s mission. The founder of a
religious community brings together a group of men or women who share the same
charism and are dedicated to the same mission in the Church. Priests, brothers
or sisters living in communities that embrace the spirituality, charism and
teachings of the community’s founder call their way of life as religious life. Religious
life is a grace and gift of the Holy Spirit who inspires the individual in
responds to God’s call to totally
surrender to God and neighbour.
Impact of Vatican II on its 50th year
Vat II focused on the renewal of religious
life and its adaptation to the needs of our times, “employing appropriate and
even new programs and abandoning those works which today are less relevant to
the spirit and authentic nature of the community” (PC §20).
Content
of Consecrated Life
In
imitation of Christ,the three Evangelical Counsels are the contents to be lived
by the individual called by God. Christian faithful,who profess the evangelical
counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience by vows or other sacred bonds
according to the proper laws of institutes,freely assume this form of living in
institutes of consecrated life canonically erected by competent Church
authority and, through the charity to which these counsels lead, they are
joined to the Church and its mystery in a special way.
Chastity
Chastity is a call to love and serve
God and all God’s people, rather than to love one person exclusively in
marriage. A life of chastity is a witness and testimony to God’s love.
Persevering in the vow of Chastity
throughout one’s religious life means sharing one’s undivided love with the community members.
Poverty
“The evangelical counsel of poverty
in imitation of Christ who, though He was rich,became poor for us, entails,
besides a life which is poor in fact and in spirit, a life of labor lived in
moderation and foreign to earthly riches, a dependence and a limitation in the
use and disposition of goods according to the norm of the proper law of each
institute."There is need for a
sense of the poor and poverty in the world. This "preferential
option" and evangelical choice of religious for the poor implies an
interior detachment, a certain austerity in community living, a sharing at
times in their life and struggles.
Obedience
Obedience is a call to live in
community and to surrender one’s own will to the will of God. In community,
religious listen to their superiors and the voice within to discern God’s call
for their life."The
evangelical counsel of obedience, undertaken in a spirit of faith and love in
the following of Christ, who was obedient even unto death, requires submission
of the will to legitimate superiors, supreme authorities by the law of
constitution and the Megistarium of the supreme pontiff, the Roman Catholic
Church.This obedience involves submission to the will of God, biblical
principle of obedience to the elders and
legitimate superiors, Obedience in true liberty and humility and obedience in
accomplishing God’s Mission.
Call
We are
called to be Christians to live the life
of Christ and spread his kingdom. The world is full of adventures, new
inventions, scientific growth enthrals every one to find innovative research to
find something new. The ecclesia too,aware of the new paradigm as per science,
emerges in new ways in post modern world. Pope Francis has given a wake up call
for all the religious to live the life of happiness and joyful witness in the
world to bring Christ alive to all the nations.
Divine
Call as Universal Call
The
Universal Call for all the Christian believers is to explore love, compassion,
holiness, justice and peace to all human kind. This included a preferential
option for the poor in our apostolate,to open the mercy door for the depressed,
the unloved, the cornered and the unwanted.The lonely may find shelter within
our wings. We care for our common home. These highly focused values are to be
practised in India today in our religious communities. This is a great
challenge today. Year to year, and even generation
to generation,there is the call of God’s love, the ‘still, small voice’, the
‘gentle whisper’ of God’s voice (1 Kings19:12).In all the complexity and
diversity of theological anthropology, there is one voice which must be heard
above all others, the voice of God.
Call as Sign, ministry
and mission
In relation to Christ every
call is a "sign"; in
relation to the Church it is a "ministry";
in relation to the world it is a "mission"
and witness to the Kingdom. Living the evangelical call as religious, we are
God’s sign in our apostolate in the Mission of Christ in the world.
Response
When
she/he receives and ponders that the call comes from the divine she/he begins
to explore the intuitions, happenings, inspirations, insights in his / her
daily activities and go in tune with the Holy Spirit for the discerning
process. At first he/she experiences, understands judges,evaluates and finally
discerns the Lord’s will for the goal to
step in. The religious vocation is a divine response to the Divine Master to be
with him, to love him more closely and serve him diligently and to be sent out
for His mission.
Personal
and collective Response
The
apostles in the early church responded personally and collectively to live
together by practicing the Gospel values as a community witnessing. Whenever
they gathered, they prayed together, dined together, worked together and
witnessed together. They suffered and mourned together in the time of their
trials and persecutions. Today’s gadgets tempt the religious who fall prey to
them,separating themselves from the community.This is the sad situation in the
context of postmodern world. The divine wake up call from the Pope made the
religious to respond and witness to the merciful call collectively,and dare to
rebuild the nature of the religious community in the spirit of the early
Christians.
Service
Jesus said
to his disciples, “if I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also
ought to wash one another’s feet” (Jn13:14). He has set a perfect example to
the disciples to serve one another in their apostolate. He/she responded to God’s call for the divine service of the
humanity.
Conclusion
The religious and priestly formation
is one of the longest programs of training towards transformation. It is
essential to point out the opportunities available today for formators to
benefit from contributions of social sciences and theological disciplines,
psychological techniques and gadgets for the constructive purpose and they are
enabled to fruitfully apply them within an interdisciplinary model of human
formation. What we are most in need is effective pedagogical routes to tread in
order to prepare effective and credible religious today. Whatever formative strategy is
followed, it has to keep the formees focussed towards conformity with the
mystery of Christ and remove the blocks that restrict this journey of Christ centered self -transcendence.
CHAPTER II : CURRENT SCEANRIO OF CHRISTIAN LIFE AND RELIGIOUS
FORMATION
INTRODUCTION
Christian Family
Modern
developments have made the nuclear
families comfortable in all walks
of life.So the modern parents are busy with various activities and the children
are left to the guardians or care takers at homes and educational institutions.
Lack of Christian faith,love,acceptance and value oriented education led astray
many youths to antisocial activities.We
could see the spiritual dryness and unhealthy relationships lead them to
deep depression and isolation and finally end their life
meaninglessly.Therefore, it is a worthy call for consecrated persons to focus
on the Christian Families and render moral education and mould them to become a
better Christian and involve in the activities of domestic churches and
increase the quality vocations in the future.
Modern
World: Characteristics
Consecrated
priests and nuns are supposed to be with Jesus and commissioned for His Mission.Lack of rootedness in prayer and
active spirit in the apostolate led the religious members declining in vocational growth and
lost interest in the religious congregation and gradually decreased the true
image of religious in the world.This led to vocational crisis everywhere.Many
had left the congregations and priestly life.The Post modern world and the
technological developments in various sectors
swept the consecrated persons constructively as well as destructively in
their commitment.They were addicted to e-gadgets and various kinds of
abuses and lost the sense of shepherding
and evangelising in the field of Mission.
Pope
Francis and Consecrated Life
Pope
Francis has initiated the awakening call for all the consecrated persons in the
world.The church urges consecrated persons to re look,review and renovate the
inner journey.The merciful door has to be opened,where every one is included,
taken care,sacrificed, shepherded for the noble cause of our brethren as Christ
did for the humanity.The passive journey of
religious life has to be transformed in to an active journey in the
light of Christ.
The
joy of the Gospel has to be lived and the Good News has to proclaimed with
great zeal to our common home.The common home needs the ultimate care from the
consecrated men and women who would bring true joy and prosperity to the
world.What is our response towards the holy call? It is a right moment to
reflect,ponder and listen to the Spirit in our times.We respond wisely for the
Lord’s invitation to do the service personally and collectively in the
communities,churches and the world.
The
multicultural India faces currently lots of ecological,
religious,socio-economic and political tensions.Fear of terrorism and violence
on innocent people increase day by day.Over all, the whole universe encounters
dangers of unstability,disharmony and
loud cry of the human for safe environment.What is his/her personal and
collective response to the various cries and crisis of the common home as a
consecrated person? In responds to this question,the second chapter screens
about the current scenario of Christian life,Consecrated life and challenges of
the formators in all the stages of formation today.
Christian Life and Formation
Many people experience some
surprising changes inside when they first become Christians.Those changes come
because God gives them a new heart as part of their adoption into his
Kingdom.This is just the beginning. God
wants them to develop their new identity into a strong Christ-like character so
that they can become the person he created to be.Many Christians become
discouraged with their spiritual development because the results do not always
seem to reflect the effort they have invested.
Baptism and its Gifts
Christian life is a God given gift to express
His love to the humanity and this participation of mystery will bring
tranquillity in the family and society.Once they become Christians by
Baptism,gradually receive other
sacraments of Holy Communion,Reconciliation
and Confirmation by intense preparation.They begin to acquire knowledge
on Christs’ values and strive to practice in their life.They are disciplined and trained day by day by their
parents.Thus they carry Christ’s messages in their heart and mind to the whole
of creation.
Purpose of Christian life
Each one
is aware that God causes everything to work together for the good of all.Those
who love God are called according to his purpose for them(Rom 8:28).Jesus
said,”The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.I came that they may
have life, and have it abundantly”(Jn10:10).Catholics believe that the purpose
of life is to have life and have it more abundantly.For this reason he/she constantly tries to love God with whole
heart, mind,soul and neighbour as oneself.Christians are called to love,serve
and become co redeemers of Christ in the world.
Christian Formation
Christians are frequently involved
in the process of being formed spiritually, in
prayer life, family life, relationships, communications, gatherings and
works in connection with the Spirit of God.Therefore, they are constantly
occupied in Spiritual Formation.On the other hand,when that formation is a
result of engaging with the Holy Spirit, we call it Christian Formation.Because
the spiritual formation is specifically directed towards becoming more
Christ-like. As Christians need to learn things that are consistent with one’s
own values.Christian growth is a lifelong journey of learning to live well in a
broken world.His/her task is
this: one needs to discover what
is his/her part in
connecting with and interacting with the Spirit of God, so that God can
do His part through him/her those things which he/she cannot
do. When he/she allows God to change one’s heart and mind, then
he/she becomes more Christ-like persons by acquiring the Catholic faith and her
teachings diligently.
Holy family is a model for Christian
formation
St,Joseph and Mary formed Jesus to
grow in wisdom and knowledge of God. They sought God in all things and
everything was given to them. Jesus obeyed them skilfully in domestic
activities in his father’s affair while Mary engaged in household ministries.
He was regularly monitored in the family, synagogues and in the society. They
taught him prayer, love, hospitality, compassion, truth, justice, freedom and
peace. This is what made him to become a saviour to the world.They were perfect
example for Jesus to become great messiah.He performed miracles and wonders in
his life time in order to redeem the humanity from various slaveries. This was
God’s will, holy family’s will and his will too.The same methods have to be
implemented in today’s families for the peaceful Christian living.
Faith Formation of Christians
Dogma
is a definitive article of faith in the
Catholic Church that has been solemnly promulgated by the pope and his
Council when speaking in a statement, in which the Megistarium of the Church presents a particular doctrine as necessary for the belief
of the faithful to follow. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is divided into Four
Pillars of the Church. They are the profession of faith, Sacraments,
governance,Christian Morality and Prayer. Catholic Church directs the priests
to form the parishners in these four pillars of the Church to form as a good
Christian and grow in Christian faith to witness Christ in the world.Christians
observe those four pillars for deepening their faith.
Faith practices in the Christian families
The Church leaders and educators
recognize that the Christian family is a domestic church. It is a friendly
platfarm where the children and teenagers exercise their faith under the
guidance of faithful parents.Christians also recognize that the parents are the
first educators of their children for providing the foundation for a spiritual
and religious life.Christians know that the family needs to be a vital part of
the process of lifelong faith formation at all stages of human development.
Parents need to discern their roles in fostering faith and deep spirituality
within their homes.All are aware of the tremendous changes family life has
undergone in the past years.Families are stretched and stressed in new and
challenging ways, putting new demands on family life and church
ministry.Spouses are aware that family time and shared family activities, such
as the daily meal, have suffered because of work demands, busy schedules, and a
rise in individual activities.Today, they are sadly un aware of the decline of
religious practice in families and participation in the life of the church. As
a consequence many adults turned to addiction of pronography,digital world,
various kinds of abuses and substance abuses and involve in antisocial
activities and lead a destructive life and loose the true image of Christians.
Areas
for Faith-Building Adult Christian Education
Adults
need to acquire biblical knowledge and understanding,moral decision
making,interpreting new situations in the light of faith,tradition,ethics and
issues encounter in their lives.For instance; illness, death and cultural
pressures.They need to focus on
multicultural awareness of learning to
appreciate the artistic contributions of others, listening the stories and experiences of people from
other backgrounds.They can utilise the
resources from other faith traditions or cultural perspectives for their
integral development.They also need to perceive global awareness like environmental issues,ecology,world
hunger,political oppression and other burning issues for their reflective
living in the world.
Consecrated
Life and Formation
Today,consecrated
men women encounter religious tension and crisis as they acquire multiple
opportunities of creating, inspiring, enlivening and sustaining everywhere in
their field.Authentic communities radiate friendship, incentive, support and
reconciliation.Consecrated persons must strengthen the community members,
through which new generations will spring up. Religious communities accommodate cultural and spiritual diversity
of its members, knowing that living community is already a mission.It can
transmit to others the appeal of living together, united in diversity, creating
heartfelt and humanizing spaces that are open for others.He/she acquires the
values of religious disciplines and
train obsolutely by his/her personal relationships, fraternal dialogue,
discernment,responsible freedom,total commitment and concern for the other.
Religious
Maturity in Hierarchical Structure
Religious
hierarchical structures make individual indecisive.Those who have good
will,have been multiplied making people lazy,without creativity or
imagination.They were agents more loyal to executing orders than people able to
discern, from their own responsibility and their own loyal knowledge and
understanding to live the mission assigned to them.They need to empower people to grow in maturity and responsibility
not by forcing them, rather encouraging them.Every Christian and religious
community is a pale image of the Trinitarian Community.The Trinitarian
Community is realized in difference not in uniformity. Each human person is
unique and works differently.The unity of the Holy Trinity is made up of
differences of the three distinct Persons, co-sharers in love.
Revised
syllabi for the formation today
The
formees have to experience the heavenly joy in their stages of
formation.Formators require to revise the formation schedule and syllabi with
renewed strategies according to our
times in India for the moulding of the young generations of the
multicultures.The strict laws,rules and rigid regulations won’t assist the
formator to identify the discrepancies in them and they will not be able to
function as they are expected to live.He/she has to educate them to challenge
and withstand the difficult moments applying skills and techniques.Formees are
to exposed to challenge life situations
and accept the reality with prophetic courage to love and serve the
sisters and brothers in the communities and the church.They need to be
accepted, protected, cared, loved, empowered, strengthened, energised and
spirit filled to initiate and start serving
others by an exemplary life style
of the senior brethren in the communities.
Implementation
of Psychological Techniques and skills in the stages of formation today
Formators/guides
can not gratify or apply spiritual bandage or an immediate solutions for the psychological
repairs for forming the formees. Every religious needs to equip the various
counselling skills and therapeutic techniques.They have to read ,study and
guide the human hearts to grow in the knowledge of Christ and show empathy
towards the broken souls of the society and thus do justice to living the
evangelical counsels.
Animatiors
have to create an atmosphere where the formees can feel and experience free, friendly, warm, welcoming, and unconditional positive regard and provide
space for them.He/she accompanies and enables them to progress in their
spiritual journey and function effectively in the stages of formation and find
joy in forming themselves.The formees have to be constantly in touch with their
conscious effort in moulding themselves towards the Gospel living .They need to
handle the discrepancies arise in their cognitive, conative emotive aspects of
the formees.He/she strives to realise
the homeostasis in his/her vocational growth in the formation.
A
Call for an Integral education for Formators
All the
heads of the religious leaders require to attend the principle protocol of the
pontiff and set a common goal to formulate and draw strategies for the
integrated education for the formators. It is not enough to wear the habits,
sarees, cassocks uniformly rather our cognitive structure has to be unified in
extending the Gospel values in our time through our effective involvement in
shaping the future formees by new pedagogies in the formation.The heads of the
congregations are commissioned to have the vision of gathering and manifesting
the religious and priestly values and
its richness.They have to challenge the multicultural sentiments to empower,
strengthen the brethren through seminars and workshops by various experts from
different disciplines and prepare them to renew their way of life.
This will
enlighten the formators to rekindle their formees in the stages of
formation.The formators configure to admonish the church Documents, Catechism of the Catholic Church, core
values, evangelical counsels of the consecrated life, saints life style,
contemporary saints, Vatican news, pope’s exhortations, constitutions and
charism of the institutes and respond constructively to the ecclesial
authorities.Arranging seminars, workshops, counselling skills practicum by
eminent personalities for the religious men and women will re energise the religious for better, happy
and joyful living in their apostolate.The insights, inspirations and
informations will enable to connect the church and her faithful mission in on
going formation of all consecrated persons.
The
mission of formators in the ongoing formation
Formators
have to heal the wounds of formees, comfort them, love them, embrace
them,empower them,explore them, and redeem from their cognitive errors. This
was Jesus’ mission and our mission too.He/she often searches for the mission of
power, position, strength, riches, prosperity, friends, and reputation which
will lead them to frustration, depression, grief, revenge, unforgiveness and
lastly violate the law of God and neighbour and suffer and expire.
Pope Francis said,” power,money,culture do
not give us dignity.Work,honest work,give us dignity. “Each one has to become an instrument of God’s agents to carry his
messages and reveal his goodness in our apostolate.Each one needs to form and
evangelise oneself before he/she forms and evangelises the others.Priests and
religious are mouth piece of God and
revelation of God’s mystery to humanity.Therefore,they are the signs ,symbols
and their way of life manifest the world that they are co-workers of God’s
kingdom.
Challenges
in the Formation today
Religious
men and women have to find new ways and creative means for the ministry of
formation.New way of living and witnessing the professed values will enhance
the spirit of influencing the youth of the world.His/her humble presence will
enable the youth to follow the consecrated way of living.Today’s world look for
an authentic model, who can guide in their carrier.Activities of the stages in
the formation have to attract the young to grow in virtues and become good and
responsible ambassadors and citizens in the community,Church and the
world.He/she is advised to keep aside e-gadgets during meals and recreations and be available to
relate and communicate to the human
hearts in the communities.
The need
for self awareness on the stages of
formees will mould them in
physical, psychological, intellectual, social, multi cultural and
spiritual progress on the aspects of their motivations, attitudes, values,
interpersonal relationships and choose the right and healthy way of functioning in the
formation and choose the best way to serve God and neighbour.
A
sacred call to review consecrated life today
A sacred
call and radical change for all the consecrated men and women awakened to look
back to the root.A call to re structure,re commit,rethink, re evaluate, re
energise the spirit of the various founders/foundresses of the congregation in
the light of Jesus Christ.He/she needs to connect and interconnect each other
in our communications,relationships and re build the broken images of the
consecrated life lived in the past.Religious healing presence and holiness need
to be extensive in one’s ministries and available for all.He/she avails
himself/herself to collaborate with the laity and involve them in all their
ministries.He/she lives a life of poor and give praise and honour to God
together with people of God by
practicing the vow of Poverty.The vow of chastity is a vow to God and
neighbours.
Joy
= hallmark of Consecrated life
Pope Francis says,” A
joyless community is one that is dying out.Consecrated men and women are called
to share the joy with mother’s tenderness as facilitators and not as
controllers of grace. The Church is not a refuge for sad people, but it is a
house of joy”. The current experiences of ecological disturbances ,burning
issues of religious tensions and inconcurencies in religious and political
governance are the great challenges as religious men and women encounter in
India and in the world. This is the peak time
for us to awake ourselves and seriously work and respond the call of the
times.
Personal Experiences of Formation
As I was disciplined well in my home and school
it was very easy to adopt the religious way of life in the early stages of
formation.Since I came from devout and God fearing family I had no problem with
prayer life and relationship.I was able to mingle with all but I had no friends
as I was told not to have close friends.I spoke to only the
disciplined,talented ,well dressed,punctual
and well responding candidates.Inspite of my selfish motive and choosy
character,all other candidates and mistress loved and cared me very much and relate to me
friendly.I had never fallen sick and present always in my duties.
Positives
It was
heavenly experience for me in the formation.I lacked nothing for my growth.I
was content with what I had and experienced.I was loving,caring,
prayerful,standing for the truth and justice,accountable,approachable,cheerful
and very faithful candidate.The community members trusted me and entrusted any
kind of responsibility.I did it with cheerful heart in expected manner. I
rarely felt boring of tight schedule.We were given free time and arranged
picnic for us at every stages. I had free and talents exploration period those
times. I developed my talents in free time and I had never wasted time in my
life.I was given ample opportunities to grow personally and spiritually and
mingle with people.I used to visit the families and pray over them on Wednesday
and Saturday.I completed Bible reading 4 times in my formation.Most of the
times I participated in all activities,prayer groups,works,choir and
music,functions and celebrations in and out.I felt the sense togetherness and
received lots of love,acceptance and appreciations from others.I cooperate with
institutional ideal with my self ideal and committed to my responsibility
effectively.
Negatives
I didn’t
experience any bitter experience in my formation.I used to get angry if some
one says lie,hiding things,practicing laziness,late for prayers,meals,late
eaters,absent in activities,slow in dressing up,lack of time management,not
showing active involvement in prayer life,reading magazine during the class
hours,loud talk and laugh,passive presence etc. I tried to avoid these kind of
candidates and passively join them.I did concentrate only on my tasks of
learning things and given responsibilities.There were times I was selfish and I
did not listen to their petty friendship matters,fights and loose
talks.Eventhough others assume me listening to them,heart to heart I
ignored,avoided them many a times.
Three
years back I was misunderstood by one of my sisters which made me to be more
strong in my personality and grow in my values.If it is not my mistake I just
ignore them.If they harm me by words I just keep them away.I was task oriented
and spent little time for my friends and batch mates.They used to scold me for
not even phoning to them.These are my negatives in my formation.I do aware of
my negatives and try to restructure my negative thinking patterns and accept
others as they are and try to spend quality time with them.
Conclusion
As
for my observation and personal living of the evangelical counsels in my prayer
life,apostolic life and my service to the humanity through various ministries
for the Lord’s commissioned Mission is on the progress in my communities where
ever I am planted in the Congregation.As a formator I am aware of my cognitive
errors and try to restructure my faulty thinking patterns and modify my
behaviour for the self transformation.
Personal
witness of Pope Francis
I
also sense the Spirit’s cooperation and the movement through Pope Francis. I
felt the prophetic voice, and holy command of the present pontiff for all the
consecrated men and women of the Catholic Church to awake and re look the way
of life.He shepherds with great care and admonishes the faithful with merciful
heart through Vatican Radio,encyclicals and public exhortations.He travels
through all the lands,the sees,sky and crosses great mountains and valleys to
be faithful to his mission.Here I stop and ponder where do I stand towards my
travel.....
Pope
Francis = Model of Formator
He
encounters and have fraternal dialogue with various religions and leaders of
the mighty world.He deals with simple heart,with simple gestures and
humanistice approach,which brings the Gospel joy to the world.His holiness and
simplicity led the young and old,rich and poor,great and small,kings and
queens,sinners and strangers find God in
him. He embraces the poor,prisoners,loners and all kinds of distorted images of
Christ.He embraces our common home and set an example to the world to protect
and nurture it.He dwells in our hearts just by his appearance and soothing
messages.This is the attitude and purpose of the consecrated life here on
earth.My responsibility is to focus on the families and common home to rebuild
the original nature of the consecrated life of the early Christian communities
in the Church and bring Christ alive in the world.
His
joyful presence and prophetic courage move him to dialogue with diverse
religions with humanistic and holy approach and captures the humanity under his
love.He embraces the poor,prisoners,loners and all kinds of distorted images of
Christ.He embraces our common home and set an example to the world to protect
and nurture it.
CHAPTER III : AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO FORMATION
INTRODUCTION
The
Church leaders seek out to develop and sustain men,women, adults, and youth in
their commitment to the service of the Church and the world in every area of
life (Catechism of the Catholic Church,ccc.sec.1). It is a vocation that
involves both individuals and communities to integrate various experiences to
respond God’s invitation. This will enable the widespread sharing and authentic
application of the vision of the Church
and the culture. These values are seem to be primary and perennial for every
person. It ensures that all decision making process is consistent with one’s
charism, structures, goals, the resource
expenditures and the programmes
he/she invites.
Christian community life in the
formation is an integral association of men, women, young and adult, from all
types of backgrounds who aspire to follow Christ and work for his kingdom.
He/she can make group of these adult lay persons to collaborate in the
ministry. It depends on the servant leadership styles to lead the flock in the
spirit of Jesus. It is a vocation for growth in spirituality, the members are
intensely dedicated to apostolic service, participating all the works of
religion, with zeal and charity (St. Mother Teresa of Kolkata).
An integrated formation exercised
and lived in a community and in the mission,for the love of God and His people.
Teaching catechism, visiting the prisoners, working in prison, ministering the
poor, caring for the sick, visit the dying, giving legal assistance, serving in
hospitals, bringing peace to the enemies, giving orientations, printing and
circulating pamphlets will enable people understand their faith. He/she can
show an outstanding example and support to those who wishes to live the values
of Christ (St
Francis (1182-1226). The lay leaders are to be rooted in prayer, eager and willing
to move with people, to adopt and renew with Church and be prophetic voices in
the world. Laity are needed to be animated by Christ and cherished by
participation in the Church, in schools, in law and public, in medicine and the
social sciences, the arts, business and
in all walks of life in the society. They have to share their faith with
all who are to listen and to share with them, because they believe that the
news is good and worthy of being celebrated in this life and in this world.
Christian
Life
Christian life and mission is caught up with the forces of globalisation
and post modern ideas of ethnocentrism and relativism which lead to great
confusion among the present and future generation. It shows lack of one’s own
authentic commitment to the model he/she follows. That is why the ecclesial
Church urges all Christians to create new ways of thinking about the newness of
the Christian identity and the Consecrated/priestly leaders need to guide
the digital generation and give Christ’s
values by an authentic Christian way of living as disciples of Christ. The
encyclicals of the Pope Francis and his demands as a contemporary prophet to
the various nations manifests God’s love to the humanity specially those who
are affected by flood, war, violence, calamities, hatred, famine and poverty.
He finds innovative ways and sows god’s merciful acts to all the suffering
humanity (Vatican radio, March 29,2017 ).
It’s an universal call to all the Christians to empower the spirit
of Jesus and His way of life to the
world. He urges religious men and women to concentrate on the families that the
flock may not be led astray by various strange doctrines of the other
denominations and religions. He insists to hold fast Christ values and his
teachings in order to form the better humans and Christian families to cherish
and care for the common home (Laudato Si may 24th 2015). Parents
have to take responsibility in teaching them love, respect, forgiveness,
understanding, responsibility and
service. Today’s generation seeks for models who will shepherd them in a
right path in their personal, interpersonal and transpersonal relationship in
the families, communities, societies,
world and nature.
Integrating Christ’s values and
media in 21st Century
Today’s
Christian youths are vibrant, scientific, technological, mathematical, and
digital in their dealings. If they are animated and motivated in a right
direction, they can spring up as best citizens, prosper in their life and
protect the Church and the world. Lack of proper guidance and rigid faith
practices of the parents, mostly they are idolised, domesticated, ignored of
their rights and freedom, creative and innovative ideas, technological
engineering master plans, musical metaphors of new knowledge and perspectives,
worthwhile work, and mature responsibilities etc.Many of them led to
depression, isolated, brokenness, addicted to substance uses, abusive of
children, blue whale practices, pornography, suicidal tendencies,
antisocial activities and terrorism (
Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, GS 23 & 24).
Lay Leadership
He/she
becomes the member of the conference, church council, committee on finance,
committee on nominations and leadership development and priest/staff-parish
relations committee. Also he/she is responsible of the primary lay
representative of the laity in the local church and make awareness of the laity
in all aspects of life in caring out the mission of the local church and
evangelise God’s values in the world. He/she supports the ministry of men,
women, youth and other lay groups. Parish priest and lay leader become partners
with their cordial regular meet and sharing of the ministry (Synond on
family-Laetitia Amoris,2015).He/she
prepares well to carry out these tasks by developing spiritual formation
through the practice of spiritual disciplines
says St. Ignatius of Loyola(1491-1556) .
Leaders
to be elected
The
charge conference shall elect upon recommendation by the committee on lay
leadership, the following leaders: chairperson of the council, the committee on
nominations and leadership development, the committee on priest/staff-parish
relations and its chairperson, lay leader, lay member to the annual conference
and recording secretary (Acts6:3).
Integration of Lay
Leadership in Religious Institution for the collaboration
Every
local church has vision and mission
statement to carry the Lord’s command. In order to carry out the mission in a
right way we need authentic leaders as that of Abraham, Moses and other
prophets who obeyed the commandments and lead the people in the old Testament
and Jesus in the new Testament. The vision of the church is God’s
transforming grace in Jesus Christ calls him/her to become dynamic collaboration
in the church with diverse people in many settings and offering a new life of
Christian discipleship in the religious institutes and in the world. The
mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the
transformation of the world.” Go therefore and make disciples for all nations,
baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and
teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you”(Mt28:19-20).So
he/she equips people for the task of making disciples of Christ, enable them to
come out from institutional maintenance to a life of transformational mission
in their diverse communities in the world and engaging in shared ministries
that which fulfil the vision of the kingdom.
Quality of
Family Life
The
sense of belongingness is a constant source of strength. The ties of love that
bind a family together largely eliminate the feeling of loneliness. The
Christian family worships together. It is always inspiring to see families
sitting together in public Eucharistic celebration, adoration, charismatic
prayers, offering the first fruits together, meals together, joyful
celebrations, sorrowful celebrations, retreats, sacrament of reconciliation,
fasting, prayer meetings, recreation together and make decision together.
Priestly/Religious
ministries are channel for the Quality of Christian Family life
The ministries offered by the Church
are the channels where the family shares every joy and blessing and every
burden and sorrow. St. Paul says, ”Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way
you will fulfil the law of Christ” (Gal 6:2).Family members rejoice in the
successes and triumphs of each loved one. Likewise, each share in the
disappointments and sorrows of each loved one. Each family member is deeply
concerned for the good of others. They learn from the Christian Institutions
who spread the Gospel values in their ministry.
Consecrated
Life: Formation of human beings for Christ
Consecrated life is a spotless and
holy life which represents Christ Himself to the world. It is a vocation to
sanctity and perfection. It is a call to live the Evangelical counsels with
pure consciousness. It is free gift of the Holy Spirit that anoints every
religious for His mission. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has
anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release
to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go
free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour” (Lk4:18-19).It is a covenantal
relationship with God, neighbour and creation. He/she sets apart to be with Him
and to be sent out to extend His values by living radical poverty, chastity and
obedience (Ex4:12). Consecrated life is a challenging life where one trains
himself or herself to be a prophet to the world like Jesus. He/she equips all
kinds of skills and knowledge and become effective persons to lead from the
front. He/she empowers self to denounce the worldly attractions and announces
the Good News of the kingdom. Religious is a joyful person who can attract the
world with simple heart and mind and reflect Christ to the world by his/her
identity by being the true disciples of Christ. He/she becomes an imitator and
ambassador of Christ to run the race for Him, to live for His mission and die
for His people (2Cor5:20) .
He/she prepares and learns to
integrate the dynamics of the human beings, multi cultures, philosophies,
psychologies, spiritualities of the various religions, cognitive patterns and
the various symbols of the world views, various religion’s faith and conduct,
diverse races, nationalities and
languages of various perspectives to manifest God’s goodness and saving
acts to the world. He/she becomes a man/women of prayer to attain the mystical
experiences of God and comes out with
prophetic courage to witness Christ to the world (Acts1:8 &
Is 43:10)
Integrating
the comfort zone and periphery
Church leaders take responsibility
in exercising his/her duty to search and care for the sheep under his/her care
and watch over ,direct to participate in ecclesial activities and make use of
their potentials for the effective proclamation of the kingdom in any programme
of the Church. The leaders need to connect the families and communicate God’s
love by his/her presence and effective involvement with them in the ministry.
Jesus did not address any code system to enter into His kingdom rather He
identified and had preferential option for the poor and the marginalised. He
involves every one including the nature. Pope Francis says “The joy of the
Gospel is for all people, no one can be excluded”( EG.23).
Consecrated formation is an
Integrated, holistic and universal relationship
When he/she is immersed in God
experience, in turn integrates with human beings and nature physically,
psychologically, intellectually, culturally and spiritually with the cosmic
world. His/her thirst for God leads to reach out His values to the humanity by
very presence in the universe. His/her holistic and human approach attract
young men, women, rich, poor, small and the great in the world and influence
them how to live the gift of life with consecration for humanity. Every consecrated
men and women undergo tremendous challenges to attain wholeness in the mission
of Christ as she /he sets apart to do the will of God with profound faith,
knowledge and wisdom. When he/she is in the universal consciousness,
experiences inner peace, tranquillity and harmony. Though he/she is fully human
and spiritual being in nature, experiences the divine qualities and it is
manifested in every good will (St John of the Cross (1542-1591) and St Teresa
of Avila (1515-1582).
Formation as training for Christian Leadership
The
principles and pedagogy of the formation surface the formees to distinguish
between the temptations and inspirations. In the spirit of prayer he/she makes
decision for himself/herself to follow Christ taking into heart the teachings
and exercises of the holy saints, founders and foundresses, constitutions and
charism of the institute and develop skills and knowledge of God in a fervent
manner to realise the vision and mission of the particular life in the light of
the Gospel.
Today’s
formees experience contrary life style of the consecrated men and women in the
stages of formation as they learn the pedagogy. Many prefer to leave the
congregation or seminary either earlier or after the final commitment. There is
no personal conviction in their charism and their decision, there is no
rootedness in prayer life and community
life, no scriptural wisdom and secular
knowledge and therefore do not know to overcome initial vocational crisis
which lead to the following faith crisis, midlife crisis, relationship crisis,
socio-economic crisis, cultural crisis, spiritual crisis of commitment, apostolic crisis, nature
crisis and so the mission crisis and at last life ends with various religious
crisis and tension in India and the
globe.
Consequences of Ineffective leadership
in the formation
Today’s formees are coming out with
fear, lethargic, less commitment, less effectiveness, less saltiness, less
prophetic courage, less skills and knowledge, less spiritual strength, less
apostolic spirit etc. Rigid formation leads to accumulate as much as possible
the things, persons and places. Formees are immersed in technologies rather
than in the scriptures. There is in discrepancy in relationships, in congruency
in communications, disharmony in the
community life and instability in consecrated life which lead the consecrated
men and women in tension and turmoil.
The Church encounters vocational crisis, challenges and threats of its
existence. Many of the congregation’s
chapter faces authentic leadership and counsellors crisis which gradually
develops into relationship and institutional crisis and thus prophetic witness
deteriorating toady.
Today’s formees do not expect the
uniform code of the consecrated men and women rather the quality and value
based good deeds of Christ to the world. It is not enough to impart the
spiritual and intellectual skills rather human skills play a major role to form
a divine leader. They are to be taught the primary importance of the life style of Jesus, focusing on the goal
that is the mission of Christ, training in leadership qualities, management of
the various cultures and languages, the importance of the decision making
process, correct communication skills to proclaim the Good News and
facilitating the members as Jesus did with His disciples.
Partnership in Mission with Laity
The laity is well educated ecclesial
studies, highly motivated active in the mission of the Church. Due to the
depletion of priests in our times in abroad and India many lay people have begun to occupy ministerial and
administrative positions which were once almost exclusively ministered by
priests. Vatican II functions with specific mission of ‘renewing the temporal
order’ which emerged to the ‘new lay movements’ Partnership with the laity may
lead in collaboration in spreading the Gospel in daily life situations of
family, neighbourhood and field of our mission.
Integrated
approach of Priestly/Religious and Lay Leaders
He/she acts as a group communicator
and information coordinator for the community. Taking care of meeting time and place of the upcoming
community. Local events, circulation of news letters, important local issues
are to be taken care on a regular basis. This position can be rotated among the
community members. This person moves both group and programme from the inside
community, being sensitive to flow and harmony. He / she makes sure the
community keeps on track following the agenda and charisma of the
Mission and vision of the Church. It is important that the coordinator has good
understanding of the components of the formation and the spiritual exercises.
It is essential that the content of the meeting is completed and dynamics and
grace of the group is realised by the members. The lay leaders by and law in
collaboration with the religious leaders keeps him/her alert to exercises the
faith through form commitment and mutual communication.
Application of Jesus’ leadership in
the formation and lay communities
Jesus did not equip skills, and
technologies to accomplish his mission rather He had Abba experience,
scriptural knowledge, humble obedience, simple life style and love for the
humanity and creation. He grew in wisdom and knowledge of God. He was human with
emotions, understanding, responding, demanding and commanding where there is
necessary (Lk2:52).He stood for the truth and justice and related with all
kinds of people and did good deeds. He was a man of God and He manifested His
image and likeness, influenced the world by the same image and established His
kingdom by doing His Father’s will and accomplished His mission on the cross as
a ransom for many. Jesus’ attitude, image and leadership qualities sink into
the minds of every Christian leader to animate and challenge the third
millennium formees and impart the same. This is the prophetic and profound
nature of the leader. He/she needs to become a man and woman of teachings and
dogmas of God’s kingdom by his/her witnessing life. Today’s formees are directed
to be trained in Gospel leadership of being shepherds in animating small group
members, being servants to serve the community and being stewards with watchful
care in carrying out Christ’s deeds in the mission of formation
(Ps231-6,Mt20:28,Lk22:27 & Jn13:14-15,Rom1:1,phil2:5-11).
Challenging response to
the world
Today the millennium teenagers
initiate, work, contribute for household economy and many other social activities. They are sealed as
adolescents and they need extended experience to take up the greater
responsibilities of the church and society that which is not very correct(L.S
no.52). They were exploited physically, cognitively and in all aspects of their
life in the society and church. The tremendous source of energy is simply
diverted without proper models and direction. Religious men and women can not
hold the age old traditions and rigid hierarchal structures and patterns for
millennium generation. It is a prime time and specific call for all men and
women of consecrated persons to include the
children, young, small and great to form the true Christian families for
the better reception of the future generation for the consecrated life and
faithful Christian life. It is an individual and collective call emerging today
to ponder over and take concrete steps to reach out the peripheries in order to
accomplish God’s mission (L.S.no.42).
Outlook on emerging
Challenges of Leaders today
Modernism, impact of media culture,
Sexual abuses of children and women, nuclear families, ongoing faith formation,
new and creative ways of motivation for vocation promotion, psychosexual
education, depletion of affective maturity, comfort zone of vowed life, inability
to adopt the multicultural mindsets, collaboration of Priestly/Religious men and women, wake up to
the periphery, Gospel style of leadership, role models and care for common home
Conclusion
The 7th World Assembly
in Manila in 1976 declared community
life for “poor with Christ for a better service”. The 8th World
Assembly in Rome in 1979 declared community life for “at the service of the one
world”. The 9th World Assembly in Providence in 1982
declared community life for
“bring justice to the poor”. The 10h World Assembly in Loyola in
1986 was to see Mary as model of our mission, being asked to do ”what ever
Christ tells us”. The 13th
World Assembly in Brazil in 1998 was “Deepening our identity as an
apostolic body”(by Guiles Michaud ) in CLC history through world assemblies.
Today the religious icon of the Gospel Pope Francis urges the men and women of
consecrated life for the renewal and bring God’s love ,joy and compassion to
the shattered and wounded world. Pope John Paul II stated that lack of clear
convincing motivation for life leads to harmful experience of drugs. Only the
consecrated people can prepare the future generation in collaboration with the
laity can realise God’s mission by their effective leadership by shepherding
them into God’s Kingdom(Vidya Jyoti Journal of Theological Reflection
vol.72/2,Feb.,2008). As the Church keeps vigilant in her duty and relevance
response to the times in our apostolate in the Church in the light of the
Gospel to integrate laity in ecclesial institutes and collaborate for greater
good. Christ approach was always towards the poor. Therefore ,priests/religious
formation has to be extended towards the horizon of the Christian families for
the better human formation for the future mission.
REFERENCES
CONGREGATION
FOR INSTITUTES OF CONSECRATED LIFE AND SOCIETIES OF APOSTOLIC LIFE, Potissimum Institutioni. Directives
on formation in religious institutes, 1.
Thus
Perfectae Caritatis states: "The updating of religious institutes depends mostly
on the formation of their members" (18).
Code of Canon Law, can. 607 § 1.
CONGREGATION
FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION, La preparazione degli
educatori nei seminari. Direttive. Rome, 1993.
GUARDINI,
R. Le età della vita, Milan 1992, p. 55.
RULLA,
Antropologia,
I, 250. Vol.1
Dominic
Hoffman, op, with Basil Cole, OP(Ed),(2005)
Consecrated Life –Contribution of Vat.II
St.Paul society ISBN 81-7109-744-8
E.F.O’Doherty,(1971)
Vocation,Formation,Consecration & Vows-Theological and psychological
consideration. ISBN: 0-8189-0205-1
S. Kubie, The Neurotic Process as the Focus of
Physiological and Psychoanalytic Research, Journal of f Mental Science, 104 (1958)
518-536.
T. Lidz, The Person: his development throughout the life cycle, New York,
1968, 1). 510.
Holy
Bible
Gospel -
Centred Resources from Midwestern Seminary
Sacrossanctum
Concilium
Vatican radio, March 29,2017
Practices of a Mission people by
Alan Roxburg ,2012.
Lauda to Si may 24th 2015 ,L.S.No.42 &52 & (EG.23)
Synond on family-Laetitia Amoris,2015.
St John of the Cross (1542-1591) and
St Teresa of Avila (1515-1582).
The
7th World Assembly in Manila in 1976 on community life for “poor
with Christ for a better service”.
The
8th World Assembly in Rome in 1979 on community life “at the service
of the one world”.
The
10th World Assembly in Loyola
in 1986, Mary as model of our mission, being asked to do ”what ever Christ
tells us”.
The
13th World Assembly in Brazil
in 1998 was “Deepening our identity as an apostolic body”(by Guiles Michaud )
in CLC history through world assemblies.
Monastic
practices and the Missio Dei:T...
The
leadership book revised by Charles J.Keating(1982), Newyark.
Journals:
Vidyajyoti
Journal of Theological Reflection vol. 72/1,Jan.200872/2,Feb.2008 &72/4
April 2008
Journal
of missional practice
Websites:
Carmelite
Spirituality.html
St.Ignatian
Spirituality
Franciscans.org.au.
& Jesuit.org.au
http://w2.vatican.lettersa
consecrati.html(2014)
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