Religious formation—or formation for a Church ministry within the culture of religious life—calls for a radical life commitment to the Church and to the world.
Religious formation—or formation for a Church ministry within the culture of religious life—calls for a radical life commitment to the Church and to the world. Fifty years ago, when I entered my religious community, we had a retreat led by Father Thomas Burke, a renowned Jesuit and master in prayer. What he told us has framed my ministry through 50 years. “Postulants,” he said, “to fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances.”
“It’s about calling forth in every human person their desire to be more . . . for fulfillment.”
This morning at breakfast, people were sharing stories of how they met their husbands or wives. I couldn’t help but think that our commitment to Church ministry parallels this experience as well. It’s about calling forth in every human person their desire to be more, to become more, their desire for transcendence, for fulfillment. For every person, the Church minister reflects the God-quest. Religious publicly profess it. God is not only enough for you and for me, God is more than enough for any of us. Our formative process is based on the hunger in the human heart, the desire to give one’s entire life and being to God in the service of the Church for the world, for the sake of the world. That’s where it starts. It’s prophetic and, by essence, it’s perpetual. When we take vows, the formative period is long, ranging from at least four years up to ten or more. And this involves continuous, 24/7 formation in prayer, contemplation, social analysis, theological reflection, an inward journey of self-knowledge, and the experience of building relationships first with one’s God and oneself, and then with other persons, institutions, society, and the entire universe. Formation takes place within the faith community—a community that has a clear focus, a vision, a mission, and goals that are continuously renewed because the life form requires continual feedback and evaluation. Clearly, there’s a power to be drawn from the faith community. Isn’t that, too, what our parishes, our dioceses, and our places of ministry are about? We must encourage the building of the faith community so that formation and integration can take place through relationships rooted in faith.
Retaining and Motivating the Very Best for Church Service
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