This usually includes a Mass and a party. Why a Pastor's Spiritual Life Matters Southern Equip Ongoing formation in a particular aspect may be more critical at a given point, but it remains an abiding concern and need at every moment. The second part of the plan proceeds "diachronically" or longitudinally, identifying the different formational tasks appropriate in the different ages and special moments of priestly ministry and life. Although sensed limitations may spur priests to address the issues of midlife, it is midlife's opportunities and possibilities in faith that ultimately carry the greater weight and grace.Physical The Spirit communicates God's thoughts to us as we put our minds on Christ ( 1 Corinthians 2:11-12, 16 ). is the person primarily responsible in the Church for ongoing formation. "1 "The communion of Christians with Jesus has the communion of God as Trinity, namely, the unity of the Son to the Father in the gift of the Holy Spirit, as its model and source, and is itself the means to achieve this communion: United to the Son in the Spirit's bond of love, Christians are united to the Father. They also lay a foundation for the future and provide a point of reference across a lifetime of priestly ministry. The time of change offers formational opportunities, an occasion when priests can open themselves to God's transforming action within them. Because the human inclination is often to avoid painful goodbyes, it is a task and a challenge to face change so directly. It is our hope that this document will be studied by bishops, priests, and seminarians throughout the United States. Simply getting to know people, familiarizing oneself with local history, and sensing the culture of the new place and people are practical, necessary, and rather obvious tasks and challenges. (3) How shall I move forward toward eternal life? The tasks and challenges of transition can be clustered around the basic moments of transition: departing, moving, beginning. The grace of beginnings is really the gift of possibilities for growth. Discernment reads events with the eyes of faith and deciphers how an event such as transition bears on our relationship with God, how it might draw us closer to God, and what response it summons from us. Finally, we commit ourselves to participating in the process of ongoing formation. Once they do this, priests grow in self understanding, which enables them to make more considered and realistic decisionsMinisterial and Pastoral The ordained ministry has a radical communitarian form' and can only be carried out as a collective work.'" In these new relationships to the church community, newly ordained discover the many ways that the gifts of God are at work; their ministry in the community becomes a source of their edification and inspiration.Discernment As we consider specific practices. At this point, newly ordained are also conscious of leaving a way of living their Christian vocation among Christ's faithful people (The Vocation and the Mission of the Lay Faithful in the Church and in the World [Christifideles Laici] [CL]) to assume a new position and responsibility among and for that holy people. Buy. Experience also indicates that a priest-mentor can be very helpful in the ongoing formation of newly ordained priests. Other points of resistance might include a false sense of independence, a fear of uncovering inadequacies, and an unwillingness to rely on a larger wisdom. Solitude, quiet time, and space for reflection provide the context that makes assimilation and absorption possible. Indeed, the priest, by virtue of the consecration which he receives in the Sacrament of Orders, is sent forth by the Father through the mediatorship of Jesus Christ, to whom he is configured in a special way as Head and Shepherd of his people, in order to live and work by the power of the Holy Spirit in service of the Church and for the salvation of the world" (PDV, no. (The current pattern of ordaining older candidates will shift these numbers, but for now the numbers hold.) The accumulation of years of ministry also proves positive for priests at midlife. The event of transition into priesthood, its tasks and challenges, and its spiritual dimensions are numerous and complex. These gifts are graces freely given, but they need to be claimed. With that in mind, we offer this Basic Plan for the Ongoing Formation of Priests. Spiritual Formation for Ministry Leaders - Gordon Conwell Discernment, the testing of the spirits, enables us to identify and embrace our lives of journey to God by viewing events and movements in faith. They also have responsibilities to the older priests ahead of them, to maintain their legacy, to recognize their achievements, and to support them as they draw their ministry and life to a good conclusion. When newly ordained priests take hold of their own ongoing formation, good things happen. It has to do with our accounting for the past and our prospects for the future. 95) strongly urge ongoing formation for priests of advanced age. In addition to the presbyteral identity forged in sacramental participation, a shared identity accompanies the common work of ministry, an identity that belongs to those who serve collaboratively in the mission of the Church as bishop and priests. If "retirement" in priesthood is seen as exactly parallel to the secular sense of retirementfor example, as a complete withdrawal from activities and responsibilities that had marked one's active work lifethen this may be a misnomer. As members of the one presbyterate gathered around the bishop, priests serve to unite the local church in one great act of worship of the Father. All are desirous of meaningful communion with God, acknowledged and enhanced by pastors who understand the importance of leading others into a deeper fellowship with Christ and ultimately with one another as a faith community. Although committed to a great diversity of individual ministries, priests are united in the common goal of building up the body of Christ through ordained priestly service.Ministerial Priesthood in a Religious Community It will also enable them to see what needs adjustment and growth for the future. In any case, midlife is an important reality of human experience. Ordinarily, these are not challenges that one can confront alone. Finally, pastors exercise a particular form of discernment in the guidance and governance of a parish community. The tasks and challenges they face are shared with all priests but with an added focus on the context of the parish and the assumption of a new sense of responsibility. Clete Kiley, the executive director of the Secretariat for Priestly Life and Ministry, for developing this project and keeping it on track. It can serve as a solid foundation for considering the ongoing formation of a presbyterate. Pastoral Formation. The above description of the transition into priestly ministry and life hints at the multiple tasks and challenges that face the newly ordained. Senior priests also find themselves tempted about their prospects for the future or, more precisely, the lack of prospects for the future. The figure of the good shepherd who calls each by name and lays down his life for his flock stands as a sign of that special configuration to Christ that belongs to priests by virtue of the sacrament of orders. At a minimum, we should be modeling this to our families and to the people that God has entrusted to us. Modern developmental psychology has alerted us to the importance of midlife. For the sake of the mission, it is important that connections with the bishop be deepened.Utilizing Personal Resources and Programs Generally some counsel is necessary, whether medical, psychological, or social. Relatively short life expectancies, until this moment in history, precluded much sustained reflection on the topic. If, at the beginning of one's priestly ministry, the sudden surge of pastoral demands obliterates the regularity of personal prayer or if the positive response of people to one's initial efforts seems to diminish prayer's necessity, then discernment cannot happen. "On the cross, Jesus showed himself to the greatest possible extent to be the good shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep." Specific attention will be given to the newly ordained, priests in transition, priests entering their first pastorate, priests in midlife, and priests in the third age. The experience of temptation is a critical moment in the ongoing formation of newly ordained priests. The moving process is a particular challenge to diocesan priests whose incardination in a diocese defines them in terms of local geography and inclines them to a certain stability. Hence, their formation in its different aspects must have a fundamentally pastoral . Consultants to the committee are the following: Very Rev. Bishop of Colorado Springs In technical terms, these questions reflect concerns that are existential, generative, and eschatological. Often in a given diocese, they share a common formational history and common experiences in entering priestly ministry. That more people live longer and continue to lead active lives is the result of developments in medicine and other benefits associated with living today in the United States. There is a shared task and challenge for the parish, the ministerial staff, and the newly ordained: to listen, to learn, to dialogue, and to stay faithful to the God-given mission and life of the Church.Celibate Identity: Newly ordained have been prepared for consecrated celibacy in the seminary, have made the public commitment at ordination, and have lived celibately prior to ordination. It offers a hope for living life more efficiently, with less drag due to the psychopathology of daily life that can weigh us down. Though spiritual formation and discipleship both involve a process of growth and change, spiritual formation is directed by the transformative work of the Holy Spirit in the believer's life, whereas discipleship is the ongoing process by which the believer learns to live as a transformed individual. To be a pastor of a parish, then, is no simple matter. The designated person can offer encouragement and provide some challenge to the person in transition. Priests, of course, are no exception to patterns of human development, including the season of midlife. They offer a fresh perspective, an encouragement extended to young men to consider a vocation to priestly ministry, and a general renewal of energy and enthusiasm in the local church community.Peers Particular cultural needs may be served by specific centers that can give an orientation to various pastoral situations, for example, parishioners who are Hispanic, African American, rural, migrant, or urban.Conclusion Dante saw this time (nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita) as an opportunity to re-examine life and re-establish one's direction. Another connection of great importance for priests at midlife is with their bishop. The 1983 Code of Canon Law follows the footsteps of Vatican II and describes a parish this way: "A parish is a definite community of the Christian faithful established on a stable basis within a particular church; the pastoral care of the parish is entrusted to a pastor as its own shepherd under the authority of the diocesan bishop" (can. Humanly and personally, the new beginning beckons priests to an expanded and deepened sense of life, the natural correlative of priestly ministry as a deep interpersonal engagement. Priests are part of the graying of America. The Directory on the Ministry and Life of Priests expresses it in this way: "The elderly priests or those advanced in years who merit special consideration, enter in the vital circle of ongoing formation, not so much regarding thorough study and discussion of cultural subjects, but rather the calm and reassuring confirmation of the part which they are still called to play in the presbyterate'" (no. It can also invite us to re-affirm our commitments and re-dedicate ourselves in priestly ministry, while also calling us to realign the way we do things or to a fuller conversion of heart. The responsibility and the agency of individual priests is manifested above all in their deliberate commitment to grow personally, intellectually, pastorally, and spiritually. They need encouragement, genuine appreciation, a new deepening in all aspects of formation with the purpose of examining their actions, and a re-awakening of the motivation underlying the sacred ministry. Thus, every movement, including priests' changes of assignment, becomes an occasion for living out an ongoing conversion of life.Programmatic Responses to Transitions in Priestly Ministry This means that in addition to an internalized sense of self as conformed to Christ Head and Shepherd, an internalized and cultivated disposition to give oneself as Christ did also is present. It is a task and challenge for newly ordained priests to claim their priestly identity through their sacramental, ministerial, and fraternal connections with the bishop and the presbyterate. Check out this way that Dave Currie defines spiritual formation. In the Church, the responsibility of midlife priests is shaped differently but is also directed to two generations, predecessors and successors.Spiritual Priestly ordination signals another departure from student status, the state of being "in preparation for," to the status of a recognized and activated worker or minister of the Gospel. Although gratitude may rise within oneself spontaneously, vocalizing gratitude or saying thank you is a deliberate task and challenge. The sharing of experience may include dialogue with other peers who are experiencing or who have recently experienced a change in assignment. What Is Spiritual Formationand Why Does It Matter? This thought generated two prominent questions in my mind. The end of spiritual and human formation in the seminary is pastoral charity. The corporate sense of priestly identity and mission, although not fully developed even in official documents, is clearly emerging as an important direction for the future.Pastores Dabo Vobis, no. 78). Its issues, vulnerabilities, and possibilities are alive in us somewhere between the ages of forty to sixty. In retirement they do not cease to be priests, even if there is a shift in what they do as priests or in the specific responsibilities they have as priests. It is also something consciously appropriated. 2. Other gatherings of priests and laity ought to make special provision for "the elders among them," so that their wisdom and grace can be acknowledged and more generously shared. Pastors exercise a ministry of sanctification by celebrating the sacraments and leading their people in prayer. The newly ordained arrive in a new community and settle into new living arrangements. The process of change uncovers our fragility and vulnerability. Spiritual Formation | Duke Divinity School To resist that temptation, however, may bring one to a purified faith, a single trust, and a sustained "yes" to God in the face of seemingly pervasive negativity.Graces Discernment for the newly ordained and for everyone occurs in an ecclesial context in which we rely on the Holy Spirit at work in the community of faith and among particular believers in the community. Documents of the universal Church strongly urge ongoing formation for priests in the context of midlife. The ongoing formation of pastors, especially new pastors, aims to draw . The Second General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. Our destiny is union with the Triune GodFather, Son, and Holy Spirit. In solitude they can move beyond managing the transition to allow themselves to be carried by the love of God and the faith of the people they serve. They also have the task of appropriating and living the more external dimensions of their priestly identity that stem from their unique relationships to the bishop and presbyterate and to the Church. 76). The complexity of priestly identity gives rise to the differentiated programmatic dimensions of formation, designed to address the human, intellectual, pastoral, and spiritual aspects of priestly existence and identity. Because of the multiple demands, one can easily forget the point, the purpose, and, really, the sense of the parish's and pastor's mission. The demographic reality indicates that many priests are currently in this season of life, and how they respond to what midlife offers will be decisive for priestly ministry and life in this nation. Another, often challenging task of leave-taking is to let go of past hurts or to try to heal them. D.Min. Track: Spiritual Formation and Soul Care - Biola University Clearly, the pastor locithe "pastor of the place" engages in the priestly tasks of proclamation, sanctification, and governance for this portion of God's people. An initial practical task is to bring closure to the seminary experience. Often, this is tied to very specific issues, for example, the business function of pastoring. We commit ourselves to reminding our priests of the importance of ongoing formation. The event or season of midlife sets an important context for priests' spiritual journey. The first flush of priestly ministry can engender a "high," an ego-stroking sense that one can "take on the world." It truly is co-extensive with life itself. Pastors serve the complex realities of parishes. 7. Dallas told me he was glad people were. This is clearly stated in Pastores Dabo Vobis, no. For example, the very process of moving can occasion a review or gathering of ministry and commitment. The ingredients are (1) sharing of experience, (2) apt solitude, (3) appropriate breaks, and (4) follow-up. Viewed in this perspective, assignment changes parallel processes in business, education, government, or the military. Because of their position in the community, pastors ought to have a sense of the whole. The spiritual meaning of celibacy as a loving and life-giving way of life needs to be personally re-appropriated by senior priests. In the midst of the complexities of midlife that bind together diminishment in some ways with expanded possibilities in others, the spiritual tasks and challenges are quite real and not unlike those of other times of life. Formation attends to them. They may have "a certain sense of having had enough'" (PDV, no. It is also and more deeply an occasion of grace, when God's presence is more manifest and when we recognize that we move not simply by our own power but in virtue of the one who loves us. The spiritual growth implicit in this process of preparation is an ever-greater dependence on God. Their special gifts to the Church emerge. The Spiritual Formation and Worship Pastor comprises various responsibilities in two specific areas of ministry: 1. The faithful indeed, by virtue of their royal priesthood, participate in the offering of the Eucharist. Their humanity reflects a complex make-up, the different dimensions of what it means to be human. "15 Thus while all the baptized participate in the priesthood of Christ, some are called and ordained to minister to all of the faithful. 5 Facets in Spiritual Formation | Christian Bible Studies A more fully developed synthesis appears in the appendix to this document. Faced with so much that is so new, multiple demands, and the often unrealistic expectations of even well-intentioned people, newly ordained priests can be tempted to lock into controllable frameworks, familiar routines, and predictable patterns of ordering reality. These temptations of pastoral ministry are no different. 29, says, "The Church, as the Spouse of Jesus Christ, wishes to be loved by the priest in the total and exclusive manner in which Jesus Christ her Head and Spouse loved her. In faith, we believe that our lives are more than the sum of biological, psychological, and sociological processes. What is genuine, authentic, and holy? It also affords a promise and an invitation to new life. A certain taedium vitae, a weariness of life, can set in; it is something that sets the stage for acedia, the noonday devil on the spiritual journey. Finally, priests face the challenge of holding fast to the confident center of their lives in Jesus Christ who is the great source of continuity in the midst of change. She has pastoral and missionary experience stateside and overseas. Faith speaks to such concerns. "14 They were to minister in a special way to those with whom they were united in the body of Christ, a body in which "all members have not the same function. They leave, they arrive, they sense inner movements. There is, nevertheless, a real newness in receiving and claiming these as a pastor. of the Holy Spirit transforming. A Good Beginning: Ongoing Formation in the First Years of Priesthood, B. Priests in Transition: Ongoing Formation and Changes of Assignment, C. Priests as Pastors: Ongoing Formation and the First Pastorate, D. Priests at Midlife: Ongoing Formation after a Certain Number of Years, E. Priests Growing in Wisdom and Grace: Ongoing Formation and Senior Clergy, B. Most importantly, the designated person can remind the person in transition that what is happening is a holy moment, a part of the Church's larger mission and an offer of grace.
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