Guide to Ongoing Formation for Priests (Ascension)

GOFP 213

Guide to Ongoing Formation for Priests

heart that is turned inward in pride and insecurity. In addition, obedience involves an openness to serve the Church in whatever capacity the diocesan bishop asks and a willingness, as he is able, to learn other languages or develop new pastoral skills. Last, simplicity of life can take root only in a heart freed from the grasping demands of materialism, consumerism, and other disordered affections. 178 Uprooting these vices, so common in the modern world, is a precondition for a fuller embrace of simplicity of life and preparation for priestly ministry. 179 213 The first marker of pastoral maturity, then, is the freedom to live as a man for others; to be chaste, humble, and simple; and to live as a shepherd prepared to defend his sheep from the wolves and care for them with an authentic and Christlike love. Spiritual Sonship 214 A second marker of pastoral formation in a priest is the eager embrace of our primary vocation to Christian discipleship. To be good spiritual fathers, priests must first be good spiritual sons. or recommended by the Sovereign Pontiff, their own bishop, or other superiors.” PO, no. 15. See also CIC, c. 273. 178 “Each priest is called to live the virtue of poverty which consists essentially in consigning his heart to Christ as the true treasure, and not to material things. The priest, whose inheritance is the Lord (see Nm 18:20), knows that his mission, like that of the Church, takes place in the midst of the world and that created goods are necessary for the personal development of man. Nonetheless, he will use such goods with a sense of responsibility, moderation, upright intention and detachment proper to him who has his treasure in heaven and knows that everything is to be used for the edification of the Kingdom of God (Lk 10:7; Mt 10:9-10; 1 Cor 9:14; Gal 6:6) (see PO, no. 17; John Paul II, General Audience, July 21, 1993, no. 3).” DMLP, no. 83. 179 “Lastly, even though the priest does not make a public promise of poverty, it is incumbent upon him to lead a simple life and abstain from whatever may smack of worldliness, thereby embracing voluntary poverty in order to follow Christ more closely. In all aspects (living quarters, means of transportation, vacations, etc.) the priest is to eliminate any kind of affectation and luxury. In this sense the priest must battle every day in order not to lapse into consumerism and the easy life that pervade society in many parts of the world. A serious examination of conscience will help him to assess his tenor of life, his readiness to attend to the faithful and perform his duties; to ask himself if the means and things he uses respond to true need or if he may not be seeking convenience and comfort, taking flight from sacrifice. Precisely at stake in the consistency between what he says and what he does, especially with respect to poverty, are the priest’s credibility and apostolic effectiveness.” DMLP, no. 83. See also CIC, c. 282 §1.

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