Program of Priestly Formation (Ascension)

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Program of Priestly Formation

they might respond to that great grace. This prayer happens in a context of silence and solitude in which they learn to be attuned to God’s movements in their lives. It grows and develops into a “contemplative attitude” that learns to find God in all things. It matures in such a way that it allows for a balanced and unified rhythm of life in action and contemplation, work and prayer, while providing the future priest with the strength, meaning, and focus he will need in his life. h. Praying with the Fathers of the Church : Studying and meditating on the writings of the Fathers of both the East and the West provide “reliable sources of inspiration” to help address “the emergence of new currents of spirituality” that may be detrimental to the Christian faith or one’s vocation. 293 i. Devotions : Devotional prayer, especially centered on Eucharistic Adoration, the Blessed Virgin Mary—in particular the Rosary—and the saints, assists seminarians in assimilating the mystery of Christ and hearing the invitation to live that mystery in the particular circumstances of their own life. Devotional prayer helps to sustain and place in its proper context affective communication with the Lord and his Church. It also helps them to connect with the rich cultural diversity of devotional life in the United States and to appreciate devotional practices of other cultures. 294 j. Apostolic dimensions : “Spiritual formation also involves seeking Christ in people.” 295 Especially in a seminary context, seminarians are to learn how prayer is to be lived out in service of others, particularly the poor, the sick, sinners, unbelievers, and the stranger, but extended to all in the outreach of charity and mercy and in the quest for justice. Prayer is apostolic also in the sense that seminarians learn to pray for the needs of those they serve in order to teach others how to pray. Whatever growth and formation in prayer takes place, it is not 293 Congregation for Catholic Education, Instruction on the Study of the Fathers of the Church in the Formation of Priests , November 10, 1989, in Origins 19:34 (January 25, 1990): 551. 294 See CIC, 246 §3; CCEO, c. 346 §2, 5°. See Evangelii Gaudium , nos. 122-126. 295 Pastores Dabo Vobis , no. 49.

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