The task of being attractive to young people and forming them as people for the total consecration of themselves to God in the following of Christ, at the service of the Church’ mission is always primarily concerning of the Church. Particularly, in the “Vita Consecrata”, the synod Assembly had paid special attention to the formation of those people. Thus, the question was raised, how to prepare those people for the total consecration of themselves to God in following of Christ, at the service of the Church was addressed in large space of the document.
To answer this question, for synod Assembly, the ones who desire to consecrate themselves to God should undergo the formation in which they would respond to God in responsible and mature way. In the experiences, the Church have encountered a lot of cases in which many people say Yes to God because of some personal interests. Thus, when they encountered difficulties or trials in life, they easily gave up their vocation. To limit this situation, the respective congregations or institutions should find a kind of formation so that seminarians are able to open themselves to the Holy Spirit to work and consequently respond to God’s call generously in faith.
Besides, formators are challenge to prepare formation in which it has profoundly effect on them in individual. Thus, formation should include proposal or immersion’s moments so that seminarians have a chance to immerse into the real life of people. For the very purpose of consecrated life is conformity to the Lord Jesus in his total self-giving, this must also be the principal objective of formation. The manner of preparing for it should include and express the character of the wholeness. Thus, formation should involve the whole person, in every aspect of personality, behavior, and intention. It must be also clear that the commitment to formation never ends. In other words, it is unfolding formation process. It is because at every stage of life, consecrated persons must be offered opportunities to grow in their commitment to the charism and mission of their Institute. Therefore, the consecrated persons must be provided enough a human, academic, cultural, spiritual, and pastoral preparation and pay attention for integration of all aspects. In order to obtain these goals, what should the responsible persons for formation do?
They have no way but first understand that formation is a sharing in the work of the Father who, through the Spirit, fashions inner attitudes of the Son in the hearts of young men and women. Thus, they should be a witness and an example of seeking for God and be able to accompany with others on this vocation journey. Hence, they themselves discovered the beauty of following Christ and the value of the charism. They are challenged to spend enough time and frequently for personal dialogue. The document also suggests to establish appropriate structures for training of those responsible for formation. However, it is not only for those who are responsible for formation but the work of formation should involve with the whole community and for the apostolate.
Indeed, the community is the important place of formation. It is because in the community, each one learns to live with those whom God has put in his or her side, accepting their positive traits along with their differences and limitations and learns to share the gifts received for building up of all. In this very community, seminarians may discover the essential missionary dimension of the consecration. Thus, during this period, the congregation should provide for candidate enough practical experiences, enabling candidates to test, in the context of the local culture, their skills for the apostolate, their ability to adapt and their spirit of initiative. Besides, it is also important to help them develop critical judgment based on the Gospel regarding to positive and negative values of their own culture and other cultures. Another dimension of the formation that Synod fathers earnestly asked for all institutes of consecrated life is to draw up the formation program by inspired by their charism which responds to the pressing needs today. In order to do that, they need to update daily information and situation of the world and the place where they are living and serving.
In short, through this document, the Synod fathers drew very clear and good picture of the essential image of formation process for the consecrated life. Particularly, they have addressed the primary objective of the formation process, the purpose of the consecrated life, principle of the formation, all aspects of preparation for the formation process in both candidates and formators. However, it seems that all information that Synod fathers gave as if general guidelines formation process and its preparation but not deepen more on the reality, the causes of the problem involving with formation process that The Church has encountered through ages. So that each institute of the Consecrated life can see in what part of formation process needs to focus more and how to resolve it. Honestly, in general image of formation process such as the purpose, the principle of formation, I think that every congregation know it very well. Thus, for me, the Synod fathers left very big task to each congregation to find out the appropriate formation process for their own institute so that they may manifest their own charism and active and fruitful in their mission. It is very challenged for each one of us to be creative in living out our charism and apostolate which we take from the main stream of the Church’s Charism and our congregation.
Sr. Hồng Ngân, LHC.TD
