NDASeminarians Lifelong Journey towards Spiritual Development

 Nowadays, we are confronted with myriad of societal problems. The issues of drug addiction, rampant spreading of heinous crimes, life abuses, poverty, and many other concerns are clamors that strike on our minds. It seems to be annoying in our part because there were already several solutions and actions we took in order for these concerns to banish in our society. But we always failed to attain the desired goals that we have. We cannot refute to accept that we cannot change these horrific things to good just in a snap of our finger. We need superfluous efforts, infuse tremendous tasks and take risks in order to minimize little by little the concerns and issues that we are facing in the status quo.

            The role of forming and ameliorating ones spiritual aspect can be a strengthening factor to sustain and achieve our main goal of having spiritual developed individuals. Flourishing the spiritual needs of an individual will lead to positive and good outlook in life. It will develop and harmoniously cultivated the sense of knowledge, conduct and concentration towards common good. With these efforts, strong and formed spirituality will help the person to perform right action that conforms in the society. Hence, this is one way to respond the call of change to diminish societal problems towards nonviolent milieu.

In the Notre Dame Archdiocesan Seminary, seminarians are formed to become responsible individuals. It enlivens to promote, nourish and develop holistic development among seminarians especially on their spiritual aspect. Furthermore, it upholds competent, well disciplined and service oriented seminarians developed through formation programs guided by their rule of life.

Looking, at the community of seminarians, they entered the seminary purposely to become priests. They submit themselves for the formation to devote themselves for the service of the Church. Considering this goal, the seminary formation program wants to make these seminarians become truly and genuinely persons in the likeness of Christ Jesus. Thus, the four aspects of human person’s life must be developed in the context of seminary formation.

A seminarian should exercise his faith and love of prayer constantly to become closer and intimate to God. Besides with that love for prayer, he must also develop and do extremely well intellectually to become good and active priest in the future. Moreover, he `should be formed also in social and pastoral works so that he would be open to others and be prepared for his future duties and responsibilities. Subsequently, all these preparations in the context of seminary formation are somehow complementary and are of help to the spiritual maturity of the seminarians.

For a seminarian to become a man of God and of prayer he must grow in his spiritual life and that he “”…may learn to live in intimate and unceasing union with God the Father through his son Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit” (Pope John Paul II, 1992, p.124). Gradually, he must learn the love and devotion to prayer in his early stage of priestly formation. According to Pope John Paul II as stated:

Prayer should lead candidates for the priesthood to get to know and have experience of genuine meaning of Christian prayer, …a dialogue that becomes a sharing in the filial conversation between Jesus and the Father (p. 130).

            Prayer is so essential in one’s life and it is understood as contact with God, communicating with Him. Moreover, it solicits a generous response through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Thus, spiritual maturity of a seminarian is enhanced through devotion and love of prayer, Eucharistic celebration, reading the Scripture and other spiritual readings, group faith sharing, spiritual direction, retreat and recollections and spiritual conferences. These are also considered as the programs of the spiritual formation of the seminary.

            Moreover, there are instances that can be ready to lend a hand to fortify and increase the spirituality of seminarians. The formators themselves can be best example in instilling a strong faith in God in the hearts of seminarians. It is precisely because they are good teachers and witnesses of the faith to the seminarians. By their deeds, their actions, sharing and testimonies of their lives, confession, the formators can bequeath avenues to transmit and instill a strong and living faith to the hearts of seminarians. So, in some way or another, they should be agents of the spiritual progress of seminarians. It is significant, moreover, that these seminarians should manifest a profound love for prayer. They must be convinced that prayer is a vital element and constraint in their priestly life in the future. Furthermore, they must learn to pray, to use the moments of prayer in the best way, which give them the best result. For according to the Synod Fathers, “without spiritual formation pastoral formation would be left without foundation and that spiritual formation is an extremely important element of priest education” ” (Pope John Paul II, 1992, p.123-124).

According to the seminarians, it is very clear to them the existing policy and programs in regard to the spiritual formation inside the seminary and is of great help to them to be aware of such. Before entering the seminary, the aspirants are oriented and prepared for the seminary life. In fact, spiritual formation is the primary objective and given emphasis in the formation that the Notre Dame Archdiocesan Seminary wants the seminarians to undergo. They uphold the idea and concept of spiritual development among aspirants in preparation for priestly vocation. Consequently, the knowledge or awareness of the seminarians in this kind of formation helps them to understand fully on what road they must take or travel with the aid of programs and activities present. Furthermore, the wisdom that the seminarians possessed in understanding the situation of seminary life brings them good and positive feedback towards keeping this kind of formation possible. Subsequently, it enlightens the minds of the aspirants to enliven good intention and desire in following and fulfilling the kind of spiritual formation. The good intention that the seminarians are thinking of is because of the right view of what kind of spiritual formation they experience inside the seminary.

Therefore, the wisdom that the seminarians grasp from the spiritual formation of  Notre Dame Archdiocesan Seminary helps them to formulate the right view and right intention in relation to the cognitive aspect of wisdom of eightfold path. They will encounter in their lives ad hear the invitation of this life in a new way and to adopt a new way of living. In its crucial moments however everything depends on how these seminarians respond. It requires and motivates the seminarians to pull out their desire to outside pleasure, to enable them to resist from the feelings of anger and aversion and meant them to think positively and morally not of cruelty, violently or aggressively. Hence, it develops their compassion towards their chosen vocation specifically on their spiritual aspect.

With all the understanding and wisdom of what kind of spiritual formation the Notre Dame Archdiocesan Seminary has, it brings to the aspirants to respond accordingly without hesitation to the spiritual formation. They believe that the formation can help them to develop one’s spirituality. In this regard, they fully submit their whole self to the formation by following the rules of life religiously. In addition to that, by following the schedule and intended activities can elate their right intention of healthy spiritual life in the seminary. Hence, the predicament may lead to wealthy social environment to the seminarians which accord to their spirituality.

The day-to-day activities inside the seminary can cater a good practice which can secure the end view of their spiritual life. The inner life of the individual will become strengthened only when it energizes into the external world activity. Consequently, the right aspirations must find objective manifestation in right speech, right action and right living. “To abstain from falsehood, to abstain from backbiting, to abstain from harsh language and to abstain from frivolous talk is called right speech.” The words of one who inspires  to the higher life must be kind, open, truthful, unequivocal; encouraging to others and helpful in improving them; and free from vanity and bitterness of feeling. Hence, it is a good response to the principle of ethical conduct in the eightfold path. Right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, and right mindfulness are steps of eightfold pat that belong to ethical conduct. 

The ethical dimension of the dramatic historicity is found in the choice of an entire way of life. Just as any religion challenges its adherents in a very basic way so Buddhism invites persons to enter into a total way of life that gives overall meaning of one’s human existence. Such an ethical choice is far more basic that the following of moral code or the performance of a correct right action (Moga,  2007).

            The present challenge is concretely present in the opportunity given to the seminarians to choose to live in the spiritual formation way in the seminary. The future, insofar as it is authentic, is     concretely there in terms of the living to which the formation gives themselves here and now: compassionate existence, desirelessness, acceptance of the rule of life, acceptance of the present experience, simplicity and holiness. This ethical life is not found in the concept that is understood or an abstract goal that seminarians think about and walk forward. However, there are practices very similar to the status quo of the spiritual formation of the seminary life consist in the observance of all oral precepts and guided by the rule of life; in feeling fear, shame and remorse at the smallest violation of any of them; in not giving room for blame or disgust; in practicing those deeds which lead to moderation and contentment and in endeavoring to  induce all human beings to abandon evil and practice virtue or fully submit oneself to the formation for spiritual development.

            Furthermore, complementary to the goal of spiritual formation is the goal of path of purity which is subjective purification affected by right effort, right thought and right tranquility of mind. In this way, the seminarians practice in heroically mastering the passions so as to prevent bad qualities from arising; in suppressing sinful thoughts so as to put away bad qualities that have arisen. Consequently, they are formed to exercise goodness not previously existing and in increasing the goodness which already exists by fixed attention and application. Hence, this aims to cultivate a highly developed will to spiritual maturity.

            It is indeed that the seven steps of eightfold path have been followed and guided the seminarians in their spiritual formation. Subsequently, the seminarians are focused and directed towards specific venues of their goals. Through meditation, deep reflection and prayer, it directs the seminarians to follow the path of monastic life similar to the eightfold path that intends to lead the spiritual aspect of every individual. The set order of time, strict obedience to the superiors and a control of their bodies and minds are manifestations of exercising the right path towards spiritual development.   In the end, it is still the seminarians who will find and mold their own formation with their Ultimate Formator – God.

Think : Are they aware of the existing spiritual formation of the Notre Dame Archdiocesan Seminary? Do they consider that the Notre Dame Archdiocesan Seminary’s spiritual formation help them in their spiritual life? How? Do they think this kind of formation will strengthen their vocation towards priesthood? How do they respond on this kind of formation?