“Spiritual formation . . . should be conducted in such a way that the students may learn to live in intimate and unceasing union with God the Father through his Son Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit. Those who are to take on the likeness of Christ the priest by sacred ordination should form the habit of drawing close to him as friends in every detail of their lives. They should live his paschal mystery in such a way that they will know how to initiate into it the people committed to their charge.
They should be taught to seek Christ in faithful meditation on the word of God and in active participation in the sacred mysteries of the Church, especially the Eucharist and the Divine Office” (Pastores Dabo Vobis, n. 43; Optatem Totius, 8).
“Just as for all the faithful spiritual formation is central and unifies their being and living as Christians, that is, as new creatures in Christ who walk in the spirit, so too, for every priest, his spiritual formation is the core which unifies and gives life to his being and his acting as a priest… Those who are to take on the likeness of Christ, the priest, by sacred ordination, should form the habit of drawing close to him as friends in every detail of their lives.” (PDV 45)
Primary Outcome: To cultivate a deep and personal friendship with Christ in order to communicate the strength of Christ’s love to others.
How do I advance in the spiritual life?
- By regularly meeting for spiritual direction with a faithful, qualified spiritual director
- By acquiring the holy habit of good spiritual reading
- By growing in greater virtue and love of God
- By seeking to be better trained and more properly disposed to the Sacred Liturgy as the source and summit of daily life
- By faithfully engaging in public prayer including Holy Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours on a daily basis, regular reception of the Sacrament of Penance
- By faithfully engaging in private prayer including the habit of mental prayer and the practice of daily holy hour, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and devotion to Mary, especially through the rosary