Priestly Formation
Purgation, Illumination and Union
Susan Muto Comments Off on Purgation, Illumination and Union
From its earliest teachings to those of the present day, Christianity has promoted and emphasized a spiritual journey involving the transformation of body, mind and spirit in the pursuit of holiness and conformity to Christ. Such a pursuit has been elucidated as a threefold path, involving the dynamics of purgation, illumination and union. Purgation refers Read More
Configuration to Christ the Priest
Deacon James Keating Comments Off on Configuration to Christ the Priest
“Come, follow me” (Lk 18:22). Complex responses may be evoked in those who hear this simple invitation. In the context of the Gospel of Luke, the one receiving this invitation refused it and went away “sad” (v. 23). He could not or would not respond. Most humans, upon hearing this call, immediately count the cost, Read More
The Desert Experience
Bishop David J. Bonnar Comments Off on The Desert Experience
When I was a seminarian living at the North American College in Rome, our formators used to speak about priestly formation as a “desert experience.” Even though we were nestled in one of the largest cities in the world with so much noise and traffic, there was something to be said about this imagery. Formation Read More
A Storehouse of Treasures
Father Ronald D. Witherup Comments Off on A Storehouse of Treasures
Matthew’s Gospel quotes a saying of Jesus that might well describe a priest’s identity as minister of word and sacrament: “Every scribe trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings from his treasure both the new and the old” (cf. Mt 13:52, my translation). What treasures new and old do we Read More
A Self-Examination in Light of the Four Pillars of Formation
Father Thomas Berg 1
One would hope that the solitudes and stresses of these past several months have brought us to a place of deeper reflection on our priesthood. To that end, in what follows, I offer a series of reflections and questions for self-examination. The questions (hardly exhaustive) are inspired in light of the traditional four “pillars” of Read More
A Lifelong Journey
Father Thomas Dragga Comments Off on A Lifelong Journey
The 15th-century artist Andrei Rublev’s icon of the Holy Trinity is pretty familiar. This image of the Trinity can serve as the basis for our life as a presbyterate and our call to lifelong learning and formation for the sake of God’s people. The icon is inspired by Genesis 18 when Abraham and Sarah offer Read More
Thy Will Be Done
Father Dennis J. Billy Comments Off on Thy Will Be Done
Alphonsus de Liguori’s short treatise “Conformity to the Will of God” numbers among the most focused and practical of his spiritual writings. In it, he provides his readers with a simple and straightforward explanation of the road to holiness: “All perfection in the love of God consists in the union of our own will with Read More
The Spiritual Practice of Letting Go and Receiving
Father Ronald Patrick Raab Comments Off on The Spiritual Practice of Letting Go and Receiving
In the summer of 1999, I attended a retreat and conference at the University of Notre Dame. Our retreat master spoke on the topics of prayer and the spiritual life. The wise priest insisted that if we were serious about finding God we should give a physical possession away every day. He said when we Read More