The Holy Father addressed the bishops of the Syro-Malabar Church in India today as part of their ad limina visit to Rome. He spoke of a number of things, but one thing caught my attention — the need for ongoing formation after ordination or religious profession of vows.
He said, “The Church insists that preparation for religious profession is to be marked by long and careful discernment with the goal of ensuring… that each candidate is firmly rooted in Christ, solid in his or her capacity for genuine commitment and joyful in the gift of self to Jesus Christ and his Church. Furthermore, by its nature, formation is never completed, but is ongoing and must be an integral part of daily life of each individual and community. Much needs to be done in this area, utilizing the many resources available in your Church, above all through deeper training in the practice of prayer…. and the intellectual demands of a solid pastoral practice. I encourage you,…. to plan effectively for such a solid ongoing formation….” (Italics mine. Original language is English.)
For those of us in the diaconate, continuing formation is a real challenge. We need diocesan support for opportunities and means. For many of us deacons, the realities of life, family, work and economics make ongoing formation, especially in the area of intellectual formation, a real challenge. Yet, as the Holy Father has said, the Church insists on it and the nuturing of our vocations demands it.
One thing I recall in formation prior to ordination was our director stating that a lot of diaconal ministry revolves around time management and keeping balance. Let us not neglect ourselves in our ministry to others.
