EAO 2008 – Formation of formators –day three
Theme: Personalization of formation
DAY THREE – JANUARY 4, 2008
Eucharist: presided by Fr. Rolo Alcasid – homily (First Friday of the month, of the year; Focus on the Gospel – What do you want from me? Come and see!)
TOPIC: THE CHRISTIAN VIEW OF PSYCHOLOGY
AM session:
EAO mobile: Wrap up of yesterday: broadening our paradigm – of course eclectic way (when we speak or offer some program about sexuality. Definition of RL does include the vows.
Vowed life and Consecrated Life – consecration for the mission, in our salesian understanding the vows are in the core values of the. In the integral model we find God – in own life, in the communion, in the world – the living God present in all, God who integrates everything. (Explaining the ‘main body’ structure of SDB Constitutions).
Challenge remaining: 1. Names to certain ‘practices’ – stressing just one element due to the historical, cultural situation – can vary from time to time. 2. The key is the process itself (5 aspects of Lonegan – experience, understanding, valuing – discernment, doing)
Mike introduction:
Where we start from? More powerful one, are the implicite assumptions – that I’m not aware about. How I imagine, that people change, that people learn? It’s important to know, where I stand: all these assumptions are important for the formative process. You hope, people would have in the team a basic agreement, how they understand the Church, RL, the process of learning, of vocational growth – it having a big impact on our work, on our preaching service as well. Yesterday we tried to look for paradigm – the whole set of practices, believes we carry on. We need, the formandi – ‘this is my hope for this year – this is my expectation’ – as formators in teaching. In our present time there teaching plan should be approved, also being supervised – this is not happening in our formation, there is no accountability. Who is my superviser – this is a key element in learning, but in RL circles we don’t! (maybe only hidden). We should keep our own assessment as formators, it keeps us in disadvantage. We try to sharpen – what should be done, what is the impact. It needs be monitored, talked about. This is the new thing about formation at the present time. The openness – people watching us, the best is to made the observations in the teaching (class), but never did see it ithe formation environment, just to be at mercy of the formators. We should have the same accountability as the secular teachers. Syllabus to be asked, it’s not our habit (dogma, philosophy), there is a dialogue between the professor and the students. (Irish story of 2.5 years to get the seminary professor to be accustomed to the teaching plans, curriculum, supervision).
Due to that, for two days we were looking at our assumptions about the church, the world, the religious life.
Feedback: Invite supervision into formation field? Somebody who is in touch with us – about celibacy, motivations – asking the expert to supervise. But some psychologist are not helpful to formation. The humanistic psychologist have problem with God experience. Big problems seen with that. For example – some psychologist presumed: if you were never sexually active, you can’t be mature” – don’t’ call this psychology. For example what do you teach in the novitiate about ‘celibacy’, how do you go to present it, in what paradigm?
That’s a working process, not many congregations are doing it. We should continue slowly.
EAO mobile: For the next 6 years we are in the process of personalization (Fr. Cereda’s direction for the future – if ever is in charge). In the vocational fragility survey – ‘there was no process’ in formation, the vocational accompaniment was lacking.
Some essentials of our ‘being religious – missionaries’?
We are lost in details, need to look continually about essentials. Ask the formandi ‘what does mean for the prenovices, novices’ express in the ‘power point’ presentation / or display. That is the methodology of integration for the formandi. It’s not banking, it’s participative. The student is the one who is the subject of the learning.
Fr. Mike showing some “Examples of one exercise of young candidates shown (ppt – international congregation)”:
- Symbols of themes: angels, bible, prayer, priest – consecration, being more, like Jesus in, the listener – Jesus, loving presence (no need of telling I love you, but demonstrated in attitude, sharing of life – resources, listening to Father’s will
- Trinitarian relationship in the RL, help to find God amidst the life, people listening together (summary of sisters group)
- Group identity: Trinitarian spirituality, following Jesus – international congregations, in missionary service all over the world
- Why are we doing this? God has put us here for his purpouse, God will accomplish his plan, with or without us, he has never withheld his calling (work) from his children, if they only ask; he want to join God the Father in His work, instead of asking him to join us in ours.
- Fundamentals: empowering choices of the candidates (without fear!)
OUR WAY HIS WAY (summary)
Personal agenda, Empty hands
Cycle of fear Circle of faith
It’s all about me It’s not about you
Chosen few Each one
Science politics House of decisions
Joshua 24,15
- Strategic foundation: God’s calling to us
(cost of the discipleship, after experience of his presence: mystiques and ascetism)
Mission (purpouse), Values (boundaries),…
- What does it mean?
He is already calling you to join Him
- We pray for?
Discernment
Discerning leaders
Wiling hands and minds
Resources
We celebrate what God has done in and through all… (now, not after my ordination)
This gives joy to God, mutual exchange with God (noble purpose – make God joyfull…) A shift from not offending God to willing participation in the God’s mission.
- Symbol living
Symbol what is seen
What is not seen
Intuited reality –his presence, sensed
His mission for us
The mission of Trinity is..
Teaching, serving, reaching& sharing Christ…
Sharing in small groups:
It’s happening in the daily life (ex: during the gospel sharing, community planning and evalution, apostolate preparation and evaluation) ; as Jesus did, as Don Bosco did; asking questions, making formandi aware: KOR
Personal plan of life, formation plan (objectives given, but strategies made together in the formation community): FIN
God is transcendent and Incarnated, working through individuals and community (AUL)
God is totally immanent, because is totally transcendent and viceversa (CIN)
Supervision – matter of couching, help the disciples how to learn, to assimilate the skills. How can I work out (couch can teach the swimming, but everybody has the personal limitations, everybody can work out, what is the best for him). When we go back to our places, the follow up is very important – supervision of EAO mobile team is requested..
Mike:
‘Formator’ is big word (only in the RL context), better to talk about ‘mentor’. Latin words never works in English – formator is above the formandi,… ‘Facilitator’ sounds better.
Preliminary to the talk
PSYCHOLOGY in the philosophical roots (ppt)
SELF and VIRTUES in Greek philosophy
Socrates – Courage – what kinds of courage?
Does not run away. Fighting is not ever courageous. Too narrow and too broad.
Purity – single minded – pure heart, not narrowly applicated only to the 6&9.commandment.
All virtues are connected
Weakness of will
I know I should exercise
But I don’t’ want to
So I don’t.
Knowing the better.
Don’t the worse.
WHY? – common experience, if you ‘really know’ (Socrates)
Teaching - information is not enough.
NB: Reinoso – Virtue is the habit to do good. Human learning and growing.
Making distinctions – for the FORMATION PROCESS
Platons’ divided soul – an existential divided unity (possible fight each other/ or harmonized)
Rational element: (reason) - thinks
Appetivive element: (desire) - wants
Spirited element: (will) – feels
We should be careful not put the 3 elements against each other. If we overemphasize just one, the imbalance is creating the (in the church history: agree contra…) non productive formation growth – partial growth. Human growth is the harmonization of all 3 elements.
A huge importance for formation! We are looking for the internal consistency (Rulla).
Formation is to look for the consistency, to surface the
Agere sequitur esse! Action follows being, who you are!
If you have conflicts in yourself, you will show confusing actions!
Comparison to the chariot ( Plato’s soul) – a hidden reality (noble and not noble horse…)
So we help the formandi to verbalize their inner dynamics (desire vs. will, reason vs….) This is the being of humanity, these different kinds of conflicts.
Kinds of conflict
Conflicts put parts of the soul pull in different directions
Rational vs. appetitive element
Appetitive vs. spirited element
Rational vs. spirited element
Before you begin to start two conditions.
1. you know yourself
2. the humility to accept yourself as you are (being)- huge conditions for change
But we have many masks, patience, tolerance towards myself – to create the accepting attitude is the ground work, basis for growth. If you are hating, disliking yourself no way to grow.
Sharing – open forum
Without using the self-rejection, we bring it softly ‘if you like to be a salesian, you should ALSO be ready to change’.
It struck me a very subtle judgement, you imply a rejection – even if saying ‘an acceptance’. It’s not giving a challenge to the candidate?
Agree, but it’s at much later stage.
The other part would not happen without acceptance (=the change!)
Here and now, is the place you are loved.
The yearly years of formation slowly help them to accept them, only later on articulating and help them to discern. For this one the prenovitate stage is very important.
Who is the driver (charioteer?) = for Plato would be the higher self, for us differently.
A lot of our action is not sinful, it opens a large perspective.
A person is existencially divided unity, also experientially divided unity. The reason, the will, the appetites.
Recognize the ITM position. SDB showing, what should be the ideal Salesian. In such a way of forming, we are molding, when rather helping to grow the seed. Sometimes we say, here is a mango, but the vocational seed is a banana. And person is going out of the seminary, feeling he is not good enough because became banana and not mango.
We ‘close’ identity. It’s a matter of timing.
In past with the neophytes we formed salesian before forming Christians, also before human maturity.
The journey is more nuanced than the teaching
First step of self acceptance, self journey.
Formation Delegate meeting (October 2007) we recognized the Aspirantate should be longer, to prepare them better. To remove this time-frame is important.. But for the novitiate, there is a external pressure, “If I ndont’ take profession with my companions, ordained…in time. Becoming reject, slow learner”.
Plato is true, but not complete. Coming to it later.
德
Virtue as rational control = as solution of this conflict
- lot of our formation followed this path
- subjecting the un-noble horses to the firm control of the driver (reason)
- each must play his proper role
Now we miss teachers to explain the concept of SIN clearly:
- difficulty to express it
- SIN: grave matter – clear knowledge – full consent (church criteria for mortal sin)
- Plato forgot one element
- With the primitive catechesis faithful, how do I describe in adult terms wrongdoing
- Transition period in the Church: is not fruitful to the old formulas, with courage look for the new expressions.
Virtue as balance
- Each part of the soul has its role to play, a function
Aristotle insight about GOODS
– instrumental goods (desire is good in itself) ex: vows are good as instruments for union with God, following Jesus; in the DB’s diamond dream the vows are at the back…
- intrinsic goods (desired for their own sake) ex:
Formation (should be tailored for the individual)
= stages, no class, group formation – in big numbers formation is ‘impossible’
= appropriate, proportionate, experiential, individual formation frame (Rulla)
= we form the concrete man/women (common - generic formation impossible: same exercice fit all, when the class breaks down, all collapses….)
Q: You can’t ask to have 30 minute meditation if they are not (proportionate goal according the personal capacity – starting with 5-10 minutes).
Happiness? What will make you happy? (Aristotle)
One thing is always desired for its own sake, never for the sake of something else: happiness
Happiness: eudaimonia = living well – flourishing
What does that’ require? Prosperity and luck, yes, but more.
Never for something else, only when something is desired for itself.
n Adapted for the Relationship with God – desire God for Himself, not what he is giving me. (Frankl: Happiness is a by product)
n If you live well, you are happy: Analogies – a good knife cuts well (= a good, happy knife; Good teacher – happy teacher, Good persons performs his life well, function?)
n What is the function of the good person?
What is the function of the human being? = what is special about human being.
l Basic question of Ignatius during the 40 days retreat
l What is special about the human being (eyes – to see, teacher – to teach…)
l Premise of the reason: human acts according the human reason (consistent)
Virtue – excellence
l Two kinds – in rationality, intellectual virtue; in activity, moral virtue
Q: We can’t avoid that theology is based on a good philosophy, good knowledge of human nature.
Q: WE SDB since ever emphasize the ‘will power’ (see Dominic Savio –I want to become a saint!).
A: Agree – the will needs the rational soul, if not the will is blind. For the human growth we need the harmony. But you don’t tell him ‘you want this’, he must do by himself. [in the mall, I can just give you money for bying one doll. What is the dilemma of the child? Going around for one hour! He wants (really) all dolls! – it’s the same dilemma of Aristotle – Choose just one! Why did he throw just the new one? It’s too painful, since he wanted all, not just one. We should have the patience with the young, they should find by themselves what they want (Ignatius – Francis Xavier: talk – what do you know? And then what?...pushed … getting old? Die? And then what? – was leading a journey. The gospel is calling you? He helped Francis conclude himself. We stop, we don’t push the questions.
Q: The appreciation of what is my innermost desire, is very important for . Its plocks people for desiring.
A: We will know, what is the truly desiring. Some priest left the ministry. In the past they were attracted in the context, when were afraid to meet girls (cultural envrionemtn). And so, later on, when they become more confident about themselves, Maria comes, he can talk, enjoy her company and ….. Social shyness is a big problem for many cultures.. (Filipinos)