The formation in the seminary ought to be geared towards sincere appreciation of the Christ’s mandate of austerity and total trust in Him, outside of our personal and ulterior intention towards sacred priesthood. What is my intention as being a candidate for the priesthood? What was or is my motivator in the priesthood? As a seminarian, what gives you joy most, in your journey to the priesthood? As a priest, what exactly are you aspiring more other than living your life ordinarily as a good priest? What is the rationale behind a deacon or a seminarian wearing the chasuble to snap a picture for an almanac before his priestly ordination or how do we interpret the action behind a priest wearing Episcopal garments to snap picture prior to his Episcopal consecration? This may appear or seem simple as a concept or an action, be it as it may, this has remote inclination towards a spiritual-porosity, which will eventually lead to spiritual-materialism be it apparent or cloudy.
The whole intention is a form of deceptive spirituality, for such actions are ontologically materialistic. The seminary formation is such that if seminarians devoutly follows the rules and regulations, and imbibe them seriously within the course of their formation, before or after ordination the candidates will be always exemplary in words and actions. With the ideas in this changing world, we should be careful not to allow it to change the standard therein in the holistic and integral formation of the seminary. Ambition is good it in itself but ambitiousness with selfish inclinations towards the spirituality is deceptive and wrong. We ought to correct our clandestine spirituality and channel our desires to the will of Him who calls us to the priesthood within and outside the seminary formation. The corruption of the just is the worst corruption ever. As we are to be spiritual leaders (pastors), it is obligatory to us to follow correctly the norms of life as to be mirror, sign and model to those entrusted to us by God. Our model life ought to be based on the charity work of Christ, who was seen doing good acts to all.
While in the seminary, a crafty act embellished with apparent spiritual activities by seminarians can easily lead to a mature self deceit and graduated dubious act in recurrent future manifestation in life in the priesthood. This can be seen in various forms in our priestly ministries, by the way we push ahead our own personal idiosyncrasies which have no spiritual value but clearly of materialistic undertone and mundane fame.
This write-up is as a result of a discussion about our priestly life with Rev Fr Geoffrey Maduabuchi Eboh on Friday September 25, 2009 at Santuario Monasterio di Montevergine Mercogliano Avellino Italia
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