2012 REUNION YEAR OF VERIFYING “MY MENTALITY” A WAY TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH IN MY FORMATION FOR PRIESTLY LIFE BY OGUN IKECHUKWU FR
Verifying my mentality sincerely with love is a way of fighting my tepidity or spiritual lukewarm. Truly, nobody will ever like to be disappointed in life in all ramifications let alone when one is in for the formation to the Sacred Priesthood of Christ. One has to concretely love with consciousness and total docility to the Will of God through discernment. This verification of love is done through humility as we grow spiritually and otherwise. By this mentality-verification, we ought to place before us the concept of truth, that is, how things ought to be at any given time, more so for a life which is intrinsically and ontologically demanding of attentiveness in actions and words despite the current of our time. As common in the sayings: I thought you are a priest/seminarian or are you not a priest/seminarian, why are you following us in saying or doing these things. These spontaneous sayings and thoughts excusing us from not being involved or pointing to us which way to follow need an urgent rethinking by us (priests & priests-in-the-making.
Looking back on the liturgical invitation to mission when you began this year’s 2012 apostolic work on 15th July 2012, the 15th Sunday of the Ordinary Time of the year B, the Gospel of Mk.6:7-13, reminds us that we are sent two by two, and underlined thus: “Et praecepit eis ne quid tollerent in via, nisi virgam tantum: non peram, non panem neque in zona aes, sed calceatos sandaliis: et ne induerentur duabus tunicis - Don’t take anything with you on the trip except a walking stick-no bread, no beggar’s bag, no money in your pockets. Wear sandals, but don’t carry an extra shirt.” Mk.6:8-9. What does this mean to us? Were you able to carry these injunctions as you went on apostolic work this year? Even if you were not conscious of these missionary injunctions of Christ as you were preparing to go, when the gospel was read at the Mass what was your reaction and how did you implement it yourself as a priest-in-the-making who has been sent on a mission to a parish? While on the mission or apostolic work, were you wasteful of the people’s generousity by your unnecessary demands? Were you siphoning the people’s funds in any astute way? The habit does not make the monk, yet with the habit one identifies the monk, this aphorism refers to how you dress always while going for Catechism classes or home visitations or moving around, when you are not in the Church for the missionary assignments or even at home while on holidays. Is your ideology that of those who say we are in the modern time so we ought to be modern and follow the trend? What kind of mentality do you have of the priestly life which is and ought to be intrinsically and ontologically above the ideas of relativism? This ought to be rooted in the 3 Ws (WEALTH, WOMEN & WINE) A caveat about priestly life!
On the 26th August 2012, the 21st Sunday of the Ordinary Time of the year B, which was supposed to be the last day for the 2012 apostolic work, the Gospel of John 6: 60-69 presented us with some stock-taking questions and assertions following the teaching of Our Lord Jesus Christ as the Bread of Life: “Multi ergo audientes ex discipulis eius dixerunt: Durus est hic sermo, et quis potest eum audire? Sciens autem Iesus, apud semetipsum, quia murmurarent de hoc discipuli eius, dixit eis: Hoc vos scandalizat? – Many of his followers heard this and said, This teaching is too hard. Who can listen to it? Without being told, Jesus knew that they were grumbling about this, so he said to them, Does this scandalize you? ” Jn.6: 61-62. Were you very cosmetic or jelly-fish in your teachings or orthodox as Christ taught and wished that the Church should always follow? Were people scandalized in your water-logged or perforated spirituality or teachings and you confused many just to attract admirers? Did you preach Christ or take the apostolic work time to make friends for yourself? Were people scandalized by your presences because of your way of life which was totally opposite of your vocation to the Sacred priesthood? Were the people happy or sad when you were leaving? All your successes (which was as a result of the grace of God through your docility to the Divine Will) and failures (which was as a result of your distancing from the Divine Mandate) depended on you as a person, because they came from responsibility and free will that were governed by you! Therefore, let us reflect a bit over RESPONSIBILITY & FREEWILL: A DIVINE TOUCH?
If I so love or like to have or do something whatsoever, I must and ought to take responsibility for it.. For me to take only the joy therein without thinking of the aftermath of my actions make me irresponsible and faithless to God and to that which am performing most especially my vocation to the sacred priesthood or religious life. Every vocation must and ought to be followed with a total and sincere responsibility which involves free will. Therefore, this involvement has an undertone which is spiritual, moral and social as well, evident in the way we make friends, life of courtship, married life and above all vocation to the sacred priesthood or religious life. In our seemingly wise decisions in life which is so contrary to God’s way, God always show us the level of our ignorance and stupidity, He who is Wisdom par excellence. God talks to us via different means to convince us that we are ignorant without His Presence in our lives.
Looking at yourself, on how you have behaved out of your freewill privately or publicly without thinking of what others may say, why do you then blame others when things go wrong or when there is a manifestation of your stupidity? The inner voice (conscience) is ever a spiritual magnet that draws or pulls us to God through human relationship which is the bedrock of our spiritual and moral growth. In our journey towards sanctity of life as:
i) priests/priest-in-the-making we ought to be careful of what we are and be very fearful of the dignity this call entails.
ii) ii) As a consecrated person, your vows are always and ought to be your vademecum all through your life.
iii) iii) As a person living a single life, special care must and ought to be taken in the choices you make because these choices are freely made.
iv) In married life, attention must and ought to be focused on companionship filled with genuine love that is rooted in the consent made without deceit from both partners, remembering: “Quod ergo Deus coniunxit homo non separet – Therefore whatever God has joined (united) no one put asunder or separate.” Mtt.19:6; Mk.10: 9 (cfr. Gen.2:24).
v) Daily life as a youth: Ps.119: 9ff
REV FR PAUL IKECHUKWU OGUJIOFFOR (OKIGWE DIOCESE)
2012 SUMMER HOLIDAYS @ PARROCCHIA SAN MARTINO RICCIONE-ITALIA
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