On Spiritual Formation


In some religious orders, graduates of the ‘program’ take what is called a vow of obedience.  Part of that vow of obedience is submission to and obedience to a superior who will give appropriate direction in people’s lives.  



After ‘handing yourself over to someone else’s directions,’ you will potentially have issues or concerns with what you are being told to do or, where you are being told to go. 


It has been suggested that if you look at life as a series of hoops to jump through, you are always looking at the end as your ultimate goal.


What about this approach?  Each event in life.  Every pain in life.  Every mistake.  Every victory.  Every decision.  Every trial.  Every hurt.  Every love.  Every enemy.  EVERYTHING is something used by God to form you!


What if God is more interested in forming you into the person he needs you to be rather than achieving your end goal?  I have recently had the conversation with God about my life.  Now that I am past 60, I sense that I am a ‘lot more useful’ to God than I was at say, the age of 25.  I was complaining to God that it took me a long time to learn some incredibly valuable lessons.  From my vantage point, if God had trained me earlier I would have been more useful for a longer period of time.


But that is all wrong thinking.  That is thinking — end goal only.  It’s not thinking of the process of formation.  Each step of life is a training opportunity for God to form Christ within us.

Who of us doesn’t want to be more like Christ?
Who of us aren’t —to be honest—peeved that others are more like Christ?

Why aren’t we?
We miss class!  We skip the class.  We are simply wanting to graduate—get the diploma!


Why do miserable things keep happening?  Simple—God has his program!  He wants to form Christ within us.  He wants others to mistake us for Jesus Christ in attitude, actions, desires, character, etc.


So let’s get to class—and pay attention!


(adapted James Martin SJ The Jesuit Guide to Almost Everything)

Comments

  1. Anonymous15 October 2020 at 11:08

    As I read your blog, I think that my foot had a ball and chain on many of those "hoops" I jumped through during my 60+ years! Some of my own doing and others that I allowed situations keep me trapped in, stealing my joy and happiness. A quote is recently discovered; "don't stumble over something behind you," seems fairly logical, simple and easy, BUT, as I have come to realize that it's due to when one keeps going back into the traps of the past that cause the problems. I most enjoyed your blog and the ending of "So let's get to class----and pay attention! God bless!

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