Forming
Disciples at the School of Mary
After having read the previous post, one might wonder: in what consists Prophetical Theology? Here, in a summarised way, we offer an idea of how it could be done. We will see first "The Spirit of the Formation" in "Prophetical Theology", which will be followed by "The method of Formation", and finally by the "Contents of the Formation" (i.e. the topics).
The
spirit of the Formation
1-
“Disciples”
means that the accent in the formation is put on the student himself,
his/her capacity to digest and live the teaching and not on the
accumulation of knowledge/theology.
The
way of teaching theology is totally revolutionised in the School of
Mary. The centre of gravity is put on the inner spiritual life, the
experience of the Risen Lord, and all proceeds from there. The
students becomes a “Witness” of Jesus, allowing Jesus to grow in
him, and learning how to be led by the Holy Spirit.
So
growth and mentoring that growth is essential and the absolute
priority.
The
centre of gravity of the study is on forming the Disciple (his/her
spiritual life, the interior line), his capacity to handle the
contents of Theology, understand them by experience and not only in
an intellectual/abstract/historical way.
Having
the centre of gravity on the inner
line of formation
(see diagram below) doesn’t imply to neglect the exterior
line,
with all what it bears of objective teaching as it is today (Bible,
Dogma, Liturgy/Sacraments, Moral Theology, Pastoral Theology). On the
contrary it implies seeing clearly the bridges on each horizontal
level between the inner topic and the exterior expression of it.
Theology
according the Greek Fathers meant: Contemplation, and the higest
levels of contemplation, being in the Trinity. Contemplation is
central in this education.
2-
“Mary”:
Mary is not only the Archetype of the Theologian (his/her best
realisation) but as well his/her Mould. She guides him/her in his
growth, she forms him/her, silently, but efficiently, until her/she
reaches completion and can be a real solid witness to Christ. She is
the one who makes this way of making theology integral; by the
attention she brings into the formation of the theologian, she makes
theology complete. I would find it difficult to go astray from Mary.
We
should be able to hear the Lord saying to Our Lady: “Blessed are
you Woman, Mother of my Disciples, you offered the “Key of
knowledge”; you did enter yourself and you introduced those who
were entering.” (See Luke 11:52)
3-
Key of knowledge:
This way of forming disciples puts the interest in the spiritual
growth of the Disciple. In doing so we point out the fact that what
matters in “learning theology” is the transformation
(divinisation, sanctification) of the Disciple, his/her deep
knowledge of God, his/her experience of the Risen Lord and of the
Power of the Holy Spirit. It helps the future disciple to avoid
falling in the pitfall of an abstract knowledge of the history of
theology that remains conceptual and hardly ever experienced,
internalised, assimilated. He/she is enabled, step by step, to become
more and more resemblant to Christ, and therefore being able to
contemplate Him as He is (see 1 John 3:2). He becomes more and more
true Witness to the Risen Lord, capable of Evangelising and bearing
fruits. In this way we understand how Our Lady is really the Mother
of Evangelisation.
This
way for forming the future Disciple opens in him and through him the
“communication line” between the “Experience of God” and the
“Persons to Evangelise”. (Please see the green lines in the
second diagram below.)
The
method of Formation at
the School of Mary
Approach:
In order to have a solid Spiritual Life one needs to learn deep
prayer and establish new spiritual habits. Any solid formation
requires 3 years to implement the new habits, like Jesus did. This
length of time, and the faithfulness of the student during
this length of time to the practises of prayer, helps root them in
him/her.
By
establishing the deep spiritual life and its main tools
(contemplation), one then can address the other theological issues
(Bible, Dogma, Liturgy-Sacraments, Moral Theology, Pastoral
Theology), and “see” in a contemplative way all the links and
connections.
The
two lines of Formation (the inner line and the outer line) come as
follow:
Formation
in the School of Mary has the following classes:
1-
Theory of the Practice: The
Courses
in Spiritual Life (and normal Theology).
2-
Verifying the understanding of the Theory of Spiritual Life,
questions and answers: Workshops.
Seeing the applications.
3-
Practising
a minimum of 1 hour Lectio Divina and 1 hour of Prayer of the heart
as
classes time.
+ 1 extra hour of Prayer of the heart in the evening, at home.
4-
"One
to one" tuition/check up
of the practises (Lectio Divina and Prayer of the heart).
5-
The Students are invited to have regular Spiritual
Direction.
Monitoring
the spiritual growth comes in three different levels:
1-
The workshops
2-
The One to one tuition/check up.
3-
Spiritual Direction
The
"tools"
are in fact the daily practise of Lectio Divina and the Prayer of the
heart; they are ways to digest the Food taken at Mass: Jesus' Word
and Jesus' Body and Blood.
If
the person is faithful to that Program during the 3 years, then, in
the end you have a very good solid Disciple of Jesus, capable of
being useful to the Church and its Mission.
Topics
for an Integral Formation
Forming
Disciples at the “School of Mary”
Introductory
Course: Theology of the Call for Holiness.
Inner
line of formation
|
Bridge-Topics
|
Outer
line of formation
|
||
God
|
Theology
of listening
Lectio
divina
“Biblical
Inspiration” and “Spiritual Life”
Christian
Contemplation
|
Spiritual
exegesis
|
Bible
Exegesis
Canon,
Inspiration
Biblical
Theology
|
The
Persons
to
Evangelise
|
Experience
of the Trinity
Experience
of Christ
Experience
of the Holy Spirit
Experience
of Mary
The
spiritual experience of the Church
|
Trinity
in Spiritual Life
Christ
in Spiritual Life
The
Holy Spirit in Spiritual life
Mary
in Spiritual Life
Church
and Spiritual Life
|
Dogma
Trinity
Christology
Pneumatology
Ecclesiology
Mariology
|
||
Spirituality
of Priestly Gift of the Faithful
Martyrdom
Lectio
Divina
Prayer
of the heart – Lift up the heart
Digesting
the Sacraments
Rosary
|
“Fruitful
Participation” to the liturgy.
Liturgy
and Spiritual Life
Spirituality
of Baptism
Spirituality
of the Eucharist
Spirituality
of Marriage
|
Sacraments
Liturgy
|
||
Theological
Acts (Faith – Hope – Love)
Ups
and downs in SL
Synergy
with the Action of the Holy Spirit – Presence of God
|
Moral
Theology and Spiritual Theology
Confession
and Spiritual Direction
Perception
of sin in the examination of conscience
|
Moral
Theology
|
||
Discernment
– Counsel – Government
Spiritual
Direction
Spiritual
Pastoral
Being
fruitful
|
The
Holiness of the Priest/minister in his ministry
Pastoral
techniques under the light of Spiritual Life.
Pastoral
orientations in the light of the Spiritual Journey.
|
(To be continued...)
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