209- A New Vocation in the Church: “Spiritual Formator”

Mary Shows the Way

The intention of the following text is to present in a succinct way a Function or Vocation in the Church that does not as yet exist as such: that of the Spiritual Formator. Some of the tasks involved in this function, like Spiritual Direction, Teaching Spiritual Theology… have been and are still realised by some persons in the Church. But never all the tasks of the Spiritual Formator. For instance, being a Master of Novices in a monastery or a formation house does not coincide exactly with being a Master in Spiritual Life. In fact, the Master of Novices is also in charge of the formation into religious life and he is not necessarily trained to become a Spiritual Formator. However, despite the existence of some of the tasks, performed by some members of the Church, there is no formal ad hoc preparation of Spiritual Formators.

Up to the present day we do not have a function or vocation that realises all the necessary tasks of a Spiritual Formator or Master in Spiritual Life. We do not have a specific training and formation for it.

The following text is meant to present the actual state of things and to outline the nature of this vocation and its function in the Church. It further suggests that what should follow would be to offer a journey of training for potential candidates for three to five years at least.

Being a Spiritual Formator in a way is a blend of an intellectually very well-formed person in philosophy, human sciences, theology, and spiritual theology, with a long and solid experience in Spiritual Life. For many years this person will have been a disciple to other experienced people, thereby allowing him or her to receive the needed discernment. This blend of intellect, experience and discernment, plus a Call from Jesus for such a ministry, constitutes this new vocation in the Church.

In addition, we can say that Vatican Council II reminded us that striving for Holiness is not the monopoly of the Consecrated life. As a consequence, there is a need to form and support all the persons who hear this call for Holiness but do not belong to any school of spirituality. Formation in Spiritual Life should be a specific ministry in the Church offered to all, with expertise and professionalism. There is a pressing need to prepare ministers for this function.

To reiterate, the need now for Masters in Spiritual Life, or Spiritual Formators, is more than ever necessary. In fact, this function has as its main task the formation of all the persons who receive Jesus’ Call to go deeper in their spiritual life, so that they become properly capable of handling their own growth and of responding properly to the call to Holiness and fullness of love.

Teaching the practical means to empower Christians, so that they can respond fruitfully to the Call to Holiness, however, cannot be done in an amateur way. It is a very sacred task to train Spiritual Formators and it requires all the effort from the Church to fill the void this absence leaves.

It goes without saying that such vocation and service in the Church goes alongside a much-needed renewal in Spiritual Theology and a concerted effort to produce a common Body of Teaching for the Prophetic Function of the Church, in charge of the spiritual journey from the Second Conversion, i.e. Jesus’ Call, till the end, namely, the fullness of love.

Here are twelve important points to understand and properly promote this vocation:

1- Spiritual Formator, as we define it, means a person capable of forming others in Spiritual Life. Formation is much wider than specific tasks or ministries. Essentially, a formator is a person capable of giving courses in Spiritual Life, following up a person for the implementation of the Spiritual Teaching, (Spiritual Tuition), and offering a more in-depth Spiritual Direction. It goes without saying that if properly trained other easier tasks will be performed at a higher and professional level: talks, short and long retreats. In sum, a formator will be capable of teaching, forming, understanding spiritual life, and will also be capable of a high-quality discernment in the different issues faced by spiritual persons, the obstacles and problems of spiritual life.

2- Many persons do perform some of the above missions in the Church but often they are offered in a fragmented and diluted form. Being a “Master in Spiritual Life” essentially combines three qualities well blended together: science, experience and discernment. A degree in Spiritual Theology doesn’t make the person a Spiritual Formator. Experience and discernment are needed and need to be led and formed.

3- The function (the job) itself of “Spiritual Master” doesn’t exist in the Church. If some missions in the Church like “Master of Novices” or “Retreat Guide” (eg: leading the Spiritual Exercises), or the Ancient Elder Monk, are quite close to it, they are not exactly the same and today no formal preparation in the Church for such a mission is offered.

4- “Spiritual Formation” is needed in the Church in all areas of the Prophetic Function: Monastic Life, Religious Life, Secular Institutes, New Movements in the Church, including individual lay persons striving toward a deeper spiritual life and holiness.

5- The weakness and fragmentation of the different spiritualities in the Church has led to a lukewarm consecrated life. The division into different schools of spiritualities has reached a point of fragmentation which prevents the Church from having a fundamental core pedestal for Spiritual Life and Spiritual Formation. A common Doctrine for a deep Spiritual Life is needed before finding ways for legitimate diversification in Spiritual Schools. Note: Spiritual Theology today is rather weak, diluted and fragmented. This has had negative repercussions on Spiritual Formation in the Church. For renewal to occur serious commitment is of the essence, people needing to dedicate their lives to it.

6- Having leaned essentially on fidelity to a Monastic Rule or to a Style of Life or a Horarium to become a saint, made many think that this is enough and that there is no need for a proper Spiritual Formation. Consequently, people have lost interest in Spiritual Theology and its role in Spiritual Formation. This has also led to a weakening of spiritual formation, its dilution and lack of development. Devotions, local habits and rites end up replacing robust spiritual life and giving the wrong impression that these are means of true sanctification.

7- The inner workings proper to spiritual life still constitute an invisible inner world often classified as difficult to describe and apophatic, leading to the conviction that there is no teaching and formation for spiritual matters, with the result that any common effort to develop spiritual formation is abandoned. This has led to allegedly relegating Spiritual Life to a private sphere -an inner forum- leading finally to ignorance, fragmentation and dilution of spiritual life. It is an error to think that Spiritual Life cannot be expressed. The thousands of written pages by St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross are here to show us the way.

8- The idea of focusing all our energy on the pursuit of God and Union with Christ and the fullness of His love becomes secondary or left to personal private effort. The reality of knowing how to maintain and ensure a steady spiritual growth is really non-existent. The need for a healthy spiritual emulation and support in spiritual growth has just not been met.

9- In order to realise this mission, the Church needs to form individuals in all walks of the Prophetic Function, to become professional Spiritual Formators, capable of facing such a difficult, complex, difficult mission.

10- Spiritual Formator, or Master in Spiritual Life, emerges and stands alone as a specific vocation in the Church that deserves all our attention and effort. Its influence on the Church, especially over the Prophetic Function will be immense. Progress in Spiritual Life will allow the lives of many persons engaged in the Spiritual Journey to reach completion and to bear amazing fruits for the Church and the World. It is very difficult to measure the fruits of the implementation of such a vocation.

11- In order to achieve this formation, one needs to offer a complete training in: knowledge/ science/ doctrine, in discernment, and in the practice of this vocation. The Church needs to offer a free space and time for each person to learn, practice and discern as it does with Religious and Seminarians in their first years of formation. This is why we call it a new “Vocation” in the Church, and also a new Function in the Church. But it is not necessarily binding as to formal consecration. One can go back to his or her diocese and serve or become part of the School of Mary. It is not a formal consecration as we know it today – one remains free.

12- Offering a residential possibility for this formation is a necessity. No other formal obligations or missions should be assigned to the person. Full freedom to be formed and trained should be given. Three years is a reasonable minimum time to have the basic formation. Further formation can be given leading to a Master’s Degree within two more years.

As a result of these twelve points, we need to concentrate all our efforts on training persons who have the call to serve their brothers and sisters as Spiritual Masters.

Jean Khoury

6th August 2021

Transfiguration of the Lord

199- Letter for a Young Person Called to Work in the Field of Spiritual Life

How we Become "Masters in Spiritual Life"

“Working in the field of Spiritual Life” means one or more of the following activities:

- Teaching Spiritual Life (Spiritual Theology)

- Offering Formation in Spiritual Life (Masters of Novices, Masters in Institutes,…)

- Offering Personal Tuition in Spiritual Life

- Offering Spiritual Direction.

Dear B,

I would just like to clarify something important regarding how we are enabled to fulfil the mission of teaching, forming and guiding in Spiritual Life, according to the Catholic Tradition. You certainly intuit it or have even heard me talking about it. First, I want to remind you of the conditions to become a master in spiritual life, then I will give you a specific warning.

I- A reminder of what you already know: what makes us Masters in Spiritual Life is a prudent blending of three capacities (see this in St. Teresa of Avila):

1- Science (Degree in Spiritual Theology).

2- Personal Experience of God (intense spiritual life, receiving manifold graces related to our spiritual growth, practising Lectio Divina and Prayer of the Heart).

3- Discernment that comes from discipleship: many years of personal tuition/supervision and Spiritual Direction from a very knowledgeable master.

When the three are combined under the supervision of the Tutor, this helps re-cognise i.e. it makes the connection between two things: a- what was learnt (science, the Degree, the books, the readings, the study) and b- what has been felt or perceived or understood in our experience (or that which is not experienced) of God.

Re-cognising is a very delicate and subtle operation where two “worlds” meet and seem to us to match: on one hand the world of our experience and on the other hand the world of what we read or study. These two worlds are distinct. Re-cognising occurs when we feel that they have met and resonated on a point or more. Re-cognising offers a new understanding of both our experience and the text and roots in us a new knowledge and “judgement” in spiritual matters. The Holy Spirit, Master of Spiritual Life, leads the operation. It is a long process knit together by a multitude of graces which goes towards the formation of the new master.

We realise this operation both consciously and unconsciously. The unconscious operation occurs almost always and consists in the projection of our own experience on what we are reading. We therefore end up by unconsciously filtering and conditioning our reading.

Our own prism interferes unknowingly: it often either reduce or deviates from the real objective sense of what the author is saying.

An important observation: when we talk about “authors” in spiritual life we need to make a very important distinction that many scholars don’t make. It is very common to make the mistake of confusing Saints and Doctors of the Church (or Masters). Of course, Doctors of the Church are also saints and even have an eminent holiness, but they are much more than just saints.

A saint is only a saint and is not necessarily called to teach, lead or explain spiritual matters. This is why St. Thomas Aquinas in a concise way says: “let the saint pray for us and let the doctor teach us”. Even if Saints are writing about their spiritual life or about the graces they have received, they are not teachers or doctors. A “Doctor of the Church” or a “Spiritual Master” on the contrary has received from God extra graces to help him do two things:

a- understand what the graces are all about and situate them correctly on the journey of transformation/sanctification

b- express and explain the graces correctly.

As we can understand therefore, great confusion can result from this delicate, risky but vital operation of Re-cognition. Consulting a Master is very much required here in order to ensure the necessary attention to an accurate process of “re-cognition”. A lot of patience, resilience and humility are needed here. And of course, a great spirit of obedience to God through the Master is a must. 

Of course, it goes without saying that the choice of the Master here is decisive. As Saint John of the Cross puts it: the disciple will become like the master, so we need to pay great attention to the hands into which we are entrusting ourselves.

Three pitfalls are worth mentioning:

1- The obscurity inherent in spiritual life and its consequences: an important component of spiritual life is the difficulty to perceive it, understand it and explain it correctly. Faith, by its very nature, as a theological virtue implies a certain obscurity. Spiritual experience, then, despite the fact that it is an “experience” of what the Holy Spirit is doing in us, remains obscure. This can very easily induce us into error and makes finding the correct understanding and explanation of the experience more arduous. Humility, patience and perseverance are of the essence here.

Spiritual Life is obscure like faith, because God action in us happens essentially in our spirit, which is above our consciousness, “your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3:3) and any echoes that might fall into our awareness (mind, emotions, senses) must be subject to subtle discernment and correct interpretation. What we feel or don’t feel (soul-emotions-body, i.e. area of awareness) is not necessarily what occurs in our spirit (beyond awareness), while the latter is in fact the cornerstone and measure of progress.

Experiencing the action of the Holy Spirit can generate a very wide range of thoughts, images, feelings and sensations that can be even perceived as contradictory. The spiritual experience is therefore multifaceted and versatile. Not being purely material at least in its source, its description ends up by being rather relative.

Understanding and describing a spiritual experience is difficult also because it is conditioned by the culture, experience and knowledge of the individual: we often re-cognise in our own way! As a consequence, what we read about the experience of others can be interpreted in different ways, some correct and others not.

As a consequence, studying spiritual life, reading various authors and working in the field of Spiritual Formation, is a very sensitive undertaking. Paradoxically accuracy is needed but is altogether difficult to achieve. The pitfall is to transform that long initial lack of precision and tangibility into something certain and final.

The beginner tends to rush into conclusions, by pushing the initial normal lack of clarity and tangibility inherent in Spiritual Life toward assumptions and convictions that are artificial. Intellectual patience is a very important form of charity towards the full mystery of what the Holy Spirit is accomplishing in us. Accepting not to have clarity for long time is necessary. Otherwise we choose part of the truth, and transform it into the whole truth which is the root of any heretical attitude. In Greek, heresy means to choose (part of the truth)!

Another factor of imprecision: People who are meant to work in the field of Spiritual Life need to know that the Holy Spirit is meant to provide them with two graces in order to support this sacred mission: a- understanding the graces received and b- being able to talk about them and explain them (see St. Teresa of Avila, Life 17,5). Not every person or even every saint is meant to receive these two graces because they are only related to the service/ministry. As a consequence, we will often find people (saints for instance) giving an account of their own spiritual state (present, past) who haven’t necessarily received the second and third grace mentioned by St. Teresa of Avila. They will not be necessarily accurate in their understanding and explanation. Therefore, relying on their perception and judgement is not always safe. As a consequence, an extra effort is necessary on our part to understand and explain properly what we read. This factor of uncertainty is normal but has to be taken into consideration always.

2- Confusing levels: spiritual life’s growth could be comparted to an ascending spiral. Seen from above, growth will look like moving in an indefinite circular way. If we take a point on the circle and focus on it, we might think that we have come back to the same point. But a side view of the spiral will show us that it is two different points or levels of spiritual growth.

As an example, Martha and Mary are mentioned by St. Teresa of Avila at least twice, once in the Prayer of Union (4^th-5^thMansions) and another in the 7^th Mansions. An inexperienced eye won’t see the difference.

If watching our own experience and comparing it with what we are reading is done in an inaccurate way (like seeing the spiral from afar, or from above), we will make wrong assumptions, the process of “re-cognition” will deviate. In fact, if we take a closer look, we find to our utter surprise that there is a difference in the spiritual levels or stages. And this often offers a radical difference in the evaluation and judgment of the spiritual state of the person.

Confusing different levels, makes us read a grace or read a person’s experience thinking the person is at a certain stage, while the person is at a completely different stage! Similarities are tempting and we often rush into conclusions.

3- Feeling we can relate while we read a spiritual book: it is not because we read about a grace or a set of graces and feel good about it and can relate to them (like, pleased, feel good) that it means we have reached that level. Illusions are very common.

II- My warning for you:

It is truly the most difficult Mission in the Church: to be involved in the ministry of Spiritual Life. No discussion about that. It is easy to study and pass exams intellectually, one can be brilliant intellectually but quite ignorant and misleading if he or she endeavours to work in the field of Spiritual Life. Intellectual acumen is one part of the ministry. Important, necessary and should be of high quality (solid Philosophy, solid general Theology (especially dogmatic, moral and pastoral theology), and solid Spiritual Theology). No fancy knowledge here! Solid and traditional.

My point for you is the following: of course, having a Degree in Spiritual Theology is something very good, but, paradoxically, the Degree doesn't qualify you. So only focusing on getting the degree is wrong. Worse, being prevented from becoming a master in spiritual life because of the lack of the degree would affect your Call seriously.

It is never never enough to just base everything on Science, on the Degree! More things are needed and can be implemented or strengthened from now onwards.

Again, the Degree doesn't qualify you, it just informs you about spiritual life according to a certain school or way of engineering it today. The Degree gives you an idea of the 2000 years of experience and knowledge of the Church about Spiritual Theology. In a way, it roots you in the Church.

But it never replaces the thousands of hours of personal study (study, not reading) and personal research. It will never replace the advice of a good Tutor in the field. Impossible. It will never replace the hours of Spiritual Direction received. There is the added danger that study can inflate our ego! In Spiritual Theology, true study should deflate the ego and should make one very prudent before making any assumption.

What does the above mean? Am I dissuading you from venturing in this field? No, on the contrary. I am inviting you to do a great deal of work, to study, and of course to get the degree! But I am also saying: don't ever think that the degree is enough! Never! Spiritual Theology is a practical science so without experience and tuition (discernment) it is impossible to teach properly or to form.

Humility, patience and resilience are necessary. Great charity also is of the essence: love for people, loving to help, loving to understand them, and an immense devotion to the Holy Spirit and to Our Lady.

Please don't be prevented by not having yet obtained your Degree. Even if you had a degree, if you were to think that this were enough, that would be a crime! Inherent in Master ship is a sacred triangle: science, experience, discernment, well blended together.

If humility is needed to grow spiritually, humility is a million times more important if somebody feels called to teach (form in) the Spiritual Life. Humility manifests itself in the form of a great spirit of supernatural obedience.

Avoid at all costs a spirit of improvisation, of rushing, of amateur science or discernment. Many people today in the Catholic Church who work in the field of Spiritual Life fall into these categories.

Continue please, but in humility... experience... love. Don't neglect personal Tuition and Spiritual Direction!!

in Mary

Jean Khoury

185- Spiritual Formation

Introduction

In this article we would like to answer the following questions:

- What is Formation in Spiritual Life (FSL)?

- How is it different from: Formation in Consecrated Life, Spiritual Theology Teaching, Spiritual Direction, Confession, Courses, Catechesis, Talks on a Spiritual Subject, Theology, Meditation, Personal Spiritual Life, Personal Prayer Life, Community Life...?

- What does FSL require?

The Prophetic Branch of the Church

and the Birth of “Spiritual Formation”

In the Prophetic Tradition of the Church, i.e. Monastic Life, Religious Orders, “Formation in Spiritual Life” is a very specific task to the point that in the early phases of formation in Monastic and Religious lives we have the appointment of a person called “Master (“Mistress”) of Novices”, and “Master” for the remaining Junior years that precede the final consecration (final vows).

It is true that the “Master of Novices” and of Junior years (“Master of Students”, “Mistress of Juniorate”) cover more than just “spiritual formation”: they have also to form the candidate into the specific style of life (Monastic, Religious) and of the specificity of the Order or Congregation’s spirituality, traditions and uses. So “Spiritual Formation” will not be the only task of the Master, but it remains the main one because without spiritual life, without a living and growing relationship with Christ, the entire life fails to have any meaning, it has no purpose no power to it. Let us remember the fundamental meaning of Monastic Life, which is traditionally and historically the first form of “consecration” (if we exclude the early ones like Consecrated Virgins...). If we look back to St. Anthony the Great, Father of all monks, and father of the prophetic branch of the Church, if we meditate on his life (see his life written by St. Athanasius) we notice immediately that first he received a call (“If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Mt. 19:21)), and is not just starting a life on his own impetus and choice and secondly, the journey that is triggered by this call, is all unified around one thing: searching for God, for Jesus, doing all that could be done, to find Him and Him only. Nothing else does matter, at all! This is why the desert was his reality and why the “symbol” of the Desert remains a central one for the Prophetic Branch. It is from his call that all other vocations blossomed, and all other forms of life found meaning and purpose.

Therefore, the archetype of any person who is starting out to belong to this branch of the Church, the Prophetic Branch, features two qualities:

• the call is call from Jesus (not necessarily leaving everything material behind (mind you it was progressive in the life of St. Anthony, proceeding from material things to more subtle things, through emotions, imaginings, thoughts, until he reached union) and
• his life is unified by this quest, this huge desire to search for Christ and never to stop until finding Him in the Union with Him.

Hence the fact that the “Spiritual Formation” is the main task in the formation offered by the Master of Novices and the Master of the following juniorate years up to the final consecration/vows.

Nothing can be put above “spiritual formation”. It is true that human formation, psychology, community, daily tasks are very important, but without Spiritual Formation as the main “manager”/focal point/point of reference it ceases to work.

The person who knocks at the door of a monastery in the Desert is chiefly a person who is Called! And if the person is really called by Jesus, then Jesus and His Grace working in the Person are the main players (of course with the free will of the person in play) in this Call. This is why, sometimes, the Monks in Egypt do test the call rather harshly: they do not open the door of the monastery and leave the candidate outside, in the desert... sometimes for more than one day! Motives are examined! The person can be fleeing his responsibilities in the world, his difficulties, and struggles! He can be a one who is depressed. And on and on.

The monastery is not a place for “losers” or people who have failed in the worldly life. In Egypt for many years for instance, it still is very rare to accept a candidate without a University degree! Why? Because it is so common to have one, and not having one could well be a sign of something unsound! This is just an example for a specific country, not a rule for all places. In other places people can have a successful job for years and this is just as good.

Therefore, it is imperative that the intention, the motivation, the very drive of the individual is checked. Who is calling whom? Is the Grace of Jesus working in this person? Is he or she really called by Jesus, driven by Him, attracted by Him?

Then, however, if the person enters it does not necessarily imply mean that he or she has reached the goal! They are just about to start the journey to reach Union with Jesus. The person now will have a “Master” appointed to his service, who will follow him all the time and form him. Hence the existence of “Spiritual Formation”. Again, as said above, admittedly, there are plenty of other aspects to this formation, we agree on that, but the main one is a “Spiritual Formation”, because this manages everything.

What is “Spiritual Formation”?

Does the applicant embark on Formation immediately? Are there other steps before Formation? Yes of course! Today we have a variety of other steps before it:

- The person goes to see (“come and see” (John 1:39), pays a visit to the monastery or religious house!

- The person can afterwards go and spend more time with the Monks! Although here the “style of life” is very much to the fore as well as the necessity to know to which state of life Jesus is calling the person: “spiritual growth”, “human maturity” and a balanced life are involved implicitly and constantly.

- Afterward living inside the monastery or the house for a certain period of time though not as a monk as yet, can be envisaged.

And it is only after going through these stages, even though they are not mandatory, and the discernment linked to them, that the person might be accepted as a Novice and start the real steps of formation.

To a great extent much importance should be placed on to the previous stages because they prepare the person! Faithfulness to Christ in the previous stages is a vital necessity to allow growth and maturity, both spiritual and human.

If a person is not ready, it will not be helpful to start the Formation proper i.e. the Noviciate. Spiritual growth is important! It is inadvisable to give food that belongs to a further stage of spiritual development to a person who is in need of another milder type of food. In order to be ready there are many stages that are required beforehand! If they have not been completed the future “athlete” will fail to be ready to start the “training”!

Everything counts in the life of a human being. Formation at home, at school, at church, in the university, at work, each step being full of challenges that form the person. Even a person like St. Therese of the Child Jesus went through all these stages before entering the Monastic life at the age of fifteen. One can read about and analyse all the formation she received at home, the training she went through and it was not easy! A helpful suggestion would be to read the first part of the “Story of a Soul”.

To continue then…. After all these initial stages have been completed, proper Spiritual Formation can start! Mind you, it does not mean that no spiritual life has been lived beforehand! Not at all! A great deal was lived and realised on the Spiritual level. But it was not necessarily the main driving force and the Call of Jesus was not yet clearly heard, or if you prefer, the long stage of preparation had not yet been accomplished.

It is in a way rather rare to admit, but it is the bitter reality continually experienced that if important aspects of the previous formation are not accomplished it complicates things later.

Spiritual Formation starts.

Against all other explanations, it must be understood that Spiritual Formation should commence only once all the preparatory stages have been completed. Against all other definitions it must be said that Spiritual Formation is meant to form the person and support him on the journey to real and full Union with Jesus.

What does “Spiritual Formation” provide?

Spiritual Formation, through the Spiritual Formator and his or her collaborators, offers essentially three aspects that need to be in constant interaction:

1- Science: teaching spiritual life. The main science here is Spiritual Theology. Offering the teaching on the first stages of Spiritual Life: what the first stages are, the means for growth of Spiritual Life, types of prayer (the most important from among them), the effect of the work of the Holy Spirit in us, the elements of discernment, the conditions for growth....

2- Experience: not only talking about “prayer” and “love” of neighbour but acting on them:

• taking time for prayer on a regular basis (Mass, Divine Office, an hour of Lectio Divina, one or more hours of Prayer of the Heart, spiritual reading), and allowing contact with others in order to have opportunities to love, to forgive, to be patient, to help others and to share what is common with them.
• A good balanced daily schedule of an ordered life is important.

3- Means of Discernment: on a regular basis: meeting with the Spiritual Master. Going to Confession. Having Spiritual Direction.

One cannot have one or even two of the above areas of Spiritual Formation and neglect the others. The combination of the three harmoniously, under the constant vigilance and supervision of the Spiritual Formator, is fundamental. Thinking that “Spiritual Formation” can be achieved with one of these elements or worse “sub-element” is simply to live in illusion.

Lay people need to be spiritually formed

In the Gospel, the Lord called everybody to follow Him! He invited us all to become holy. Council Vatican II insisted on this call and reminded the whole Church that we need to focus on this Call. It is the exact same call we were considering above, the call that St. Anthony heard one day when he entered his Parish Church.

Now, in the times in which we live, we are able to see the difference between the state of life and the call for Holiness while initially, whoever heard the call, literally left everything and followed Jesus into the desert of this quest. Today, because of many centuries of development we are able to distinguish between the various forms of life (Monk, Religious, Community, Movement in the Church, or just living alone (hermits, virgins)... and lay life (married or single)...) and the spiritual life. Within formation itself, we actually do distinguish today between what is proper to “Spiritual Formation” and “Monastic Formation” or “Religious Formation”, or Formation in a New Movement in the Church, or Lay Formation in a Movement of the Church or a third order.

It is true that we have not yet reached the maturity to distinguish between “Spiritual Formation” in a specific religious family in the Church and “Spiritual Formation” for everybody. We still focus strongly on the differences between the different “schools of spiritual life” and do not yet see the core of teaching in “Spiritual Formation” that belongs to all of us. Despite this lacuna, we do distinguish between “Spiritual Formation” on one hand and “Religious” or “Monastic Formation” on the other hand.

Hence, if we say that “all are Called to Holiness or Union with Jesus”, and if a lay person hears the call one day, and either already has a state of life (is married for example), or has chosen to remain single in the world, he or she is also in need of Spiritual Formation.

Would it be different from the one described above? The “Spiritual Formation” as opposed to the Monastic or Religious formation mentioned above is in fact valid for all of us… lay people included.

Spiritual Formation

Now comes the big question: if the Church claims that all, one day, when they will be ready, will hear the Call of Jesus to follow Him, and if this includes lay persons, how then can they receive their “Spiritual Formation”?

If they do not want to belong to any movement in the Church (providing of course they offer proper “spiritual formation” which is not always the case), or if they do not want to join a third order (Franciscan, Benedictine, Dominican, Carmelite, Jesuit,... third orders or fraternities), where can they find a proper “Spiritual Formation”?

Some might think that a “Spiritual Director” is a “Spiritual Formator”! Well, of course he is not. He might be capable of wearing that hat also, but normally this is not the case. The “Spiritual Formator”, as is described above, has infinitely more science, experience, formation and discernment.

I am well aware that today both “Spiritual Directors” and seekers wish to give and receive respectively Spiritual Formation. They wish that the two functions were the same, but they are not! The Spiritual Formator offers exceedingly more to the seeker than the Spiritual Director! Please re-read above.

Today we need a place to form “Formators in Spiritual Life” and not only “Spiritual Directors”.

Spiritual Formation Offers
Science	Experience	Means of Discernment
A Teaching in Spiritual Life. The First Stages of SL: Courses, Sessions Reading Studying	A Daily Schedule including: Prayer times Work times Love our brothers	Meeting on a regular basis with: Spiritual Master Going toConfession Spiritual Direction

Books that can help understand the first stages:

• Augustine’s "Confessions".
• "The Life of St. Anthony" by St. Athanasius.
• "Autobiography" of St. Teresa of Avila.
• "Story of the Soul" of St. Therese of the Child Jesus.
• "Imitation of Christ".

Readings that can help understand “Spiritual Formation”:

• "Way of Perfection" of St. Teresa of Avila.
• Therese of the Child Jesus’ early letters in the Monastery to her sister Celine.

Intermediate Course: “Bible and Daily Spiritual life”

“to my friend I say everything” (see John 15:15)

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Lecturer: Jean Khoury

September-October 2014 : 4 Saturdays

Since 2007 many people in London have been attending the First Level Course, "Initiation into Spiritual Life". As a result, many have been encouraged to use their Bible more fervently and to practise Lectio Divina. However, support is still needed as finding "food" in the Bible is not an easy task. This is why the "Intermediate 1 Course" is about deepening the relationship between the "Bible" and our "Spiritual Life": in a word, it aims at helping us view the Bible as the source of our daily nourishment.

What makes this course unique is, first, the choice of topics (important, "juicy" and rarely addressed topics) and, secondly, relating them to our Spiritual Life! As always, Our Lady continues to lead us on our journey.

A Certificate will be awarded to all those who attend the entire four days.

The dates are: Sat 27^th Sept, Sat 4th Oct, Sat 18th Oct, Sat 25th Oct, from 10.00 am to 4:30 pm. Venue: St Mary of the Angels Parish hall, Moorhouse Road, W2 5DJ, Notting Hill. Spaces are limited for this course. The cost is £ 25.00 per day. Should there be any places remaining, we can accept those who did not follow the First Level Course.

To secure your place, a non-refundable deposit of £ 50.00 should be paid by cheque or bank transfer. Please send an email or call to confirm payment. Email: schoolofmarylondon@gmail.com or call 07908513762.

The Topics are:

1st Saturday:

Structure and meaning of the Gospel in relation to our Spiritual Life.

Reading and analysing essential and fundamental texts from the Gospel in relation to our spiritual life.

2nd Saturday:

The relationship between the Theory of Inspiration of the Holy Scriptures and our spiritual life. Explanation of the action of God in the human author and its practical consequences for us.

The new prophetical life inaugurated by Jesus for every human being: God makes of us a friend and wants to talk to us.

The practical meaning and the fruitfulness of this new prophetism.

3rd Saturday:

Exegetical questions: the Holy Spirit Exegete of the Bible; the intelligence of the Scriptures in the Fathers of the Church; the example of the Fathers of the Church; the relationship between the Old Testament and the New Testament; exegetical Rules for our spiritual life.

The Bible is the soul of God's Revelation to us, and is a treasure whose riches we can draw upon on a daily basis. Practical advice.

4th Saturday:

Difficulties when confronting an archaic text, a different language and culture. What is to be done with "modern" exegesis?

The Bible: doubt, power, pleasure and possession.

Conclusions.

Looking forward to seeing you. Continuing the Journey toward Union with Jesus, lead by His Mother.

www.AmorVincit.com

110: The Implementation of Spiritual Formation

As we saw in the previous post, in order to reach Holiness one needs “spiritual formation”. Spiritual formation encompasses three areas:

1- Learning doctrine/science (Courses, Workshops),

2- Putting into practice the teaching, i.e. having the experience of it, and

3- Receiving discernment from an experienced person (one to one tuition + spiritual direction).

These three areas are distinct but interconnected; therefore they should be combined.

“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:12)

The one that “may be overpowered” is spiritual “experience” standing on its own (without discernment and doctrine).

The “two can defend themselves” are “experience” and “discernment”.

The three strands are: “experience”, “discernment” and full “doctrine”.

Note: Why “full doctrine”? Because half science, or being half knowledgeable damages more than it can help. St Teresa of Avila repeatedly warns about this and says that the help she received from priests/monks who were half learned harmed her substantially.

The School of Mary offers everybody “teaching” and “discernment”: Courses, Workshops, One to One Tuition, Spiritual Direction (although spiritual direction doesn't have to be sought exclusively at the School). Putting into practice the teaching is something personal. When the time is right, in reply to God's Call, it is up to the person to decide to put into practice the teaching, in his/her own life/schedule.

The teaching is divided into three main levels, following three sections of the full spiritual journey:

First Education (Undergraduate Equivalent)

1- Level One Foundation Course: implementing the foundations of a strong and healthy spiritual life, starting to dedicate time for prayer, on a regular daily basis, supporting that first serious step in spiritual life.

1'- Intermediate1 Courses: with more teaching, supporting a sustainable rhythm of growth, in the first stages. Equivalent to the 4^th and 5^th Mansions of St Teresa of Avila. Reaching a more stable state: “Union of Will”. Completing the First Level Course with other courses.

2- Level Two Foundation Course: providing the teaching on the most decisive moment in spiritual life: the deep radical purification.

2'- Intermediate2 Courses: with more teaching supporting that stage. Completing the Second Level Course with other courses.

Further Education (Graduate Equivalent)

3- Formation in order to start teaching elements of the First Level Course.

4'- Level Three Foundation Course.

4''- Further Courses on the Third Level.

Third Cycle Education (Post Graduate Equivalent)

5- Research

6- Development in Spiritual Theology teaching