Premise

For three years now I have been in our International Theological Seminary of Rome. Every year we have an average of 25 seminarians here in theology, young people who are getting ready to become Consolata missionary priests and religious. They come from Africa, Europe and South America. When they arrive here, they have already gone through three years of philosophy and one year of novitiate in their own continents of origin: four years of vocational discernment that ended with their first religious profession.
Once here, they immediately begin their theological studies: basic theology for 3 years, plus 2 or 3 years of specialization. Ordinarily these young men are between 25 and 30 years of age. They will attend one of the several pontifical universitites, more often than not the Gregorian University.
Their formation is looked after by two different formators. It includes a clear project that is detailed by the IMC Ratio Formationis, which tends to set their mind and heart on the Mission Ad Gentes. Our Constitutions are very explicit on this: “… The aim that characterizes our Congregation is the ‘evangelization of peoples’. This we fulfill for the glory of God, by deep holiness of life” (Const. No. 5). Our Founder synthesized it in the well-know sentence: “Saints first, and then missionaries” (Spiritual Life, pg 86).

Diffused Dispersion
When a new student arrives, he soon feels a sense of dispersion, of fragmentation, of internal division. The “leap” is considerable. Jumping from one continent to another entails novelty both in the area of behavior and that of values. Many “messages’, especially those sent by the Media, do not help a student find the unity and the centrality of his vocation. Many messages sent by consumerism, by what is transient, by the “catch the present moment” and feel the excitement -- all this generates a dispersion of energy and perspective.
The young man is inducted into the study of theology in novel ways, in a foreign language; all this demands much time and energy in relation to the other dimensions of life, such as the formative and the pastoral ones.
The individual transits from a precisely programmed and homogeneous rhythm of life, such as the one he lived in the novitiate, to the rhythm of life of the theological seminary, much more heterogeneous and with a lot left up to the individual’s capacity of organization: prayer rhythm, community life pattern. For example, the student is asked to organize his own personal life project, and to find time for meditation. He has to assume and commit himself to his own life plan, or else he will be swept away by the frenzy of life: prayer, school, bus, community commitments, pastoral activities, friends… He will be blown away from a unifying form of central consciousness of what is happening or should happen to him: his own human and vocational growth.
On the level of personal development too, the need emerges for the unity of his own self. As the individual grows, so expands his field of knowledge, the horizon of possibilities of his life, of his friendships. He runs the risk of losing himself in many interests and attractions, in ephemeral and secondary values. He risks losing track of himself right when he most feels the need of synthesizing his life and finding in himself a core around which things, facets of living and experiences girate for unity and coherence: and this core must be his vocation as a Consolata missionary.

Lack of continuity
Another impression that strikes you is the lack of continuity in the community between the newly-arrived, who cluster together, and the ones who are about to terminate the so-called basic formation.
While the former show the desire to grow in their formation and in knowledge, the latter often manifest an alienation vis-à-vis the formative process. In the first years of theology, they are all more receptive, more open to the formative dialogue, more involved in the rhythm of community life. Towards the end, especially during the years of specialization, it’s easy to see a greater desire of autonomy, to see even intolerance. Their involvement in community prayer diminishes during this time, when it really was supposed to increase. Saturation exudes. They become very demanding. They don’t much like suggestions and proposals. Is this a self-projection or a dash towards tomorrow’s apostolate?
This lack of continuity in the formative process, from beginning to end, which covers some 5 to 6 years, raises other questions in me. Why is there enthusiasm right after the novitiate, and a sense of boredom and intolerance 3 or 4 years later, right at the moment that important decisions must be made, such as definitive consecration in our Institute and the admission to Major Orders? What causes all this? Is it the transition from the structuralization of the personality to personal maturity? Is it a confrontation with the formators because of the change of generational values? Is it caused by a dispersive formation? Or by the limitations and/or deficiencies of the formators?
These are some of the worries to which I find no satisfactory answers within me. If I think about the kind of formation imparted 30 years ago, I believe that we have progressed. There is more attention towards the person today, and we invest much more in means and persons. But I also believe that formation needs to achieve more unity between the various dimensions mentioned in our ‘Ratio’. We must find the nuclei that help the individual attain his own centrality and his consciousness without scattering himself into so many dimensions.

A Formation with an Ecosystem
My starting point is our great objective of the ‘Mission Ad Gentes’ as desired by our Founder, Blessed Joseph Allamano, so well witnessed to by so many courageous and holy missionaries during the one hundred years of life of our Institute. For the young, the Mission does not yet have a clear and well outlined face. The assignments to the areas of work are made at the end of the theological years. Whatever the context the missionary is assigned to, he should be able to find an ecosystem with vital elements, elements that are essential to his life.
I was struck by this thought as I read an article in the magazine Testimoni on Religious Formation in Today’s World” (see Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, in Testimoni, No. 20, 1998).
The ecosystem is illustrated through the image of a frog.
A frog needs its own ecosystem to live and to reproduce istelf. Certain elements, such as a pond, mud, algae or other plants, water and other frogs are essential to its survival.
I believe that a Consolata missionary needs spirituality, fraternal communion, a mature psychological structure, zeal for the Gospel -- without excluding the many other dimensions of which speak our Constitutions and the Ratio Formationis.
The following are the three elements that I consider most central and important in our real situation: the Mission, anywhere and anytime, needs spirituality, communion, and mature persons who feel a deep zeal for the Gospel. These are the pillars on which the Mission stands.

A Strong Spirituality
To young people who prepare themselves to give their lives to the Kingdom of God, a strong spirituality is a vital dimension. It has always been present among us. But during the past twenty years, our General Chapters and the Letters of our General Governments have strongly called our attention to it, and with reason. Maybe it is too much taken for granted that spirituality has to be a pillar of our missionary life. Nothing can be taken for granted when we deal with human weakness. A weak, scarce spirituality can only produce an anemic kind of Mission, lacking in zeal and appeal. Spiritual life becomes tasteless and colorless.
I am convinced that formation must propose a stronger spiritual life. The ecosystem of the seminary must offer a strong and enthusiastic spirit, a sharper, more energizing zeal that is capable of more distinctly marking our preparation as evangelizers.
The first foundation cannot be but Jesus (1 Cor 3:11): A sane, realistic and mature tension that shows forth God’s primacy in our mode of being and operating, in the daily decisions of our seminary life.
A spirituality that is truly inwardness that caters to a personal relationship with Jesus, where everyone feels that he was called personally by God within the framework of the history of his own existence. At the end of the theological years, each one must be able to make a synthesis of what was wrought in him, where everyone must be able to discover that unifying thread that weaves together the multiple events of his own history in the light of the continous loving presence of God the Father who manifested Himself in Jesus, and continues to do so in the Holy Spirit.
In a word, the spirituality of the Twelve, who are indeed the first missionaries. Their formation came through staying with Jesus, always alertly conscious of His presence: “See, I am with you always , yes, even to the end of time” (Mt 28:20). “I am the vine, you are the branches” (Jn 15:5).
Our spiritual growth becomes an urge to see and stay with Jesus, just as it was so for the first disciples (Jn 1:35-51) who, before becoming apostolic workers, stayed with Jesus (Mk 3:10).
Whoever stays in this seminary, must breathe in this fundamental element. This is the formation in the seminary: To stay with Jesus. That’s the atmosphere that must be breathed here by everyone, and which will bring the candidate to decide if this is his thing.
We are called and sanctified by God in order to be sent. It is a must sine quo non to be aware of his own call, to feel loved and captivated by Jesus.

From this being grabbed by Jesus blossoms our Consecration through the Vows, a dimension which is yet to be accepted with firmness as our Founder desired, as expressed in the words of the last Chapter (Acts, pg 36 ff).
Our personal consecration, the consecration of our inner and total being, is made in the offering of our freedom through obedience, in the donation of one’s own body in virginity, and in the detachment of self from things through poverty. It is, first of all, donation to God because He loved us. We follow Jesus, obedient, virgin and poor, because we were captivated by Him, and because this style of life better expresses what we want to do with our life. I assimilate in me this call from God because I find it more attractive and convenient, because it better confers total fulfillment to my life.
It must be crystal clear that my consecration is first and foremost to God, although done through the mediation of our Institute. The Mission must gush forth from my consecration and relationship with Jesus. It rests on His love for me, His love for the whole of humanity. Certainly, Mission enriches me, it manifests God’s love for me. It is the sign of my consecration, although it is not the basis for it. We do not make the vows in order to be missionaries, we are missionaries because we have made the vows.
Another aspect of spirituality is, naturally, prayer. Without prayer, spirituality becomes mute, sterile, it has no soul. During our formation years, we work to acquire that ‘habitus’ of dialogue and interiority with God, with Jesus. Good habits are acquired through exercise, through practice. It’s easy to arrive at a state of soul where prayer has no flavor, becomes arid. In these circumstances, great is the temptation of quitting on it, or of doing it without enjoyment. We must keep on praying, and praying in love, so that it will become lymph of our life, elan vital of our living. The rhythm of community prayer is there: unfortunately, it’s easy not to participate for non-solid reasons. Besides the Morning and Evening Prayer (Lauds and Vespers), we have the daily celebration of the Eucharist, the adoration, the weekly Lectio Divina, Marian devotion… But I think that personal prayer is not sufficiently done. I am not sure that meditation is done regularly and under all circumstances, even if we insist that each and everyone must find time for this personal encounter with God.
I believe that there is a kind of spiritual anemia which is caused by lack of prayer quality and/or continuity in prayer. Naturally, if we do not feed ourselves sufficiently in the spirit, liturgical prayer and community prayer too will lack zest, vitality. It’s no wonder that we become weak and inconsistent as religious and missionaries.
I believe that often one leaves the vocation because his personal prayer lacks roots, deep roots. It could not be otherwise: ‘…The branch cannot bear fruit by itself, if it is not grafted unto the vine…” (John 15:4).

Community
The ecosystem in which formation thrives includes community, communion with the others. The community has this precise purpose of forming in each one this vital element that is fraternal communion. It blooms out of the vocation or call to be consecrated for the Mission. Communion with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit is the foundation of communion with the brethren, a communion that we develop as we walk behind the Lord Jesus.
The Consolata missionaries were born of a beautiful experience in communion and collaboration between the Founder, Joseph Allamano and James Camisassa, the Co-Founder. All our students soon learn about the family spirit that is supposed to animate the community. “The Institute is not a boarding school, not even a seminary, it is a family” (Spiritual Life, pg 340). The theological students and the young professed members in our community already had the experience of community life for 3 or 4 years. They know that their missionary work will be done in small international communities. They will work together in preferably non-Christian places, where the Church is not yet established, and where the Gospel has not yet been announced.
Consequently, we are called to live this ideal together. “The value of community life is of primary importance to us” (Const, No. 22). We are not sent in our own name, we go as members incardinated in our Institute, in the Church. This time of formation and preparation for the Mission should help everyone to confront himself, to see whether he is apt to live in fraternal communion.
Truly, this brotherhood exists here. It is at work. There is a welcoming climate, an atmosphere of friendship, a spirit of serviceability towards the others. In the beginning of the year, groups are formed to take care of the various facets of maintenance: cleaning, keeping the park in order, the vegetable garden. There are weekly turns for the animation of the liturgical celebrations, for washing the dishes. We celebrate each one’s birthday, we celebrate ‘continental evenings’.
Then, what is the problem? Yes, there are things that must be improved.
The values that imply community life, such as friendship, mutual trust, esteem are often taken for granted. Yes, they are there, but in the concrete situations they are not conclusive. Besides, these values must always fight against the corresponding non-values caused by our human weakness. We do need God’s Grace to build up a true fraternity as followers of Christ (Col 3:12). Friendship is not enough. Not even community is an absolute. Fraternal communion must have its roots in communion with God, in friendship with Jesus, in the desire to follow Him when we find the cross in our lives. All of us want to encounter these beautiful qualities, but it is easy to forget that often these sweet fruits must be earned at the price of sacrifices and renunciation – a fight that must go on every day of our life.
We must also do away with a certain utopia of community which is so easy for everybody to invoke when things do not go right: The syndrome of always finding an excuse. “It’s the fault of the community”. “I am not appreciated”. “I find no support, there’s no help for me to grow”. Each one of us must pay the price if we want to build a healthy, beautiful, evangelical community. One forgets that one must give, offer his own talents, his gifts. Fraternal communion has its roots and motivation in God’s free gifts to us, in our gifts given free of charge to others.
The friendships outside our community must be only a sign of our fraternal communion. Sometimes we see an exagerated search for relationship with people outside the community: men friends, women friends. It’s good that a community such as ours be open to the outside. But in order for these friendships to be healthy and serene, they must be transparent and take place openly: they are not there to fill empty areas of life, they are not there for personal gratification.
Another characteristic of community is involvement, the responsibility that each one must earn for the good of brotherhood. Maybe the seminary is a source of refuge, some kind of security area. There are others too who worry that nothing is missing in the seminary. We are little questioned and confronted with the requests.
A conscience of economy is lacking. This conscience helps the individual growth in a more realistic, less childish fashion. As an example, I think that we must be more explicit in our rules concerning the allowance money for personal expenses. I believe that a mentality of abundant comforts meanders through the place: radio sets, videos, tape recorders, trips (…) have become the normal thing. Requests are made easily, and if something is not granted, complaints abound.
Yes, there must be dialogue on the part of the formators, and of the community. But I think that definite common regulations would help. (Const 22)
Just to give an example: To better develop the sense of responsibility, wouldn’t it be better to give a certain sum of money for all the personal expenses, and that each one learn how to administer it? Each student must learn how to choose his priorities, and get used to renunciation once in a while. If I buy a book or go to the movies, then maybe I should renounce going to the restaurant for pizza, or to an outing that is not strictly necessary.
Another Achilles’ heel is the realtionship between obedience and discipline. Here too, we are perfectly synchronized with the culture and the mentality of our times: Chidren must be given all they want. It seems that the password for everything is to satisfy all the whims and wishes of children. We all know too well the consequences: Citizens that are selfish, individualistic, little interested in other people, whom we easily blame. In the seminary, too, a weak discipline breeds people without backbone, without guts. They learn how to use the community for their purposes, they become demanding and fussy about their own needs, but they barely contribute anything to the community. And then, every comment we make to them violates their freedom! “The superiors do not understand, they always make decisions following the logic of domination!” Formators become simple traffic directors in the community, they are there just to give permission to the demands of these characters.
No! That’s not what forms coherent people: Discipline and exercise do.

Coherence in the Human Person

In the beginning, I spoke about the interior fragmentation that many students feel in their first year of theology, and that for the various reasons exposed. Of course, there also is room for the opportunity of growing in a sound way, the chance to face other cultures that have different ways of doing things. Each student has the opportunity of considering his own educational baggage as relative, and of throwing himself into the things that are central to his vocation and formation.
The times of the theological studies are times in which one should grow into a unitary understanding and living of reality, of the human person. The several dimensions of life (intellectual, human, pastoral, missionary…) must be brought into a synthesis, a core around one’s I, around God, around the community.
During the times of specialization, one must compose for himself a blueprint of reference in the field of learning, and find a harmonious identity of self before leaving for the Mission; one must achieve a sense of interior unity, a sense of continuity in the various stages through which he has gone. One must feel one’s own I (inner self) on the road of one’s vocation. This interior arena (one’s “inner homeland”) is diverse from, and cannot be identified with, attractive entities or with passions… One must possess a very inner and intimate arena that is distinct from one’s passions and feelings and projections and rage and offenses… As A. Grun puts it: To discover a place in the depth of our hearts where we can meet with Christ, and adore Him.
In synchronization with this voice that calls us to follow God, which is the voice of Jesus, in the missionary vocation there are some areas that we must continuously survey, that must continually be the object of our examination of conscience. In a special way, these are the areas of autonomy and affectivity.
Maturity seeks to establish coherence between what we want to be (our ideal I) and what we really are (the real I). The ideal of communion with God has to be built through the coherence of our life, especially in these two areas (autonomy and affectivity).
The vocational inconsistencies in this area relate to liberty, the sense of independence, asking permissions, telling about going out, and one’s programs and projects…
Affectivity often creates conflicts in the area of celibacy for the Kingdom. Generally speaking one does not talk about personal friendships, or temptations in the area of virginity. More often, we hear witty remarks and jokes about it. It is extremely easy to create for oneself false representations of reality, it’s easy to live in the illusion that outside of the community everything is easy and licit. Just like TV wants us to believe!
Maturity is never fully attained, it remains always the object of conquest through effort. There enters here the dynamics of our psychic structure as defense mechanisms, the knowledge of self, the needs that push us to attitudes that make up our modes of behavior. Knowledge of self, far more than hard-headed stubbornness, can help us to unmask our false attitudes and manners of behaving. We are often more attached to ourselves, to our egotistic system, than to God’s plan for us.
How difficult it is to come out of our own shell, our own little world, and open up to the others who, during this time of our life, are the members of the community of Bravetta!
If we behave as responsible people in the services we assumed as members of our work team, such as work in the park or in the garden, or in the liturgical celebrations, or in the dining room, or in leaving the area of the coffeemaker always clean… well, all this shows that we are not just wrapped around our little preoccupations and difficulties, it shows that we care for the others.
Our Founder used to insist on doing the little things well: “Be extraordinary in the ordinary” (Spiritual Life, pg 100).
We ought to think not of what I can squeeze out of the community, but what I can do for the community. After all, isn’t this the ideal of our vocation? Human maturity and internal coherence heavily dictate the outcome of our behavior.
Only mature people can be creative, able to change, capable of being open to God when He calls us in order to grant us His grace. Immature people block themselves out, they cannot imagine anything that is different. They cannot understand how goodness can be attractive.

Conclusion

Our Founder used to insist on zeal as a condition to become real missionaries: “To be apostles, we must be on fire!” (Spiritual life, pg 384). This is the soul of the whole formation. Love for the Mission remains the initial attraction and becomes the ripened fruit of staying with Jesus.
I believe that this fire for the Mission is also the specific product of a nurtured spirituality, a nourished fraternal communion, and a maturity that is continuously under development.
I know that what I said is not complete, all-embracing. There are other important aspects. I think that these three (spirituality, community, maturity) must be improved, and in their turn they can improve many other things.