How Do Seminarian Pillars of Formation Apply to Anyone Seeking a Deeper Spiritual Life?

The Seminary House on morning in early autumn

When I entered the seminary, a little more than a month ago, I expected to experience challenges that would draw me out of myself, and that would demand that I see the big picture and live for others. I knew that the challenges of seminary life would not allow me to take a single moment for granted, as each moment is pregnant with eternity. I did not expect, however, that the process of formation in the seminary would provide me with lessons that apply to everyone, and that could deepen the lives of every Christian, yet this is what is happening. The same things that are important to the formation of seminarians are important, in a general way, to the formation of anyone seeking a deeper spiritual life.

The four pillars of formation in the seminary are human formation, which involves deepening the ability see and feel the world from somebody else’s perspective; intellectual formation, which involves deepening our curiosity about the world and ideas; spiritual formation, which involves deepening our interior life and our life of prayer; and pastoral formation, involving caring for others and attending to their needs. It is convenient to think about each of these pillars in separation, but they are actually inseparable. We either weaken or strengthen these attributes by everything we think, say and do – or fail to do.

This past week provided many opportunities to deepen these four pillars of formation. The seminarians were fortunate to be among the Pittsburgh pilgrims, led by Bishop David Zubik, to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. This pilgrimage was an opportunity to deepen our prayer life. Not only did pilgrims pray the Rosary and the Liturgy of the Hours as we traveled to D.C., our prayers continued as we visited each of the shrines contained on the two levels of the Basilica. There were priests available, around the Crypt Church, to hear confessions and confer the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

(This is part of a revised and more complete version of an op-ed piece that appeared The Pittsburgh Catholic Newspaper on October 10, 2014)