"You give but little when you give your possessions...It is when you give yourself that you truly give."
(Kahlil Gibran)
This is the call for discipleship. One is asked to lay down his possessions. To offer and commit oneself to the vocation and the mission of evangilization.
This vocation is referred basically to priesthood and religious life. The call towards these life calls each one to leave/unload themselves from the unnecessary baggages. In the gospel, Christ called his disciples, asked them to follow him..."for he will make them fishers of men." He even mentioned the most difficult attachment a man can have (especially to the Filipino culture), a "family".
The vocation to priesthood and religious life is patterned after the life and mission of Jesus Christ. Thus, one must experience passion, death and resurrection to oneself, and to the mission Christ's entrusted to him. Each in called to empty himself in order to have a space for Christ, a place where he can dwell.
This vocation, however, must be cultivated and nurtured. Hence, formation plays a vital role here. It is in the process of formation that this Kenosis, an act of self-emptying must happen. The formation challenges the individual to go back to oneself, and examine the true meaning and essence of his identity as individual called to participate on the mission of Christ. Everything starts from small details in the process of formation. here, habit is formed, motivation and intention is modified, the desire is cultivated, and the heart is purified.
In this formation process, Christ allows his chosen people to witness him, and find him on the ordinariness one's experiences. Thus, it is in every dimension of formation which one is expected to offer himself freely to the demands of this process of formation. Thus, the giving of oneself is an act, a commitment towards the One who called - that in giving freely of oneself is an act of charity to the Christ who is the head of the disciples. It is an act of charity, since, we give up ourselves and expect nothing in return.
Henceforth, this is never easy...the call for the discipleship is not an easy thing to do. On this, we need to have the element of faith. We ask Jesus for the to guide and strengthen us; that in our offering of ourselves, we may become worthy to be called his disciples.
(Kahlil Gibran)
This is the call for discipleship. One is asked to lay down his possessions. To offer and commit oneself to the vocation and the mission of evangilization.
This vocation is referred basically to priesthood and religious life. The call towards these life calls each one to leave/unload themselves from the unnecessary baggages. In the gospel, Christ called his disciples, asked them to follow him..."for he will make them fishers of men." He even mentioned the most difficult attachment a man can have (especially to the Filipino culture), a "family".
The vocation to priesthood and religious life is patterned after the life and mission of Jesus Christ. Thus, one must experience passion, death and resurrection to oneself, and to the mission Christ's entrusted to him. Each in called to empty himself in order to have a space for Christ, a place where he can dwell.
This vocation, however, must be cultivated and nurtured. Hence, formation plays a vital role here. It is in the process of formation that this Kenosis, an act of self-emptying must happen. The formation challenges the individual to go back to oneself, and examine the true meaning and essence of his identity as individual called to participate on the mission of Christ. Everything starts from small details in the process of formation. here, habit is formed, motivation and intention is modified, the desire is cultivated, and the heart is purified.
In this formation process, Christ allows his chosen people to witness him, and find him on the ordinariness one's experiences. Thus, it is in every dimension of formation which one is expected to offer himself freely to the demands of this process of formation. Thus, the giving of oneself is an act, a commitment towards the One who called - that in giving freely of oneself is an act of charity to the Christ who is the head of the disciples. It is an act of charity, since, we give up ourselves and expect nothing in return.
Henceforth, this is never easy...the call for the discipleship is not an easy thing to do. On this, we need to have the element of faith. We ask Jesus for the to guide and strengthen us; that in our offering of ourselves, we may become worthy to be called his disciples.
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