Adult Formation
To seek the presence of Jesus Christ in the people, things and circumstances of life through stability, obedience and conversion of life.
Sister Michelle, OA conducted a retreat yesterday at the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, Time Square. It was on Benedictine Spirituality and Practice. Here’s a PDF of the event flyer.
This form of retreat is, as most retreats, a time of prayer. The Daily Office is said and the Eucharist celebrated. Unlike retreats that are a mix of presentations and silence, these are brief presentations and a set of exercises that participants are invited to engage. For example you might have a presentation on The Benedictine Promise and the Dynamics of the Spiritual Life and an exercise that might have individuals use this form based on the Benedictine Promise to reflect on their spiritual life.
The Order of the Ascension has used the same approach in its Parish Development Clinics which are several days for a small group of priests in charge of parish churches. This is information on a Clinic held several years ago - Benedictine Rhythms. In the Shaping the Parish program we devote an entire module to Benedictine Spirituality.
You can find more such material in the Shaping the Parish Resources page on the OA website.
In Nothing so contagious as holiness: Developmental Initiatives for Increased Parish Vitality Grounded in Spiritual Practice There’s a mix of adult formation resources, and parish development interventions for the shaping of a parish’s culture. Here are examples of some of the sections most related to adult formation.
Accepting responsibility for your spiritual life
Experiential education and spiritual development
A one session spiritual life assessment
In your Holy Spirit: five session spiritual assessment
Creating an adult foundations course
Eucharistic practices
Adult formation is about offering pathways of grace. Moments that may offer the possibility of significant movement in a person’s spiritual life. Training that helps people take on practices grounded in the Church’s tradition. And an approach that assumes adults must accept responsibility for their spiritual life, a responsibility in which we cooperate with the work of the Holy Spirit.
This abides,
Brother Robert, OA