Does your parish ...
nurture a culture of formation that is at the feet of Christ the Teacher, in communion, and for mission?
‘We are so devoted to you,’ St Paul wrote to the Church in Thessalonica, ‘that we are glad to share with you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, so dear have you become to us’ (1 Thess 2:8).
Even as a missionary, the apostle Paul was concerned not only with spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ as a message, but as a common way of life, rooted in Christ and lived with and for others. This incarnational aspect of the Christian faith should also shape how we understand formation. The Gospel does not simply inform, it forms, and shapes us by Christ for a shared life in Christ.
While formation can refer to the many programs or studies we might run as a parish, seeking to deepen the faith and knowledge of our people, something to aspire towards in our communities is nurturing a culture of formation, where people become the protagonists of their own formation and, in turn, are able to form others.
To do this, we should bear in mind that formation according to the way of the Gospel involves three core elements.
At the feet of Christ the Teacher. In Mary of Bethany, we see a model of discipleship and formation: sitting at the feet of Christ the Teacher. Jesus tells Martha that in doing so Mary has ‘has chosen the better part’ (Lk 10:42). Integral to our formation is learning to do this every day, coming to Jesus not just as our Saviour but also our Teacher, from whom we learn the true path of life, the way of the Gospel.
In communion. Throughout the Scriptures, God forms his people by bringing them back to their households and families (cf. Jer 29:4-7). Jesus of Nazareth modelled this in his own ministry, coming to people in their homes and neighbourhoods. He invited and gathered friends, families, and local communities to hear the Gospel, receive healing and forgiveness, and plant their lives in him, the Word who ‘became flesh, and lived among us’ (Jn 1:14). We are formed not only in communion with others but sacramentally and eucharistically, by being drawn into the Divine Communion of God’s own self.
For mission. An important aspect of formation for mission is the discovery of, and formation in, the unique calling each person has in Christ, a calling that, each in their own way, nourishes the broader mission of the Church to ‘proclaim the gospel to the whole creation’ (Mk 16:15). Through the discovery of our own unique calling and mission, embraced with real joy, the way of the Gospel becomes credible and attractive to those around us. The Christ who speaks, lives among us, and forms us, is witnessed to in a tangible way.