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Vocational Fidelity

Vocational Fidelity. Ongoing Formation Sessions Don Bosco Center of Studies September 19, 2011. Vocational Fidelity. In these years we have had an annual average loss of about 110 novices and 220 temporary professed out of an average of 530 novices who begin.

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Vocational Fidelity

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  1. Vocational Fidelity Ongoing Formation Sessions Don Bosco Center of Studies September 19, 2011

  2. Vocational Fidelity In these years we have had an annual average loss of about 110 novices and 220 temporary professed out of an average of 530 novices who begin. (From VOCATIONAL FIDELITY, by Fr Francesco CEREDA, SDB) Novices leaving: 21% Temporary Professed Leaving: 41% Total leaving during novitiate/temp. prof.= 62%

  3. Vocational Fidelity Reasons for leaving: • Realization by the individual that he / she is not suited to this particular vocation • Formators/superiors do not accept for, or advise the individual to take vows. • Vocational infidelity? But even among those who stay, there may be some vocational infidelity in: • spirit of prayer, • spirit of community/charity, • fidelity to vows. . .

  4. Major Causes of Difficulty/Problems w. Vocational Fidelity survey of priests at NCC, 2004 (close to 3,000 priests): Causes Percentage Your own personal making 49.2% Cultural set up you’re in 39.7% Your formation 11.1% Total 100.0%

  5. Vocational Infidelity (3 CC’s) • Classic Causes: things religious have always had to struggle with through the ages: (e.g., poverty, chastity, obedience) • Contemporary Considerations: things that come with our modern age e.g., Postmodernity, Self-absorption, Secularization, Globalization (culture, media, etc.) • Core personality Conditions: things that are related to individual Human Development (e.g., trust, autonomy, perseverance, identity, intimacy) (most of the items referred to here are from: Fr. Gerry N. Martin, SDB, August conf. on Vocational Fragility)

  6. Vocational Infidelity  Fidelity I. Classic challenges today call for greater Fidelity Fragility:wehold this treasure in earthen vessels • Obedience:we now hear more and more of self-fulfillment - institution is for us we find self value in God plus self-sacrifice & service • Chastity. We live in a more highly sexualized world because of media, stress on self gratification, and lack of importance given to perseverance. The number one reason for priestly failure according to the clergy is “succumbing to personal weakness, temptations of the flesh, anger and inconsistencies.” (2004, National Congress of Clergy) – Integrate spiritual & psyche, cf. • Alienated from the poor: Swept away by the culture of personal possession, religious are becoming alienated from the poor for whom they are called to serve and witness to the Kingdom. Back to the Gospel roots: Trust in God; Share resources; Practices

  7. Vocational Infidelity  Fidelity II. Causes specific to our age: • Postmodernity: disillusionment w. science, truth is relative: While questioning the truth can be constructive, we also need to be sufficiently prepared to understand the truths of our faith w. Magisterium & in human context. • Self-absorption: Modern culture turns to the self as the ultimate reference point: one’s own ego & desires are the criteria for life. victimhood (with small “v”): in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, the church. … He who looses his self for my sake will find it • Secularization – this world appears supreme, religion is downgraded or ignored. Be honest, humble and open.

  8. Vocational Infidelity  Fidelity III. Psychol./personal factors in Vocation Fidelity: Many of those in formation carry psychological baggage that prevents them from being fully 100% in formation. (Jerry Martin, SDB) A reasonably healthy sense of self – as a platform for formation in religious life - can be affected by: • lack of self-esteem, • identity diffusion, • tentativeness, • personality problems, • trauma in the past, • difficulties with anxiety, anger, depression • issues with autonomy. • interpersonal difficulties • impulse control, self gratification and sexuality • authority issues,

  9. Vocational Fidelity Vocational fidelity is first of all a gift from God. • The initiative of God is at the very beginning of our vocation story. • He chose us before we chose Him, He placed His trust in us, He seduced us;He guided us. • We fell in love with Jesus; we felt happy about continuing His presence and action in the world. • God opened up our hearts, giving us the grace to make us feel loved by Jesus and to love Him with all our hearts; • We found the decision for Jesus and his mission so attractive that we felt happy to leave other things. • We do not chose a vocation, rather it is given to us Fr Francesco CEREDA, SDB

  10. Vocational Fidelity is Forever Vocational fidelity is a commitment of love • The commitment “for ever” is demanded by love • In fact, the measure of love is not to have any limit; such was the love of Jesus who “having loved his own who were in the world he loved them to the end.”Jn 13:1. • How can we be faithful until the very end? • Only fidelity day by day is what, with the grace of God, we can ensure

  11. Learning from those who have returned to vocational fidelity Several surveys have shown that those who have undergone successful renewal programs rate the following as having helped them most of all: • Returning to personal relationship with God • Fraternity with others in vocational renewal • Counseling, therapy, program, education

  12. 1)Returning to personal relationship with God • An hour of prayer each day • Richard Sipe’s findings

  13. 2) Fraternity Fraternity: sharing our story, woundedness & failings • Opening up my inner self • Finding I am not the only one with this issue • No one judges me, acceptance and love • Honest but loving feedback • Coming to know myself and the way others perceive me much better • Coming to know others in an intimate and respectful way But, some cautions are in order And, we still have to bear with each other’s shortcomings – but patience in this context becomes meaningful and acceptable.

  14. 3) Personal / Psychological Growth Many of those in formation carry psychological baggage that prevents them from being fully 100% in their formation. Their effective freedom is diminished by: issues such as: • lack of self-esteem, • identity diffusion, • tentativeness, • personality problems, • trauma in the past, • neuroticism, • tendency towards conformity and harm avoidance. Common results of these would be problems in: • intimacy and affective maturity, interpersonal relationships, • impulse control, authority issues, • self gratification and sexuality (Saffioti, 2005).

  15. 3) Personal / Psychological Growth The Means: Sp. Direct., Individual Counseling, Group Therapy, Reading Assessment, Conferences, Planning Conf., Continuing Care To Assist with: • lack of self-esteem, • identity diffusion, • tentativeness, • personality problems, • trauma in the past, • difficulties with anxiety, anger, depression • issues with autonomy. • interpersonal difficulties • impulse control, self gratification and sexuality • authority issues,

  16. Sound Psychological Principles &Vocational Fidelity • Some Cautions • Psychology is a human science – it cannot take the place of spirituality • It cannot be used to judge spirituality • Rather we need to use the Gospel principles of faith and love to judge psychology. • Many have gone astray using psychologies that are too humanistic.

  17. Sound Psychological Principles &Vocational Fidelity • Some Benefits • Basically, Grace Perfects Nature (gratia perficit naturam). • Grace takes nature where it is, and: • helps nature to grow and develop its gifts • it heals nature & provides for its deficiencies And, each vocation is situated in our personality Sometimes when there are vocational problems, there is a psychological problem underlying a problem with vocational infidelity. Psychology can help with many psychological problems that underlie problems with vocational infidelity. But in most cases grace is also needed and may be the ultimate answer.

  18. Sound Psychological Principles &Vocational Fidelity Some common examples: • Depression – may be biological or caused by events. It may also be characterological, or it may be clinical. • Psychiatry, medicine and psychology will be able (and may have to) to help in varying degrees, but a healthy spiritual perspective can also be helpful. • E.g., Cognitive therapy looks at the underlying belief systems that lead to depressive feelings. A convinced Gospel oriented perspective can be very helpful.

  19. Sound Psychological Principles &Vocational Fidelity Some common examples: • Problems with anger, anxiety, compulsivity (cognitive & behavioral therapy) • Problem of low self esteem (inner child work) • Suffering from the effects of sexual, physical or emotional abuse – (healing of memories, etc.) • Ordinary developmental phases: trust, autonomy, identity, intimacy, generativity • Habits difficult to overcome, and addictions (12 step programs, cf. next frame…)

  20. BUILDING UP PHASE COVERING UP PHASE ACTING OUT The Addictive Cycle

  21. Psychology helping with Addiction • While human considerations and means can, all along the addictive cycle, help the individual to know his or her addiction much better, ultimately most addicted people need grace to succeed. • Gerald May: Addiction and Grace

  22. Conclusion 1 • We started with the notion that Vocational Fidelity is a gift, a grace, from God – with which we can cooperate. • It is centered in a deep and continuing personal relationship with Jesus in all seasons • It extends to our communion with each other • And is expressed in the mission we received as followers of Jesus.

  23. Conclusion 2 • We possess our vocation however as a treasure in earthen and fragile vessels. • The Church, in the person of recent Popes, our Founders, and our Religious Congregations/Orders offer us many helps to vocational fidelity. E.G. Vita Consecrata of Pope John Paul II, our Constitutions • We can also learn from the conversion process of those who returned to be faithful once again to their vocation.

  24. Conclusion 3 • Those who have returned give important witness to the following in their conversion and ongoing fidelity: • Personal union with God, Jesus (an hour of prayer a day, spiritual reading, SD) • A supportive group or community ( journeying together in the things that count – openess about difficulties, successes, etc.) • Recognition of need for the right type of help from qualified and faith filled support persons (Formators, Counselors, Psychologists, Renewal Programs

  25. Prayer for Vocational Fidelity May God grant us the grace to: • Be grateful for our vocation • Always in love with Jesus • Trusting in the gift of the Spirit • Able to think of others in all we do and endure • Able to inwardly smile to God in our daily joys & sorrows • Open to His will at every moment • And willing to live as a child of our heavenly Mother. Amen

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