Denver Catholic

8 MARCH 7-13, 2015 | DENVER CATHOLIC Around the Archdiocese A priest's relationship of friendship with Christ is at the foundation of his identity and mission, and so it is on that foundation of a relationship with Christ that the formation of future priests must rest, Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila of Denver told a gathering of sem- inary formators and spiritual directors. The archbishop said this at the Insti- tute for Priestly Formation's annual symposium, which took place Feb.19-22 at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. The Omaha-based Institute for Priestly Formation assists bishops in the spiritual formation of diocesan sem- inarians and priests. Some 110 bishops, priests, and lay mem- bers attended the event, titled "Christ the Foundation and Center: The Integration of Human and Spiritual Formation." Among the speakers were priests and lay faculty members of seminaries from around the country. Cardinal Francis George, archbishop emeritus of Chicago, opened the sympo- sium with an address in which he shared some of his own personal experiences of his 51 years of priesthood. Archbishop Aquila spoke on "The Priest as a Man of Charity: On the Integrating Role of Charity as Friendship in Human and Spiritual Priestly Formation." Basing his comments on St. John Paul II's 1992 letter on the formation of priests, titled Pastores Dabo Vobis (I Shall Give You Shepherds), the archbishop noted that "the model for priestly formation is found in Christ's appointing the twelve to be with him and to be sent out." Quoting John Paul II's letter, he added that the time a future priests spends in seminary is aimed at developing "a relationship of deep communion and friendship" with Christ. The candidate to the priesthood seeks to "learn how to respond from the heart to Christ's basic question: 'Do you love me?' For the future priest the answer can only mean total self-giving." "Thus," Archbishop Aquila explained, "John Paul II teaches that one's forma- tion to the priesthood is to be oriented to charity and the gift of self. More con- cretely, it should be oriented to answer with one's life to Christ's love and gift of self to us, members of the Church. "In the heart of the future priest is to be a deep receptivity to the love of Jesus Christ, who loves us fi rst." "I wish for all of you the grace to rekin- dle daily the gift of God you have received with the laying on of hands," the arch- bishop added, quoting St. John Paul II, "to feel the comfort of the deep friend- ship which binds you to Jesus and unites you with one another." ABIDE IN ME The archbishop asserted that "at the heart of everything the ordained priest does in relationship with [Christ]" are the following words from John's Gospel: "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." "To abide in Christ means to enter into a relationship of friendship with him that is analogous to the relationship between God the Father and the Son," he explained. "Jesus is the Way. Becoming sons in the Son, we are inserted in the very life of the Trinity." Archbishop Aquila explained that "Christ's love for his Father—and friendship is a habitual form of love—is manifested in his obedience unto death and gift of self for the Church." "Analogously," he continued, "our love for and friendship with Christ is mani- fested in our obedience and gift of self to him and to the Church. For this reason, the Lord says: 'If you keep my command- ments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.'" The prelate reminded those present that God is the one who loves fi rst, "teach- ing us in this way how to love, loving us when we were sinners." "He gave His own life for us," he added, "his friends and enemies. For this reason, each and every one of us can personally say with St. Paul that Christ 'loved me and gave Himself up for me.'" "Here we have the foundational encounter and experience upon which all priestly formation rests," the archbishop concluded. "The priest is to be a man of charity because he must know himself as a beloved son." BY KARNA SWANSON 303-715-3230 karna.swanson@archden.org www.twitter.com/KarnaSwanson No longer servants, but friends of Christ Archbishop Aquila refl ects on the priest as a man of charity PHOTOS BY ZACHARY BOAZMAN ONLINE To read the entire address, visit archden.org/archbishops_writing/ The Institute for Priestly Formation's annual symposium which took place Feb.19-22 at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. Cardinal Francis George (lower left) and Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila (lower right) presented.

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