On November 27, 2021, the second spiritual formation day of this course was held for the Legionary of Christ religious community of the philosophy community. These days aim to deepen topics related to the spiritual and liturgical dimension according to the guidelines of the Ratio Institutionis (La Ratio Institutionis which bears the title Christus Vita Vestra is the document that defines the identity of the Legionary of Christ, the formative objectives, the characteristics of his pedagogy, and the means that are part of his tradition).
This time, the theme of the day was Discipleship in the Gospel. The day consisted of four modules. The first two were led by Dr. Rosalba Manes, belonging to the ordo virginum and professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University, who delved into the evangelical concepts of disciple and discipleship, and the stages of discipleship.
Rosalba defined the disciple as someone who “has been captivated by the beauty of God, allows himself to be guided, and sees every moment of his life in the light of his Master” and the discipleship as a “paschal journey, following the Master to the cross.” On the other hand, she proposed three different stages in this process of “Christian maturation”:
- Deeper knowledge of the mystery of God: The experience of being called by the Master to follow Him.
- Evangelization: The experience of fecundity with Christ.
- Maturation: The experience of embracing Easter in one’s own life.
During the third module, the brothers had a moment to gather in teams and delve into various texts highlighting the attitudes of a true disciple.
To conclude the training day, a team presentation was held, where a representative from each team shared their reflections and conclusions.
The theme aligned with the guidelines set by the Ratio Institutionis for the formation of legionaries at this stage: “To firmly establish their identity as religious and candidates for the priesthood, this stage is proposed as a deepening of the ‘disciple’ being, who seek Christ in Scripture, in the cross, and in the Eucharist” (CVV 782).