“Growing in Communion: A Renewal to Common Life” was the theme for our
Augustinian Seminarians Spirituality Congress. At the end of our 3-day congress, a
statement of commitment was written as the fruit of our sharing and personal opinions
with our respective group and the whole body as well. The Statement of Commitment
was a sign of our unification as seminarians of the Order of St. Augustine, which
had brought us to be aware of the reality’s challenges. It has not also brought us for
communal renewal but also to the inner renewal of our personal calling.
A month has already passed after the spiritual encounter with the community.
Consequently, it led me to assess my development as a renewed seminarian with
the aide of the statement of commitment. May be as I go along with this article I’ll try
answering the following questions in order to guide me with this article. How much have
I grown after the congress? How I have been committed and faithful to the Statement of
Commitment I pledge after that 3 day congress?
How much I have grown? Maybe in one way or another, the congress allowed
me to enhance and develop more my relationship with my brothers. It gave me a deeper
understanding of the value of community life in the seminary. This can be based from
the 7 areas we pledge to commit in strengthening our community life, namely, 1. sharing
of both material and spiritual goods; 2. observance of the religious vows of chastity,
poverty and obedience; 3. prayer and spiritual life; 4. commitment to studies; 5. balance
between the contemplative and the active dimensions of religious life (prayer life,
meditation, studies, manual labor, etc.); 6. fraternity and dialogue, and; 7. sincere love
and concern for one another as brothers.
What I had pledge personally were already imbedded to the seminary structure
and in our daily undertakings as aspiring religious. The pledge was a kind of reminder
to us on how we should live the life of a true Augustinian. It was also a way of
strengthening our spirituality of communion not only with our brothers but also with
God. It is said that every area must be balanced but in my case, I have to admit that
I have failed in some aspects. It is a matter of discipline and influenced of the Holy
Spirit for one to balance everything. I also have to understand that each of us have its
own weakness and strength that may hinder us in fulfilling and maintaining a balanced
religious life in the community. Without the help of God’s grace in this aspiration would
only be worthless without also our cooperation. These 7 areas of commitment are like
grace we receive from the 7 sacraments. They are like ways of leading us towards God.
If the sacraments are the center of our Christian faith then, the 7 areas of community life
can also be considered the center of our Augustinian life.
Thus, the 7 aspects are the emblem of our being communion with one another.
It is a chain of love that binds us to be an ideal community of brothers. As a whole, we
are all invited always to take a glimpse of what we have promised and eventually be
reminded of what we ought to do despite some of weaknesses and failures. There will
always be a place of change as a sign of our growth in spiritual communion.
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