← [[role-of-study-fh|The Role of Study]] | [[formation-handbook-toc|Table of Contents]] | [[criteria-for-evaluating-candidates-fh|The Criteria for Evaluating Candidates]] → # Some Specifics of Formation Required/assigned readings and the essential points in a particular theme in the syllabus are quite sufficient to have meaningful discussions and participation as the candidates progress through formation. Open-ended questions (questions that allow one to give a “free form” answer as opposed to specific questions or fill-in-the-blanks) make for a more fruitful exchange of ideas. For example, incorporating Fr. Donald Kinney’s three questions in any formation session is an excellent way to invite the candidates to participate in the discussion: 1\. What did I read that has something for me to learn? 2\. What, if anything, is the Holy Spirit asking me to share? 3\. What have I read that I can incorporate into my daily Carmelite life? Likewise, Fr. Bonaventure Sauer’s three questions would be good discussion points: 4\. What is the author trying to get across? 5\. How does it apply to the Seculars? 6\. What did I find especially helpful? 15 Different candidates will come away with different takes or different interpretations that may apply to their daily life — and that’s good. That’s what a formator expects in formation. Some of the candidates may choose to write down their reflections for their own personal use. It is the formators’ responsibility to know each candidate and respect their freedom of spirit. Avoid written assignments to be turned in and reviewed or used by the Council for evaluating a candidate’s progress. Our aim is personal transformation, not simply academic study. Please keep in mind that discernment for the Promise is not based on how well a candidate did the “homework” but on their overall progress in embracing Carmelite life, especially the qualities that make for a harmonious community. Please see below The Criteria for Evaluating Candidates. It is essential that each Council member spends time with the candidates and gets to know them personally. An individual may not be expressive in writing and yet still have a good understanding of the charism, with a deep prayer life and a sincere love for their community and the Order. Thus, the formators’ responsibility is to follow the syllabus and come prepared for discussion and participation with the candidates. They must take to heart the guidance of our Holy Father St John of the Cross: “…the principal guide is the Holy Spirit, who is never neglectful of souls.” As St. Therese pointed out, you, as a formator, are “a little brush that Jesus has chosen in order to paint His own image in the souls...” Formation is not a mental exercise, but a healthy exchange of concepts within the context of Discalced Carmelite spirituality. The purpose of formation is to capture the essence of Carmel and to grow in the spirit and life of prayer. At each session, formators have the privilege of “planting the seeds and watering them” (that is to present the materials and engage in meaningful discussion). The rest, leave to God. Always remember, it is “God who gives the growth” (1 Cor. 3:7), which should be the motto in OCDS formation. Accordingly, “the information through reading and class sessions are meant to be a help to the person’s spiritual growth” (Ratio 7). The spontaneous responses of the candidates should be the focus of the formation sessions. God’s works are not always visible to the naked eye. Hence, it is important for the formators to create a free and open atmosphere with the necessary tools (assigned materials and discussion points) for the candidates to recognize the prompting of the Holy Spirit. “… [formation] should stimulate a desire for this growth, so that each of us can say wholeheartedly, ‘It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me’” (Gal. 2:20) (Evangelii Gaudium, 160). This realization — the virtue of self-knowledge — is essential to spiritual growth. We learn from the writings of St. Therese that the Holy Spirit guided her to the life of prayer when reading Abbe Arminjon’s conferences on The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life. Her reaction to the book was precious: “This reading was one of the greatest graces in my life. …the impressions I received are too deep to express in human words. All the great truth of religion, the mysteries of eternity, plunged my soul into a state of joy not of this earth, I experienced already what God reserved for 16 those who love Him (not with the eye but with the heart), and seeing the eternal rewards had no proportion to life’s small sacrifices. I wanted love, to love Jesus with a passion…” (Story of a Soul pg. 138). “It [formation] should not impose the truth but appeal to freedom; it should be marked by joy” (Evangelii Gaudium 160). Opportunities for formation are not limited to the study sessions at the monthly meetings. Besides the regular formation sessions, candidates participate in the community’s annual retreat, days of reflection, provincial workshops, OCDS Congresses, etc. The candidates’ sense of themselves as committed members of the community and the Order is vital for their overall formation. As noted previously, the purpose is to “prepare the person.” The Ratio points out that “the people who come to the Secular Order of Carmel are, with few exceptions, people who have many commitments with families and work. As such, the program of formation must be flexible enough to adapt to the circumstances of each person who is to become a member” (Ratio 6). “Flexibility” does not mean introducing a “watered down” version of the syllabus or cutting down the formation period. It means finding ways to help candidates who may be struggling, or have had to miss meetings, or simply need more time. Given that so much of formation happens in the context of the monthly meetings, absences should be rare and for a serious reason. For more on this, revisit the OCDS Constitutions 24.c, the Ratio 24-29, and relevant attendance polices. Occasional missed sessions may be “made up” by discussing the readings with the formator outside the regular meeting time (in person or by phone or video call), as the local Council deems appropriate. It is important that every candidate keeps up with what the rest of the group is reading. “As the friars and nuns, the seculars too ought to have a good intellectual and doctrinal formation since as members of the Order they represent and witness to a mature and profound spirituality” (Ratio 79). Good formation allows the candidates to dwell in the wisdom proclaimed by St. Paul: “There is, to be sure, a certain wisdom which we express among the spiritually mature. It is not a wisdom of this age… No, what we utter is God’s wisdom: a mysterious hidden wisdom. God planned it before all ages for our glory” (1 Cor. 2:6-7). Consequently, while adapting to individual needs where possible, the guiding principles of formation remain the same for all, regardless of the size of a formation group or the personal situation of a candidate. --- **Source:** [[maps/bibliography#^biblio-ocds-fh|OCDS Formation Handbook]]