“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” – Lao Tzu
As human beings, it is by our nature that we are different from one another, both physically and mentally. We are different from the way we think, talk, relate, behave, fashion, etc. All of these, somehow, make us unique or distinct from one another. Even the identical tweens, though they are true identical in their physical appearance but they will be difference in their behavior. In life, we have also what we call “biases” which usually we put ourselves as a center of it. Our tendency always is to serve ourselves before serving others. It is really our very nature that we secure ourselves first before the others. But if we are aiming to make our life to its fullness, we should jump out from this kind of perspective, being subjective. We should enter ourselves into the wider perspective of the world view. Why? If we only base the world and its vastness according only in our own knowledge or perspective about it, it will only be limited, because given the fact that there are so many things out there that we haven’t know yet. It also the reason why there is a teacher among the students, because as a person having already so many experiences and learnings he will serve as a guide to the students and bring them and show to them the reality of life. It is in this way that makes a teacher a teacher and a student a student. A teacher can only be a good teacher if he is going to take away from him his biases and walk the way towards his being as a good teacher. A student can only be a good student if he is going to let go his own biases and walk the path that will lead him to become a good student. Letting go of something doesn’t always mean creating a great lose on our part, but sometimes we need to give up something in order to gain greater things.
The idea of letting go of oneself in order for him to become what he might be is very particular in the seminary formation. We all know that seminary formation is given to those who want to become good priests someday. It is a training that needs self-abandonment so that it can be truly lived out by the individuals who are undergoing it. The self-abandonment that I mean is that the individuals should give up their own designs in life a d follow the discipline that is given to them. Let me use my own experiences as my concrete example. As a seminarian and a student I need to rely myself to my formators and teachers so that I can have my seminary formation. I can’t have my seminary formation if I’m going to do it alone myself. It will be very difficult for me to learn Philosophy if I’m not going to seek the aid of my teachers in Philosophy. It will be very difficult for me to understand Theology if I’m not going to ask something about it from my teachers in Theology. It will be very difficult for me to understand Peer Formation if won’t allow my brother seminarians to correct me. As a whole, I can’t have a seminary formation if I will be doing it alone, or even tell myself that I’m the seminary formation, because seminary formation is not only made by a single individual but it is composed of a group (community) of people who are joining hands together in order to create a good kind of training that will make young men good priests someday. I need to submit myself to my seminary formation so that I can be what it want me to be- an integrated human person, Christ-centered, apostolic proclaimer, and a contemplative pastor.
It is very true that we find it so hard to give up our own designs in our lives. But it is a fact also that we have to give these things in us in order to gain more, because there are things in us that are, somehow, not really useful and preventing us to grow in our wisdom. That is why sometimes we need also to empty ourselves and to eliminate the unuseful ideas within us so that we can put another knowledge which is very helpful and will lead us to what we might be- to our success in life!
As human beings, it is by our nature that we are different from one another, both physically and mentally. We are different from the way we think, talk, relate, behave, fashion, etc. All of these, somehow, make us unique or distinct from one another. Even the identical tweens, though they are true identical in their physical appearance but they will be difference in their behavior. In life, we have also what we call “biases” which usually we put ourselves as a center of it. Our tendency always is to serve ourselves before serving others. It is really our very nature that we secure ourselves first before the others. But if we are aiming to make our life to its fullness, we should jump out from this kind of perspective, being subjective. We should enter ourselves into the wider perspective of the world view. Why? If we only base the world and its vastness according only in our own knowledge or perspective about it, it will only be limited, because given the fact that there are so many things out there that we haven’t know yet. It also the reason why there is a teacher among the students, because as a person having already so many experiences and learnings he will serve as a guide to the students and bring them and show to them the reality of life. It is in this way that makes a teacher a teacher and a student a student. A teacher can only be a good teacher if he is going to take away from him his biases and walk the way towards his being as a good teacher. A student can only be a good student if he is going to let go his own biases and walk the path that will lead him to become a good student. Letting go of something doesn’t always mean creating a great lose on our part, but sometimes we need to give up something in order to gain greater things.
The idea of letting go of oneself in order for him to become what he might be is very particular in the seminary formation. We all know that seminary formation is given to those who want to become good priests someday. It is a training that needs self-abandonment so that it can be truly lived out by the individuals who are undergoing it. The self-abandonment that I mean is that the individuals should give up their own designs in life a d follow the discipline that is given to them. Let me use my own experiences as my concrete example. As a seminarian and a student I need to rely myself to my formators and teachers so that I can have my seminary formation. I can’t have my seminary formation if I’m going to do it alone myself. It will be very difficult for me to learn Philosophy if I’m not going to seek the aid of my teachers in Philosophy. It will be very difficult for me to understand Theology if I’m not going to ask something about it from my teachers in Theology. It will be very difficult for me to understand Peer Formation if won’t allow my brother seminarians to correct me. As a whole, I can’t have a seminary formation if I will be doing it alone, or even tell myself that I’m the seminary formation, because seminary formation is not only made by a single individual but it is composed of a group (community) of people who are joining hands together in order to create a good kind of training that will make young men good priests someday. I need to submit myself to my seminary formation so that I can be what it want me to be- an integrated human person, Christ-centered, apostolic proclaimer, and a contemplative pastor.
It is very true that we find it so hard to give up our own designs in our lives. But it is a fact also that we have to give these things in us in order to gain more, because there are things in us that are, somehow, not really useful and preventing us to grow in our wisdom. That is why sometimes we need also to empty ourselves and to eliminate the unuseful ideas within us so that we can put another knowledge which is very helpful and will lead us to what we might be- to our success in life!
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