Spiritual
GOAL
The goal of spiritual formation at Holy Trinity Seminary is for the seminarian more and more to live in intimate communion with the Father, through the Son, and in the Holy Spirit, especially by his seeking an ever deeper friendship with Jesus and by living his paschal mystery, which finds expression in and is nurtured by faithful meditation on the Word of God and by prayer, by active participation in the Church’s holy mysteries, and by the service of charity to others, especially the poor.
OBJECTIVES
- To become habitual in the practice of personal prayer.
- To commit to spiritual direction.
- To be faithful to community prayer.
- To grow in a spirit of personal contrition for sin and dependence on God’s mercy.
- To seek an ever deeper friendship with Jesus.
- To grow in one’s identity as a beloved son.
- To grow in loving knowledge of and prayerful familiarity with the Word of God.
- To grow in love for the Eucharist.
- To grow in virtues central to priestly life and ministry.
- To develop one’s personal devotional life.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Seminarians receive assistance in achieving the goal and objectives of spiritual formation through many means. In addition to spiritual direction, some of the other means through which Holy Trinity Seminary assists seminarians in their spiritual formation include regular conferences, class formation sessions, daily homilies at Mass, weekends of recollection, annual retreats and select workshops.
Spiritual formation and the community life of Holy Trinity Seminary is centered upon the daily celebration of Mass. The praise and petition of Mass is prepared for and continued through Morning and Evening Prayer which are celebrated in common five days a week. Liturgical preparation also includes a weekly and communal music practice. The centrality of the Eucharist is augmented by a weekly communal adoration and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, by silent meditation in chapel and by visits to the Blessed Sacrament. Seminarians are also encouraged to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation frequently. Confessions are scheduled three times a week with external confessors and spiritual directors as confessors. Lastly, seminarians are introduced throughout the year to the devotional life of the Church, including the Rosary and the Stations of the Cross as well as cultural devotions, such as the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.