I am the true vine,
and my Father is the vine grower.
He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit.
Every branch that bears fruit he prunes
to make it bear more fruit.
John 15:1-2
GOAL OF FORMATION
Among the activities of the Faustinum Association, one of the most important tasks is
care for the formation of its members.
Goals of Faustinum Formation:
- help deepen one’s personal relationship with the
Merciful Jesus and to become more like Him. - transformation of one’s life in the spirit of trust in God and mercy toward neighbors
- grow in the charism received
- prepare for the mission of mercy and involvement in the
work of mercy - instill the attitude of service in mutual
relationships within the community
Besides spiritual formation, the program of formation in the Association includes intellectual formation
which serves to deepen one’s knowledge in these areas:
- mystery of God’s mercy revealed in Scripture;
- message of mercy handed through St. Faustina and her Diary
- story of St. Faustina’s life, her spirituality and mission
- essence and practice of devotion to Divine Mercy
- charism and general history of the Congregation of the
Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy - principles of spiritual life
- mission of a Christian and apostle of God’s mercy in the
Church and in the world
Man in his freedom is called by God
to grow, develop and bear fruit.
A person cannot repudiate this call,
Nor can he evade his personal responsibility in this matter.
The fundamental objective of the formation of the lay catholic is an ever-clearer discovery of one’s vocation and the ever-greater willingness to live it so as to fulfil one’s mission.
John Paul II, Christifideles Laici, 57, 58
STAGES OF FORMATION
There are two stages of formation in the Association:
BASIC FORMATION
(4 stages)
PERMANENT FORMATION
(starts after completing Basic Formation)
WAYS OF RECEIVING FORMATION
The formation program of the Faustinum Association aims
at individual formation of members and
the formation of Communities.
COMMUNITY FORMATION
Community formation takes place during participation in formation meetings organized in parishes or convents of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy; and then, bringing the contents received during these meetings into one’s life by working on oneself spiritually and undertaking spiritual exercises.
INDIVIDUAL FORMATION
Individual formation is carried out by personally studying formation materials according to the program; and then, bringing and introducing what was learned into one’s life by working on oneself spiritually and undertaking spiritual exercises.
BASIC FORMATION PROGRAM
The Faustinum Executive Board defines the Association’s
Basic Formation Program which lasts at least four (4) years.
Each formation year has an overall theme:
- First Stage of Formation — “Learning Mercy”
- Second Stage of Formation — “Live by Trust”
- Third Stage of Formation — “Live by Mercy”
- Fourth Stage of Formation — “Cooperate with Mercy”
For each stage of the Basic Formation Program,
there are three courses:
- A Course on the Mission and Spirituality of St. Faustina
- A Course on the Bible
- A Course on The ABC of Spiritual Life
Each of the three courses, for any given formation year, covers 10 subjects.
They have been written and published as a course textbook.
All members are obliged to take formation. Volunteers are also encouraged to take formation.
PERMANENT FORMATION
Faustinum Members enter the stage of permanent formation after they finish the Basic Formation Program and after completing the summary. In this stage they enter more deeply into the mystery of God’s mercy.
OTHER FORMS OF PERMANENT FORMATION:
International Congress of
Apostles of Divine Mercy
National Meeting of
Apostles of Divine Mercy