We are given ample opportunities to seek Christ in the fruitful seedbed of silence. Once a month, each missionary takes a “Desert Day”–a time away from noise, technology, and the demands of the mission–to relax, recharge, and pray. Twice a year, we also make an extended retreat. These days of recollection are normally made offsite so that we can immerse ourselves in the beauty of God’s creation.

In our silent prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, we bring the intentions of all we meet before Christ; it is in His Gaze that we discover what it means to be truly present with another. Prayer is our foremost school of love, in which the life of Christ is nurtured and cultivated. It is here that Our Lady, who leads us to the foot of the Cross, shows us how to fulfill Christ’s request: “Be where I am.” (cf. John 17:24)

Christian formation is the process by which we consciously and actively allow the Holy Spirit to advance our configuration to Christ and thereby grow in our identity as sons and daughters of the Father. This is always primarily a work of the Trinity that requires our free cooperation. Formation is a lifelong endeavor carried out as active members of the Church living the life of grace that reaches completion in the glory of heaven. Programs of formation, such as Source of All Hope, exist to place individuals within a suitable formative environment, walk alongside them, and equip them with the essential tools to assist their Christian development at a particular stage in their life.

As Christ assumed the fullness of our humanity, he desires to raise the whole of our humanity to share in the whole of his divinity. Moreover, since the human person is an integrated whole, no authentic formation can take place if any part is neglected or excluded by either the individual or the program of formation in which they are engaged. Source of All Hope conceives of formation in four interconnected dimensions: human formation, spiritual formation, intellectual formation, and apostolic formation. The formation program will focus on the aspects of each dimension that are most relevant to young adults engaged in community life and mission work. 

In the Christian life, and especially in programs and houses of formation, there are always temptations toward perfectionism and comparison. We must always remember that we are unique individuals, created and loved as such by God, called to the perfection of our individuality through relationship with each other in the common life of the Church. In the same measure that God is patient and merciful to us in our formation, so must we be to ourselves.