4. From experience to wisdom

Another important element for a type of formation that is able to create an attitude open to the charism is the quality of the formative experience. In terms of the holistic way in which the charism has been presented, that is, with all the charismatic components, the formative experience, too, has to be holistic, therefore not only intellectual or limited to an emotional summoning, neither should it consist in a training for the apostolate. The young person must be put in a condition of being able to understand, enjoy e experience the charism in all its constitutive elements.

For this reason it is important that the environment – made up of people and spaces - be consistent, that is, it should offer certain appropriate and coherent challenges and everything else should provide a truly charismatic experience. For instance, if an institute is called to serve the poor, it would be harmful and frustrating if in the formation house one would be allowed to follow a purely middle class style of life in which the person would slowly absorb the pagan attitude of always wanting anything he needs.

If instead there is consistency between the messages imparted and the reality of the environment, the young person is able to grow with the wisdom of the charism and see reflected in it his very own identity. He would also gain the true knowledge, no longer made up of notions and information, nor resulting from either a sporadic or extraordinary experience, but will be the fruit of a direct contact with the splendour of the Truth-Beauty-Goodness that in turn gives truth-beauty-goodness to our life. The infinite splendour of this space will be the space for our deepening which will be endless as endless will be the hollow created by the charism.