What is formation, and how can we do it well?

How do you form someone? When you are personally motivated, it’s simple enough for you to seek out formation and better yourself. But what do you do when you are in a position to help others, or when you have a responsibility for your own children, family members, or the formation of students, colleagues, and employees? When someone is lacking knowledge, will, drive, experience, passion – or even the desire to attain what they are lacking – how can we move them toward the fullness God wants for them? 

In the pages that follow, Fr. Daniel explores the theme of formation in three chapters: (1) How not to form someone, (2) How Jesus formed his disciples, and (3) Implications for Regnum Christi. By the end of this essay, you won’t have all the answers, but you’ll have a clearer picture about how to approach formation in a way that both follows the example of Christ and is relevant to the needs of today.