Father Michael Najim - Radical Surrender: Letters to Seminarians

LETTERS TO SEMINARIANS

"Father Najim has written a very fine collection of letters in the tradition of lectio divina. Seminarians who take the time to prayerfully consider his words will move far along the path of discerning a priestly vocation."

Cardinal Sean O'Malley, OFM, Cap.
Archdiocese of Boston

"In this superb collection of meditative letters, Father Najim provides invaluable spiritual lessons to seminarians, and exemplifies the fatherly attributes a vocation director must possess to guide young men towards the gift of priesthood."

Msgr. Robert Panke, STL
Vocation Director, Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.

Radical Surrender speaks straight to the heart of any seminarian. I only wish I had received such letters when I was in the seminary! It is a must read for all seminarians and for vocation directors. Clearly the fruit of prayer, this book provides encouragement through the ups and downs of seminary life, and an invitation to give all to the Lord.

Father Len Plazewski
President, National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors

"At a time when the role of fatherhood is under attack within our culture, Father Najim writes personal letters to seminarians as a spiritual father to his sons. These prayerful, passionate, practical letters direct seminarians to a heartfelt and authentic relationship with Jesus Christ as the core of their priestly formation."

Christina Lynch, PsyD
St. John Vianney Seminary, Denver

Radical Surrender is at once deeply spiritual and eminently practical. These "spiritual letters" will inspire the hearts of seminarians. The book can also serve as a tool to assist the work of seminary formators in spiritual direction or formation advising. Radical Surrender is a joy to read; I believe that those who prayerfully receive it will find rest and refreshment in the Heart of Christ.

Father David L. Toups, STD
USCCB Secretariat of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations

"In the tradition of Catherine Doherty, Father Michael Najim has written a most valuable series of "letters to seminarians" which speak eternal truths through clear, contemporary language and images. His own faith, wisdom and warm personality penetrate each page. A must read for all seminarians and vocation directors of the New Evangelization."

Father Bill Kelly, STD
Director, Office for Clergy Support and Ongoing Formation
Adjunct Spiritual Director, St. John's Seminary, Boston

THE INSTITUTE FOR PRIESTLY FORMATION
IPF PUBLICATIONS
2500 California Plaza
Omaha, Nebraska 68178
www.IPFpublications.com

Copyright August 22, 2009 by
Michael Najim and The Institute for Priestly Formation, Inc.

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the Institute for Priestly Formation.

Printed in the United States of America
ISBN-13: 978-0-9800455-8-1
ISBN-10: 0-9800455-8-4

Scripture texts are taken from the New American Bible with Revised New Testament 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Cover design by Timothy D. Boatright
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Tampa, Florida

THE INSTITUTE FOR PRIESTLY FORMATION
Mission Statement

The Institute for Priestly Formation was founded to assist bishops in the spiritual formation of diocesan seminarians and priests in the Roman Catholic Church. The Institute responds to the need to foster spiritual formation as the integrating and governing principle of all aspects of priestly formation. Inspired by the biblical-evangelical spirituality of Ignatius Loyola, this spiritual formation has as its goal the cultivation of a deep interior communion with Christ; from such communion the priest shares in Christ's own pastoral charity. In carrying out its mission, the Institute directly serves diocesan seminarians and priests as well as those who are responsible for diocesan priestly formation.

THE INSTITUTE FOR PRIESTLY FORMATION
Creighton University
2500 California Plaza
Omaha, Nebraska 68178
www.creighton.edu/ipf

My Dear Friends in Christ,

The most important aspects of the discernment process are prayer and spiritual reflection. Through personal communion with Jesus, we come to understand who we are and what we are being called to in this life. Meaningful prayer requires time and focus. We can and should offer many prayers in the midst of our daily activities, but securing a vocation calls for times of spiritual reflection "set apart" from the demands of schedules and commitments. Father Najim envisions these letters to be read as lectio divina. Prayerful reading is not a hurried process or an assignment to be completed, but rather an opportunity to proceed along the journey of developing a closer relationship with the Lord and a better understanding of how He is calling you.

Our ability to embrace God's will with trust presupposes that we know God and His love. If we really know that God is all-loving and at the same time all-powerful, we will not be afraid to entrust our lives to Him. Sometimes people feel called to the priesthood but fear that it is too challenging and that they would fail to live out their commitment. We need to trust in the Lord. If He gives us a vocation, He will also give us the strength we need. Sometimes, very good candidates for the priesthood are overwhelmed by a sense of unworthiness. The Gospel should reassure us when we see how Jesus calls ordinary people to be His disciples. Some of them had histories that would seem to preclude a vocation. Levi, a publican, worked for the enemy, the Romans, and enriched himself by exploiting the poor. Saul, the Pharisee, persecuted the Church and even participated in the martyrdom of St. Stephen. Peter denied Jesus three times, intimidated not by a soldier with a lance but by a servant girl who noticed his accent. In all of these cases, faith in Christ and the power of His love sustained those who were called. It will be no different for you.

I hope Father Najim's Radical Surrender: Letters to Seminarians will help you to move further along the path of priestly formation. I pray that meditating upon this book will assist you in drawing closer to the Lord and to appropriate your vocation more deeply.

Sincerely yours in Christ,