Today's Gospel from the Thursday of the First Week of Lent brings us to Matthew 7:7-12, where Jesus gives us one of His most memorable teachings: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." These words, so simple yet profound, speak directly to the heart of what we do through the Society of St. Peter the Apostle: supporting the formation of future priests in mission territories around the world.
The Foundation of Persistent Prayer
When Jesus tells us to ask, seek, and knock, He's not offering a one-time transaction. The Greek verbs He uses are in the present continuous tense, meaning He's calling us to keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking. This persistence isn't about wearing God down but about forming us in the process. It's about transformation through patient waiting and faithful dedication.
This same principle applies to priestly formation. A seminarian doesn't become a priest overnight. The journey typically spans six to eight years of intensive study, prayer, and formation. In mission territories where resources are scarce, this timeline can stretch even longer as seminarians balance their studies with practical pastoral work and sometimes physical labor to support their communities.
The Society of St. Peter the Apostle understands this reality intimately. Since its founding in 1889 by Blessed Jeanne Bigard, the Society has recognized that supporting future priests means committing to them for the long haul: through their years of discernment, their seminary formation, and even into their early years of priestly ministry.
What the Father Knows We Need
The Gospel continues with a beautiful image: "Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asks for a fish?" Jesus appeals to our natural parental instincts to help us understand God's generous love. If we, being imperfect, know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more will our heavenly Father give good things to those who ask?
This question resonates deeply when we consider the needs of mission territories. The Church in these regions doesn't need flashy programs or temporary solutions. What they need: what they ask for: is solid, well-formed priests who can serve their communities for decades to come. They need shepherds who know the language, understand the culture, and can provide consistent sacramental life and pastoral care.
The Society of St. Peter the Apostle exists precisely to provide these "good gifts" that the Father knows His Church needs. Through the generosity of Catholics around the world, the Society supports over 70,000 seminarians annually in more than 1,100 major seminaries across mission territories. These aren't stones when bread is needed: this is substantial, life-giving support that builds up the local Church from within.
The Golden Rule and Clergy Formation
Today's Gospel concludes with what we call the Golden Rule: "Do to others whatever you would have them do to you." This principle transforms how we think about supporting priestly vocations in mission territories.
Imagine if your diocese had no priests. Imagine if the seminarians in your local seminary had to abandon their vocations because there was no money for their education, no food for their tables, no books for their studies. You would hope that Catholics elsewhere in the world would step forward to help. You would pray that the universal Church would remember you.
This is exactly the situation facing many mission dioceses today. In some regions, a bishop oversees territory larger than several European countries combined, with only a handful of priests to serve hundreds of thousands of Catholics. These bishops pray fervently for vocations: and when young men do respond to God's call, the bishop's next prayer is for the means to form them properly.
The Society of St. Peter the Apostle is how we "do to others" what we would want done for us. It's the practical application of the Golden Rule on a global, ecclesial scale. When we support the formation of seminarians in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania, we're treating these local Churches as we would want our own Church to be treated.
The Process of Spiritual Growth
The research on Gospel-based formation reminds us that Christ's own formation of His disciples was gradual, ordered, and transformative. Over three years, Jesus led His apostles through stages of purification, understanding, communion, and transformation. He didn't rush them, nor did He leave them unchanged. He walked with them, spoke to them, corrected and consoled them, preparing them step by step for their mission.
Modern seminary formation follows this same pattern. Seminarians progress through distinct stages: the propaedeutic or introductory stage, the discipleship stage focused on foundational studies, the configuration stage where they prepare more directly for priestly ministry, and finally, the synthesis stage immediately before ordination.
In mission territories, this formation often happens under challenging circumstances. Seminaries may lack adequate libraries, reliable electricity, or even consistent funding for meals. Yet despite these obstacles: or perhaps because of them: these seminaries often produce priests of remarkable dedication and pastoral creativity. They learn early that ministry means serving with whatever resources are available, trusting that God will provide.
Supporting these seminarians through the Society of St. Peter the Apostle means we participate in Christ's own method of formation. We're not just funding education; we're walking alongside these future priests, ensuring they have what they need at each stage of their journey. We're knocking on doors of opportunity for them, seeking resources for their formation, asking others to join in this mission.
A Personal Encounter
I think of a young seminarian I met during a visit to a mission diocese in East Africa. His name was Emmanuel, and he was in his third year of theology. He shared that his family was too poor to contribute anything to his education. His father had died when he was young, and his mother sold vegetables in the local market to support his younger siblings.
When I asked Emmanuel what kept him going, he smiled and quoted today's Gospel: "I keep asking, seeking, and knocking. I asked God if He really wanted me to be a priest. I sought His will in prayer and spiritual direction. I knocked on the door of the seminary, even though I had nothing to offer. And here I am. God provided through people I've never met, through the Society of St. Peter the Apostle."
Emmanuel will be ordained next year. He'll return to his home diocese to serve in parishes where Catholics walk for hours to attend Mass. He'll baptize children, anoint the sick, hear confessions, and break open the Word of God for his people. And he'll do all of this because someone, somewhere, responded to today's Gospel message and decided to support the formation of priests in mission territories.
Our Response Today
As we continue through this Lenten season, today's Gospel challenges us to examine our own prayer life and our commitment to the Church's missionary mandate. Are we asking, seeking, and knocking on behalf of future priests in mission territories? Are we treating the needs of the Church in these regions as we would want our own needs to be treated?
The Society of St. Peter the Apostle provides a concrete way to live out these Gospel values. Through this Pontifical Mission Society, we can ensure that the universal Church has the priests it needs, formed in their own cultures, ready to serve their own people. This is mission work at its most sustainable and effective: building up the local Church so that it can evangelize and minister from within.
Today's Gospel isn't just a nice saying to remember during prayer. It's a call to action, a challenge to persistent generosity, and a reminder that God works through our willingness to ask, seek, and knock on behalf of others. The future priests in mission territories are asking for our support. They're seeking the formation they need. They're knocking on the door of opportunity. Will we respond as the generous Father Jesus describes in today's Gospel?
The mission continues because people like you continue to ask, seek, and knock: not for themselves, but for the Church in its most vulnerable and vibrant places. And in that persistence, we participate in Christ's own work of forming shepherds for His flock.
– Fr. Deji