Spiritual formation is at the heart of all priestly formation, as it is directed at “nourishing and sustaining communion with God and with our brothers and sisters, in friendship with Jesus the Good Shepherd, and with an attitude of docility to the Holy Spirit” (The Gift of the Priestly Vocation, 101). Only prayer, as the expression of the seminarian’s intimate relationship with God, has the power to give direction and bring to a satisfactory conclusion the variety of matters dealt with in the course of initial formation. During their formation, seminarians can become distracted and even anxious about the many different obligations expected of them. They are to be helped to develop a unity of life which gives direction and a sense of proportion to the various aspects of the programme of preparation for priestly ministry. Through prayer, this unity will be found in the spiritual life, which means a following of “the example of Christ the Lord, whose meat was to do the will of him who sent him that he might perfect his work”(The Gift of the Priestly Vocation, 101). This unity of life, rooted in prayer, is what ensures that the seminarian’s journey of priestly formation is properly integrated and will be indispensable as a foundation for a healthy and holy future ministry as a priest.