Deepening faith vs making priests

This evening though I tried to wriggle out of an opportunity to preach a recollection, I accepted it!! (I'm still wondering who told Fr Thaddeus MHM about me?? I have a strong feeling that it is Fr Noel who suggested my name... but really him??) Anyway, as I squeezed in a day for the Mill Hill aspirants at Paragi, I sat with Fr Thaddeus discussing with him what he really wanted me to focus on. He was plain and straight-forward. "They are aspirants, yes but first we want them to know their faith - understand it, accept it and cherish it. Priest or no priest, we shall see later!" Really, that struck me very much. Perhaps that's the reason, their society (not a congregation) is so flexible. Like Fr TD John saying, 'Priesthood is not a vocation, living a life of commitment is!'. It was nice he told me that. Perhaps in our Salesian formation, our whole focus is on making the young who enter our aspirantate, 'Salesians'. Endorsing and deepening faith is something taken for granted. But I think it does not just 'happen' that way. Grace of God works, but not best on rocky soil!!