Matthew Spiritual direction is a practice wherein the repetition or frequency and the seriousness of intent are what help the practice bear fruit. A normal rhythm for spiritual direction is an hourly meeting once a month.
It is up to you to schedule and plan for the sessions. It should also be noted that spiritual direction is not a replacement for other essential spiritual practices, namely participation in the sacraments and parish life. The dialogue with your spiritual director arises from your prayer, awareness of God in your life and other life experiences.
As you begin spiritual direction, here are some questions a spiritual director is likely to ask you:. Benedict, Chapter While the primary responsibility of the direction experience is on the directee, there are certain expectations and ethical behaviors that are appropriate to expect of a spiritual director, which include, but may not be limited to:.
The process of choosing a spiritual director is important and should involve careful consideration and prayerful reflection. Interviewing potential directors can offer you confidence in selecting someone you are comfortable with both in who they are as an individual and as someone acting as a minister of the Catholic faith.
The thought of asking questions of a spiritual director may be intimidating but a good director will welcome your questions. The following are possible topics that might be part of an initial conversation with a potential spiritual director. These are not intended to be a checklist and the discussion would vary depending on the person and what you may or may not already know about them.
They can serve as a reflection of what is important to you in working with someone in a spiritual direction relationship. Prayerfully reflect on the questions and pray before and after the interview.
Ask and trust the Holy Spirit to guide you in this discernment. Some individuals prefer to have a spiritual director similar to themselves in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, etc.
You should feel free to talk with several potential directors during the discernment process. It may take two or three sessions to determine if the director is a good fit for you at this time.
Following are some general thoughts to consider as you enter into the ministry of spiritual direction:. Following are some general thoughts when considering where you meet for spiritual direction:. The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. Psalm Thoughts and opinions about charging for spiritual direction run the gamut. That's what a director does, that's the quality of a good physician.
McDowell said both the spiritual director and directee should always be discerning whether the relationship is a good fit. At the Lanteri Center, people seeking spiritual direction are encouraged to have an initial interview meeting with one of the available spiritual directors, and to read their biographies online to see if they feel called to meet with any particular person.
McDowell said she never assumes at a first meeting that she will be that person's spiritual director, she rather uses the time to gauge where the person it at and what they need. It is then up to both the director and directee to discern whether they are a good fit, or whether another person or another ministry altogether might be needed.
McDowell said she has referred people to priests for pastoral matters, and directors at the Lanteri Center are also able to recommend Christian psychological counselors if they discover that that is what a person might need. Sometimes a spiritual direction relationship reaches a natural end - a person may enter a new phase of life or prayer that necessitates a different spiritual director.
Prayerful discernment and honesty are key, McDowell said. For example, as a convert to Catholicism, McDowell said if she had directees who desire to delve more deeply into the lives of the saints, she will usually refer them to a different director, since she is not as familiar with this particular tradition.
There are many resources on spiritual direction available to those who desire spiritual direction but who cannot find a formal director. Cleveland recommended the many books by Father Timothy Gallagher, another Oblate priest, who is most well-known for his book "Discernment of Spirits", as well as his other spiritual works such as "The Examen Prayer," and "Discerning the Will of God.
In his video for Ascension Press entitled "No spiritual director? No problem! Francis de Sales. Whether people are in spiritual direction or not, Lilles said he recommends that people who want to grow in their spiritual lives read more about the doctors of the Church.
Catherine of Siena, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Hildegard of Bingen, St. John of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and more recently St. Gregory of Narek..
John Paul II often exhorted us" Cleveland added. It's a commitment, but the rewards are tremendous - to have that relationship with God, to know God's presence not only in prayer but in the midst of my daily life, and to be able to seek and find God in all things.
Your monthly donation will help our team continue reporting the truth, with fairness, integrity, and fidelity to Jesus Christ and his Church. Spiritual direction: What is it, who needs it, and why? By Mary Farrow. What is spiritual direction - and what is it not? It's also not confession, Johnson noted. More in US. Police identify suspect in Denver cathedral vandalism Read article. Subscribe to our daily newsletter At Catholic News Agency, our team is committed to reporting the truth with courage, integrity, and fidelity to our faith.
Where can good spiritual directors be found? Are all priests spiritual directors? Can lay people be spiritual directors? A spiritual bouquet offering to pray a novena or a certain number of Rosaries or a certain number of Masses for your director is also a thoughtful gift. She is now a parish administrative assistant in southern Wisconsin.
You can find out more about her here. Thank you, Erin, for a great post. It is filled with such great information and suggestions! Another point I thought of is to know what you want to accomplish by having a spiritual director. Grater holiness is my goal, but are there specific areas in my life that I need help getting through or an area where I feel stuck and want to grow? Having these in mind may help in my search for the right director for me. They have a live question and answer also, but you can do it privately if you wish.
They have daily live videos. You can set up an one on one FaceTime with them that is very helpful. Hope this helps! But most priests have a 3 session rule. He can easily give you about 3 sessions. And if we are ready with specific questions this can go along way and then perhaps in a few months or a year later head back for 3 more.
We can only ask of them what they are able to give. And God honors that. Thank you so much for this post, Erin! It was so practical and exactly what I needed.
God Bless! Yes Valerie, I completely agree with you and it must be both side you and the director. You MUST feel free in your choice and in the way things are going with the spiritual director. This is apostasy and new age. Hi Dom! Thanks so much for your input. The tradition of the Church and the great Saints throughout our Tradition have often encouraged the faithful to place their souls under holy spiritual direction.
Whether or not a soul should seek spiritual direction, and who should direct that soul, is a big decision and should be discerned through deep prayer and wise counsel. Hopefully, this post gives people the means for such discernment, the practical advice for reaching out, and the encouragement to seek spiritual direction if one feels called to it.
Praying for you today, Dom! God treasures you so much. Thank you very much for this post. It has been very informative and helpful.
Also the suggestions in some of the previous comments are very inspiring. God bless.
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