Spiritual Direction
When you come to a fork in the road take it.
Yogi Berra
As a former Baptist minister the OCIA process provided much needed information about the teachings of the Catholic Church. The initiation process along with practicing my faith as a Catholic Christian for five years led me to accept the call to the diaconate program.
During formation I was confronted with doctrines and dogmas and numerous other concepts that were foreign to me. Not the least of which was spiritual direction. As a Baptist pastor I counseled numerous parishioners experiencing a crisis of faith or a marriage issue. These sessions were not identified as spiritual direction but were simply part of the job.
Entering the diaconate formation program I learned that part of the program included having a deacon mentor and a spiritual director. The deacon mentor is to assist candidates as they move through the program. The mentor knows the ropes and is available to answer any questions and address concerns as they arise.
The spiritual director assists in evaluating the spiritual progress of the candidate. Monthly meetings are required and evaluation reports are submitted to the director of formation.
The concept of spiritual direction was foreign to me and being the counseled and not the counselor was quite disconcerting. I had been the spiritual director for others as well as myself. So adjusting to monthly meetings with my spiritual director was quite a challenge.
I met with my deacon mentor quarterly for five years. I met with my spiritual director monthly, well that was the plan but let’s just say I had to explain on several occasions why my report was incomplete.
Well this does not sound like a rousing recommendation for spiritual direction but let me explain. My background and training made it difficult to get a handle on spiritual direction. I had two spiritual directors over the five year period. I had no frame of reference as to what spiritual direction was and how to get the most out of the sessions. Time and an understanding director helped me to find the purpose of spiritual direction.
So with all that being said I believe having a spiritual director is a tool we can use to make the most of our spiritual journey. The choice of director and frequency of sessions are up to you.
I believe that many Christians don’t utilize the wisdom of a spiritual director for many reasons the foremost being they have no idea what spiritual direction is.
The following article: "What is Spiritual Direction" is found on a website titled Catholic Spiritual Direction. There have been several different types or models of spiritual direction throughout the centuries. Some of us, especially those of us who have read the lives of the saints, have various ideas of what spiritual direction has entailed in the past. There have been relationships of spiritual guidance similar to father/son, teacher/student, master/servant, and confessor/penitent (such as is still common when spiritual advice is given in the confessional). There were also examples in the lives of the saints of spiritual friendships.
Modern spiritual direction most often refers to a relationship which is more like spiritual companionship or friendship where the director is present as a spiritual friend who listens with the intent of helping the directed recognize how the Holy Spirit is leading and working in one's life. The emphasis is on helping the directed develop a good prayer life and relationship with God. The director does not tell the directed what to do in a way that requires obedience. The directed has the final decision as to what to do in her spiritual life. Questions are asked to get to know the directed, her present life circumstances and spiritual life.
The goal is to help the directed to discern how the Holy Spirit is personally leading, recognizing that God has a special and distinct plan for each person's life and everyone is not called exactly the same way. In this sense, there are no better or worse callings or vocations, as the best calling for an individual is God's plan for that person in particular no matter what it might be. Like scripture says, there are many members of the body and all are good and necessary. The idea is to determine and encourage the directed to be the unique person that God made them to be, doing the things that God is personally asking of each of us.
While God has a unique calling and plan for each person and gives individuals different talents, gifts and vocations (and trials and sufferings) as just described, there is also the recognition that God has certain standards and principles that apply to everyone. Jesus gave us a way to know these truths when He founded the Catholic Church to spread his message. Jesus told the apostles, "Whoever hears you, hears me." This still applies today to the pope (and bishops) who are direct successors of the early apostles through the laying on of hands throughout the centuries. He promised to remain with the Church until the end of time and to send the Holy Spirit to lead until all truth. He gave us the Bible which is the inerrant Word of God. He also gave us various saints to teach us how to be closer to God especially saints who have been spiritual directors themselves such as St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross.
Besides utilizing the teachings of the Church, Bible and Saints for guidance on general principles, there is another dynamic that sometimes happens in meeting with a personal spiritual director. When the director and directed have the intention of prayerfully coming together in God's presence to discern the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it is not only the two people joining together, but Jesus himself there with them. As Jesus said, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matt 18:20)
Yogi Berra
As a former Baptist minister the OCIA process provided much needed information about the teachings of the Catholic Church. The initiation process along with practicing my faith as a Catholic Christian for five years led me to accept the call to the diaconate program.
During formation I was confronted with doctrines and dogmas and numerous other concepts that were foreign to me. Not the least of which was spiritual direction. As a Baptist pastor I counseled numerous parishioners experiencing a crisis of faith or a marriage issue. These sessions were not identified as spiritual direction but were simply part of the job.
Entering the diaconate formation program I learned that part of the program included having a deacon mentor and a spiritual director. The deacon mentor is to assist candidates as they move through the program. The mentor knows the ropes and is available to answer any questions and address concerns as they arise.
The spiritual director assists in evaluating the spiritual progress of the candidate. Monthly meetings are required and evaluation reports are submitted to the director of formation.
The concept of spiritual direction was foreign to me and being the counseled and not the counselor was quite disconcerting. I had been the spiritual director for others as well as myself. So adjusting to monthly meetings with my spiritual director was quite a challenge.
I met with my deacon mentor quarterly for five years. I met with my spiritual director monthly, well that was the plan but let’s just say I had to explain on several occasions why my report was incomplete.
Well this does not sound like a rousing recommendation for spiritual direction but let me explain. My background and training made it difficult to get a handle on spiritual direction. I had two spiritual directors over the five year period. I had no frame of reference as to what spiritual direction was and how to get the most out of the sessions. Time and an understanding director helped me to find the purpose of spiritual direction.
So with all that being said I believe having a spiritual director is a tool we can use to make the most of our spiritual journey. The choice of director and frequency of sessions are up to you.
I believe that many Christians don’t utilize the wisdom of a spiritual director for many reasons the foremost being they have no idea what spiritual direction is.
The following article: "What is Spiritual Direction" is found on a website titled Catholic Spiritual Direction. There have been several different types or models of spiritual direction throughout the centuries. Some of us, especially those of us who have read the lives of the saints, have various ideas of what spiritual direction has entailed in the past. There have been relationships of spiritual guidance similar to father/son, teacher/student, master/servant, and confessor/penitent (such as is still common when spiritual advice is given in the confessional). There were also examples in the lives of the saints of spiritual friendships.
Modern spiritual direction most often refers to a relationship which is more like spiritual companionship or friendship where the director is present as a spiritual friend who listens with the intent of helping the directed recognize how the Holy Spirit is leading and working in one's life. The emphasis is on helping the directed develop a good prayer life and relationship with God. The director does not tell the directed what to do in a way that requires obedience. The directed has the final decision as to what to do in her spiritual life. Questions are asked to get to know the directed, her present life circumstances and spiritual life.
The goal is to help the directed to discern how the Holy Spirit is personally leading, recognizing that God has a special and distinct plan for each person's life and everyone is not called exactly the same way. In this sense, there are no better or worse callings or vocations, as the best calling for an individual is God's plan for that person in particular no matter what it might be. Like scripture says, there are many members of the body and all are good and necessary. The idea is to determine and encourage the directed to be the unique person that God made them to be, doing the things that God is personally asking of each of us.
While God has a unique calling and plan for each person and gives individuals different talents, gifts and vocations (and trials and sufferings) as just described, there is also the recognition that God has certain standards and principles that apply to everyone. Jesus gave us a way to know these truths when He founded the Catholic Church to spread his message. Jesus told the apostles, "Whoever hears you, hears me." This still applies today to the pope (and bishops) who are direct successors of the early apostles through the laying on of hands throughout the centuries. He promised to remain with the Church until the end of time and to send the Holy Spirit to lead until all truth. He gave us the Bible which is the inerrant Word of God. He also gave us various saints to teach us how to be closer to God especially saints who have been spiritual directors themselves such as St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross.
Besides utilizing the teachings of the Church, Bible and Saints for guidance on general principles, there is another dynamic that sometimes happens in meeting with a personal spiritual director. When the director and directed have the intention of prayerfully coming together in God's presence to discern the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it is not only the two people joining together, but Jesus himself there with them. As Jesus said, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matt 18:20)
