Spiritual Direction

A spiritual director listens, questions, and leads you to a deeper understanding of your relationship with God.

Originally, spiritual direction arose among the desert anchorites, the hermit monks who followed the call of Christ to purgation and perfection in a hostile and demanding environment. Living in isolated cells, the desert monks would travel to receive formation and instruction from spiritual Fathers and Mothers (the elder monastics who have been tested and perfected through the monastic life).

Spiritual direction combines prayer with attentiveness to the activity of God. Before a meeting with a spiritual director, you should prepare with prayer and self-reflection. Honest conversation is the key to spiritual direction. If we hide our needs and experiences from our spiritual director, we risk interrupting this relationship and standing in the way of our spiritual advancement.

A spiritual director will do more listening than speaking. Your opportunity to “talk through” your spiritual life, respond to the director’s questions, and clarify your thoughts and intentions within the conversation allows you to take responsibility and a leading role in your response to God. The spiritual director does not “do the work” in your relationship with God. Directors are guides called to aid in your response to God’s call. They will give instruction, words of advice, admonishment, when necessary (but never judgmental), and ensure you recognize and joyfully respond to progress.

Spiritual direction is a ministry given to the director by the Holy Spirit. Be selective with your choice of a spiritual director, talk with potential directors beforehand, and see if something is inspiring and motivating in that conversation. Seek out trained or experienced directors. Additionally, some directors may require a small fee for their work.

Spiritual direction is a conversation about you and your relationship to God. If the conversation focuses on the spiritual director, you may need to look for a new director. Additionally, remember that the spiritual director is unlike a usual friend. For example, going out for drinks, to the movies, or other recreational activities with your director would be atypical. You and your director must have a certain degree of objectivity to prevent the friendship from interfering with honest discernment. After a few sessions, it is acceptable to leave a spiritual director if the relationship is not profitable.