Authentic Catholic Spiritual Direction

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yosephdaviyd

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Recently Pope Benedict XVI recommended Spiritual Direction to every Christian.- tinyurl.com/3lv3ctj

Dan Burke, Founder of the Catholic Spiritual Direction apostolate talked with me on my internet radio show about his own very interesting conversion to Catholicism and why authentic Catholic Spiritual Direction is so important. Listen HERE.

Interested in your comments about your experience with Catholic spiritual direction and whether you’ve found it to be essential to your journey.

Shalom
 
David,

Ahhh spiritual direction. Where would I be without it? I would not even like to think of where I would be. It is so helpful and provides countless blessings. I do know the norm usually is one has a different confessor and spiritual director, but due to circumstances being what they are in my life, the same priest is my spiritual director and confessor. So what I may have to say may be different.

At first I was a bit nervous about it, but as time went on I have found out several things. One, it is most essential to my life due to the circumstances going on. Secondly, it provides many graces and helps that would not be there. I am discerning my vocation and spiritual direction has helped me to know myself better and to learn about God and the Church better.

I have found out that I have never been burned by obedience or following counself of my spiritual director/confessor. The only time that I have been burned is when I do not follow counsel. Now I am not saying that he makes all my decisions for me, but it is nice to bring my life to the table to speak and to talk about it and get directions and suggestions. In the end it is always my decision, but it helps much knowing that I am being helped and led.

My love for God, the Church, the Sacraments have been afftected greatly because of spiritual direction. I have learned much about short prayer and many other things. It is much better than going at it alone. I would recommend getting a spiritual director to anyone.

I know that I will never be without a spiritual director nor do I wish to be. May God bless al those who are serving as spiritual directors to anyone. May they lead them to a closer union with Him. Amen.

God bless.

Little One0307
 
One thing about it, you need to pray for a good spiritual director before looking for one. I went to a priest after asking for some spiritual direction and without going into detail, the direction wasn’t great. However, I prayed for a spiritual director then, and within a few days I came across the Fr. Corapi series on the Catechism on EWTN, and all the questions I had about my spiritual life at that time were answered, and I know this was a direct answer from God because up to that point I had never watched EWTN before. I was just channel hopping a few days after my prayer when I came across the series.

So that’s my learning experience - don’t run to anyone for spiritual direction, ask God earnestly to find you a suitable spiritual director first and He will. Same with Confession. Ask God to lead you to a good confessor and He will.

I also know a lady who has done a course to become a Catholic spiritual director and yet her own spiritual views are not in keeping with the Church’s, she’s pro-gay marriage and gay relationships, pro-married priests, pro-women priests. If someone seeking the Truth finds her, they are in danger of being led astray.
 
I feel torn in regard to spritual direction. It would be good to have a director. But a priest is so busy. The one I trust the most to be orthodox and faithful to the Church is also the Vocation Director for the Archdiocese and also the pastor of a parish…he’s busy! He never refuses but I hate to give him more to do. I don’t feel good at all about just a lay person who has taken some courses; of course I don’t know any so that would probably be why. And most of the sisters I have met who do this work are not fully conformed to the Church teachings. Maybe part of the problem is what really is spiritual direction?
sigh.
 
Rebelecka said:
I feel torn in regard to spritual direction. It would be good to have a director. But a priest is so busy. The one I trust the most to be orthodox and faithful to the Church is also the Vocation Director for the Archdiocese and also the pastor of a parish…he’s busy! He never refuses but I hate to give him more to do. I don’t feel good at all about just a lay person who has taken some courses; of course I don’t know any so that would probably be why. And most of the sisters I have met who do this work are not fully conformed to the Church teachings. Maybe part of the problem is what really is spiritual direction?
sigh.
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Rebelecka,

Morning. Have you any communities of religious men that may be priests near your area? Religious priests are awesome in this respect, some of them can be.

Little One0307
 
I haven’t been able to find a spiritual director since 1994. The last priest I went to for direction back then had more responsibilities placed on him [in addition to being the pastor of a parish, he was made ‘regional episcopal vicar’], so of course I lost out; he couldn’t direct me any more.

I kind of ‘given up’ on finding another one. We used to have male religious around here, but they got pulled out long ago and all that was left were the overworked and understaffed parish priests.

I once went on the Legionaries of Christ site, www.vocation.com, and tried asking them if they could locate a director for me in my diocese. After awhile, they came back and said they couldn’t find one.

I sure as heck will NOT go to a layman for direction, nor to a female religious with wacky ideas! I would rather just ‘make do’ and be on my own! So there…! 😦 :mad:
 
I think the best way most Catholics will find spiritual direction, assuming they already have found a regular confessor, is to participate in a secular association, third order, oblate or similar affiliation with a religious order, attached to a foundation whose members themselves are orthodox in belief and practice. This will bring you into contact with the great classic leadership of that spirituality that attracts you: carmelite, benedictine, franciscan etc. and with the works and writings of their founders and leading lights, and provide practical guide in living that particular spirituality in your own life.
 
Little_One0307 said:
David,
Code: 
I have found out that I have never been burned by obedience or following counsel of my spiritual director/confessor.  ............. it is nice to bring my life to the table to speak and to talk about it and get directions and suggestions.  ..................

 I know that I will never be without a spiritual director nor do I wish to be.  ..............
God bless.

Little One0307
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I totally agree with what you said. I was blessed with a very holy and wise priest who has been my spiritual director and confessor for the past two years. The sad thing is he has recently moved away. Though he told me to keep in touch, my heart feels so sad right now. I don’t know how often I may drive long distance to see him.

His holiness and wisdom have helped me to reach the best version of me during the past two years. I had no intention to find another spiritual director, plus, there is absolutely no one available around here. I just feel very sad right now. I know I must rely on God’s grace to overcome this bruise in my heart.
 
InLight247 said:
I totally agree with what you said. I was blessed with a very holy and wise priest who has been my spiritual director and confessor for the past two years. The sad thing is he has recently moved away. Though he told me to keep in touch, my heart feels so sad right now. I don’t know how often I may drive long distance to see him.

His holiness and wisdom have helped me to reach the best version of me during the past two years. I had no intention to find another spiritual director, plus, there is absolutely no one available around here. I just feel very sad right now. I know I must rely on God’s grace to overcome this bruise in my heart.
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Can you guys keep in touch with phone? I know that this is not the same as face to face, but if it is accpetable, I totally would recommend this. I do know that when I am out of the area for any length of time, I do get in touch with my spiritual director. I was out of the area for about four monthes, and those were the longest four monthes in my life, yet I went back. Yet during those four times the telephone was the next viable option and it did work good for me.

How long would the drive be? I am praying for you. Would he still be your spiritual director from long distance?

Little One0307
 
Little_One0307 said:
Can you guys keep in touch with phone? I know that this is not the same as face to face, but if it is accpetable, I totally would recommend this. I do know that when I am out of the area for any length of time, I do get in touch with my spiritual director. I was out of the area for about four monthes, and those were the longest four monthes in my life, yet I went back. Yet during those four times the telephone was the next viable option and it did work good for me.

How long would the drive be? I am praying for you. Would he still be your spiritual director from long distance?

Little One0307
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Thank you for your kindness of praying for me. I surely need it. I hope he is still my spiritual director. The last time we had a spiritual direction, he broke the news of leaving and he left couple weeks afterwards. He said to keep in touch. When I asked how would I be in touch, he said I could call him. I told him I would drive to see him. The distance is manageable, I guess. He is the kindest person I have met. So I think he would continue to make the time for me if I request. It is just that I am so afraid to bother him in his new heavy assignment. The void and sadness I am currently experience is painful. I think it becomes my mortification.
 
InLight247 said:
Thank you for your kindness of praying for me. I surely need it. I hope he is still my spiritual director. The last time we had a spiritual direction, he broke the news of leaving and he left couple weeks afterwards. He said to keep in touch. When I asked how would I be in touch, he said I could call him. I told him I would drive to see him. The distance is manageable, I guess. He is the kindest person I have met. So I think he would continue to make the time for me if I request. It is just that I am so afraid to bother him in his new heavy assignment. The void and sadness I am currently experience is painful. I think it becomes my mortification.
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InLight,

After reading your response I am very much encouraged. I would definetly place a call to him. If he said you could call him to remain in touch, then I would definetely take him up on that. I know at times in my life there have been times that I wanted to call my spiritual director and was afraid becuase I was afraid of disrupting his life or something akin to that. Each time, though I called by the grace of God, and shared with him my fears. He repeatedly told me, that he meant it to call him if I needed to talk to him. He has always returned my calls, and I am sure that your spiritual director would to.

I would share with him what you have shared with me on the forum. I would also share with him that you may feel that you might be bothering him with his new assignment [and I am sure that you may get a reply that I did when I thought I was bothering my spiritual director.]

I would go ahead and call him and go from there. If you wish to continue this off thread feel free to PM me.

May God give you the graces and strengthes that you are in most need of. And I pray that if you do call him that things will work out in God’s Perfect Way. Know you are not alone. God Bless.

Little One0307
 
Thanks, just emailed you. You can email me back with the address I gave it to you.
The email on my CAF account is no longer in use. 🙂
 
InLight247 said:
Thanks, just emailed you. You can email me back with the address I gave it to you.
The email on my CAF account is no longer in use. 🙂
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Will do, God bless. You will know it is me, same name on my email account too. 🙂
 
Cor_ad_Cor said:
Can I ask why?

Also - anyone here ever been to a lay person for spiritual direction? Just curious about your experience.
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I’d rather go to a priest, in case I want to go to confession. Lay people can’t hear confession.

And SOME lay people have weird ideas-they want ‘clericalization of the laity’ and ‘laicization of the clergy’. I don’t like it when the lines between priests and laity are blurred.
 
Cor_ad_Cor said:
Can I ask why?

Also - anyone here ever been to a lay person for spiritual direction? Just curious about your experience.
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For me I am also in agreement with Barb. The Priest stands in persona Christi - in the person of Christ in the fullest way, even more so than the lay. This is not to say that the Presence of Christ is not in the lay person, but in the priest it is present in a more fuller way than a lay person.

And it is quite handy to have a priest as a spiritual director because of the proximity one has to the Sacrament of Confession. I would however make this remark, choose a priest who is rooted groundly in the Holy Magesterium of the Church. Some of the liberal ones can really do a lot of damage.

Little One0307
 
I have the same point of view about choosing a priest as a spiritual director.
Like Little One0307 and Barb said, the sacrament of reconciliation ties in well with spiritual direction. Spiritual direction is no less than making saints. A holy priest can guide a soul fly to holiness with his direction and his hearing of confession. For this reason, I will never go to a lay person for spiritual direction. A good lay person friend could be a good spiritual companion, but not a director. Though companions do influence each other, companion and director are different.
 
Many of our religious communities offer Spiritual Direction. That is always one place to look
 
There are also those who say that the director should be different person than their confessor. If such is the case than a lay person could be used for direction. Many lay people who are directors have gone for advanced education in spiritual direction while most priests only get one or two courses in pastoral counseling which may include teaching spiritual direction but mostly focuses on short term counseling. The lay people I know who are spiritual directors have studied for three years or have Master’s degrees in spirituality and have gone through a year of internship and are under supervision. They are very well qualified. I know a number of deacons who go to lay directors and also have regular confessors. They have told me that they can discuss things with the director, even regarding their sins and then when they go to confession it makes it easier and they don’t need to spend so much time. Ordination doesn’t necessarily make one a good SD. I have known priests who really weren’t qualified and messed up a few people.

Then again, my SD is a priest, and my confessor. But I have done direction with a lay person, but I didn’t have a regular confessor at the time. So I can see both sides.
 
Thank you all for the comments. I appreciate your (name removed by moderator)ut. I’ve been giving this a great deal of thought myself. I certainly understand the tie between spiritual direction and reconciliation, and I by no means want to see any further blurring of lines between laity and clergy; it’s just that with so many of our priests overwhelmed in their responsibilities, it seems this is an area that a good, talented, and well-trained lay person could take some of the load off.

Part of my particular issue is feeling a call to minister in some way to those who need guidance, and having discerned a gift for listening and so forth. However, it’s just not practical for me to go back to school for a PhD or like degree in counseling, etc.

My apologies to the OP if I derailed your thread.
 
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