On spiritual directors?

[Hipster_Doofus]

In confession today a priest told me to stop going to lots of different priests and churches for confessions and to call the Diocese and arrange to get a priest to serve as my spiritual director. I think perhaps I was droning on and on, letting my scrupulosity run amuck.

I’ve heard the term “spiritual director” before, but I admit I’m unclear as to what it involves.

Can anyone enlighten me or tell about their own experiences?

Thanks.

 

[LilyM]

In confession today a priest told me to stop going to lots of different priests and churches for confessions and to call the Diocese and arrange to get a priest to serve as my spiritual director. I think perhaps I was droning on and on, letting my scrupulosity run amuck.

I’ve heard the term “spiritual director” before, but I admit I’m unclear as to what it involves.

Can anyone enlighten me or tell about their own experiences?

Thanks.

A spiritual director is a priest (though some other religious and layfolk can be very knowledgeable and do just as well too) who you meet with on a regular basis to get advice, ask questions about anything that may be bothering you and so on. If it’s a priest, they will usually act as your confessor as well.

The advantage of sticking with one person is that you get consistent advice (and having been to multiple priests myself I know they can contradict each other sometimes and drive you bonkers) and they can spot patterns of behaviour that aren’t apparent to a confessor who doesn’t really know you, and really help you with them.

I don’t actually have an SD myself, but I’ve heard Opus Dei tend to do a lot of spiritual direction work and are usually very good. Of course SDs are like therapists - the methods of any given SD may work brilliantly for some people and be unhelpful for others. You need to find someone who’s a good ‘fit’ for you spiritually.

 

[Hipster_Doofus]

Yes, I gathered he wanted me to use this priest as a confessor as well.

I wonder where they will get this SD. Would he be a regular parish priest somewhere or some official of the diocese or something?

Of course, if I had to confess to someone I knew I’d be much more embarrassed about telling him my sins. Of course I would tell him all my sins, but I have found anonymity very helpful. That’s why I have only confessed at my home church once.

 

[LilyM]

Yes, I gathered he wanted me to use this priest as a confessor as well.

I wonder where they will get this SD. Would he be a regular parish priest somewhere or some official of the diocese or something?

Of course, if I had to confess to someone I knew I’d be much more embarrassed about telling him my sins. Of course I would tell him all my sins, but I have found anonymity very helpful. That’s why I have only confessed at my home church once.

You can usually choose not to have your SD as your confessor - but if you’re suffering from scrupulosity then you do at least need to pick ONE priest and one only, preferably one who has experience in this area, and stick to them like glue.

 

[Hipster_Doofus]

I explained to the priest today that the last time I went to confession, a month ago I told that priest (priest #2) it had been a week since my last confession. One #2 discovered I had scrupulosity, he said I really shouldn’t confess more than twice a month.

I explained to priest #1 how my sinful nature twisted this advice to its own purposes–I’d had fallen into a state of sin and my sinful nature was telling me to keep practicing my old habitual sins with impunity, put off confession, and just attend mass weekly and commune spiritually.

I was telling priest #1 all the crazy games my mind and scrupulosity played on me, to the point he was even chuckling at some of the things I’ve done–as was I.

 

[T.A.Stobie_SFO]

Some info on Spiritual Direction

 

[puzzleannie]

In confession today a priest told me to stop going to lots of different priests and churches for confessions and to call the Diocese and arrange to get a priest to serve as my spiritual director. I think perhaps I was droning on and on, letting my scrupulosity run amuck.

I’ve heard the term “spiritual director” before, but I admit I’m unclear as to what it involves.

Can anyone enlighten me or tell about their own experiences?

Thanks.

do exactly what the priest suggested, call the number and arrange for a spiritual director. ask him your questions.