Spiritual Direction Explained
All right..a deeper look into the workings of Spiritual Direction
People see a confusion of purpose
They assume counseling and Spiritual Direction are the same thing.
- Some might reject both because of some believe that to ask for any help is a sign of weakness
- Some may believe that both are “new age”
- Some might think one or the other is “new age”
Many of us are weary of what we have never experienced, but if you have been on retreat you have experienced Spiritual Direction. Retreats, whether they are Parish retreats, woman’s retreats, or retreats specific for a season: Lent or Advent for example, are always lead by a Spiritual Director, and are Spiritual Direction because it is hoped that you, the retreatant, will have a closer encounter with God through the process and experience of the retreat. This is Spiritual Direction.
There are two types of Spiritual Direction: “Retreat, (Directed or Theme), and ‘Regular’”
Think of them as regular and decaf coffee. Retreat or Directed Spiritual Direction is the most intense of the two forms: Its the regular coffee you can only drink once in a while because its going to keep you up all night! And there are three types of Directed Retreat: The forty day retreat used mostly by religious: e.g. those discerning the religious life, and those who are priests, the weekend themed retreat structured around a major decision, life situation and the Parish retreat, the less intense of the Directed Retreats.
If you choose Directed/Themed Retreat/Spiritual Direction expect to be meeting with your Director on a daily basis for an hour at the retreat house where you will be given Spiritual Exercises to do and then be meeting the next day to discuss the experiences of those exercises.
The intense forty day sessions, the black coffee, are best if you are considering a vocation such as the religious life; because of their time commitment they are not generally sought out by “regular folks”; many more are likely to have gone on Themed Retreats such as those offered before marriage or choosing a career path, expresso if you will. And of course the Parish retreat which is a Themed Retreat, the “Starbucks” short double latte, mocha cream of the group.
We aren’t talking Jack La Lane here. The Spiritual Exercises are to help you focus on God and where He is calling
The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, (composed from 1522-1524) are a brief set of meditations, prayers and mental exercises, divided in four thematic ‘weeks’ of variable length, designed to be carried out over a period of 40 days. They were composed with the intention of helping the retreatant to discern God’s will in his life, leading then to a personal commitment to follow it. Though the underlying spiritual outlook is Catholic, the exercises are often made nowadays by non-Catholics.
So Spiritual Direction is just for the religious? No, not at all…its for everyone!
That is the perception, that Spiritual Direction isn’t for just us folks; but that couldn’t be further from the truth! Gerald May, a doctor out of Washington DC, wanted to take Spiritual Direction out of the realm of the few and make it available to anyone seeking God and His call in their life. He helped to create the Shalem Inst. which provides formation for many lay people who feel called to Spiritual Direction. He saw the benefits and gifts of Direction and wanted it to be available to anyone. The gift being sessions of Spiritual Direction which help you dwell more deeply into the Divine of your life: God and His calling to you.
Decafe please!
Many of us neither have the time, freedom, or money to spend up to forty days with a Director. So “Regular Direction” is best. And “Regular” Direction is as varied as Directors. A “regular” session of Direction will last an hour and be on a bi-monthly to monthly basis. Sessions of Spiritual Direction revolve around helping the directee notice those God moments in her life. The Director will ask questions that will encourage thoughtful reflection, she or he may ask the directee to spend time in prayer over a situation. The Director may ask the directee to keep a prayer or dream journal to record perceptions and emotions, see patterns of change, and record moments when the directee felt God’s presence most clearly.
Spiritual Direction support for your daily life, your spiritual life, your calling. Really its depends on your spiritual needs to decide which form of Spiritual Direction is right for you; but if you are just looking for support during your daily life through a spiritual aspect, decafe is fine. Think of “Regular” Spiritual Direction as that cup of coffee you can have on a “regular” basis.
