What is spirituality?
Spirituality involves an understanding of your personal relationship
with God and the cosmos. The focus of spiritual direction is the
exploration and deepening of these relationships.
Every human person has spirituality. It is present in your lived
experience. This experiential level of spirituality embraces the
whole human person, who is part of a constantly changing creation.
Often, however, the word ‘spirituality’ is used to
describe a particular method of seeking and developing a deeper
relationship
with God,
self,
and the cosmos.
Although spirituality as a lived experience must be personal, it
doesn’t happen in isolation. You were introduced into a particular
social and inculturated spirituality. This includes the formulation
of teaching; the development of symbols, rituals, artistic or
other expressions; as well as guidance about your lived reality
and how
it can be deepened. Sometimes your particular
social and inculturated spirituality includes the life, example,
or teaching of an outstanding person.
A variety of spiritualities will continue to arise as human beings
continue to wonder about the mysterious dimension of reality.
What
is Spiritual Direction?
Spiritual Direction is an ongoing conversation between a trained
director and a person seeking self-knowledge and an understanding
of what the spirit invites that person to do with his life.
This is accomplished through regular private meetings in which
the seeker is invited to relate and embrace his or her life experiences,
both conscious and unconscious; to recognize the movement of God
in these events; and to respond in a way that leads to greater
compassion, freedom, and mission. The ultimate goal for the individual
is to gain a conscious awareness of and participation in the ongoing
dialogue with God that gives meaning to life.
The basis for the traditional understanding of spiritual direction
is an appreciation of human freedom and the inbuilt directedness
towards God inherent in all of life.
The purpose of Spiritual
Direction:
•
Growth in self knowledge by bringing to the surface the
abiding tendencies or dispositions of your heart
•
Discernment: the art and gift of recognizing the movement of God
in your life
• An Invitation to respond to God’s movement
in ways that are healing just and reconciling for all creation.
Persons offering to guide others on the spiritual journey
traditionally were called spiritual directors; today other terms
may be used,
such as “spiritual guide” or “companion.”
The goals of Spiritual Direction:
•
To integrate both the conscious and unconscious elements of your
life, which leads to greater compassion, freedom, and mission
•
To make conscious the ongoing dialogue with God that gives meaning
to life
What happens in a Spiritual Direction session?
In formal spiritual direction, you will usually meet with a director
monthly for about an hour. The director provides a safe environment
for you to share your story. During your time together, the director
will accompany you on your journey by:
•
Companioning you in articulating your story
•
Facilitating the integration of all aspects of your life experience.
•
Assisting you to speak your God experience
Usually, in a preliminary meeting or in your first meeting with
a spiritual director, you’ll be asked what you desire in
spiritual direction and fees will be discussed.
Why you might seek Spiritual Direction:
Reasons may vary:
You may seek out direction from a person trained to journey with
you as a spiritual practice which supports your faith life in an
ongoing way.
You may be experiencing ordinary life transitions that are so confusing
and pain-filled that you feel you’re losing direction (the
death of a loved one, job loss, divorce, chronic illness etc.)
These transitions may cause you to question the meaning of life
and yearn
for hope. Spiritual direction is often sought in such times of
crisis.
You may be struggling to believe that God awaits you, ever-present,
and not only in your prayer times or when you are ‘good.’ In
spiritual direction you will become aware of the reality of God
present in all aspects of your life.
Spiritual Direction is an open-ended process that seeks to call
forth your own inner wisdom in order to be attentive to the spiritual
journey. This is a life long process.
Role of spiritual directors:
Spiritual directors are women and men who value their own spiritual
journey. In any time or place, cultural differences and a variety
of faith traditions always nuance spiritual direction. Within the
context of contemporary pluralism and mindful of the complexity
of today’s society, directors aim at integrating prayer and
life, contemplation and action, faith and justice, in their own
lives as well as in the lives of their directees.
