Spiritual Direction

Spiritual Direction is a relationship in which a trained spiritual director assists another, or others, in attending to God's presence and call. It is a process that helps every person realize her or his own soul freedom and helps everyone accept the responsibility of developing a relationship with God. Some spiritual guidance practices that strengthen this relationship include spoken and extemporaneous prayer; dialogue on scripture, faith practice, and mission; personal study and interpretation of scripture; silence and meditation.

A spiritual director offers a person the meaningful experience of deepening his or her relationship with God and to grow in their own personal spirituality. This journey develops a deeper relationship with the spiritual aspect of being human. It is not psychotherapy or counseling. The Institute's spiritual directors provide a safe and nurturing environment for this quest for a closer sense of the Divine Other.

Spiritual direction can mean different things to different people. Some understand it to be the art of listening experienced in the context of a trusting relationship. It is a process of companionship by a trained and competent guide who listends for the movement of the Holy, of the Divine in the person's life story. Spiritual direction can occur individually or in a group dedicated to the awakening of the spiritual in everyday life. It provides support and nurture as persons seek to have a deeper relationship with the sacred through all phases of life.

Participants in spiritual direction experience being present in the moment, seeing and honoring the sacred mystery of the soul. They witness this mystery and reflect it back in word, prayer, thought, presence, and action. Spiritual guidance is modeling a deep relationship with the Divine and standing in faith and love with the other as that relationship unfolds. Spiritual direction is a journey of deep heaing and an affirmation of Holiness, the Sacred, and the Mystery of all of life.