1. Spiritual Direction
2. Inner Growth
3. A Trialogue
4. Some Considerations
2. Inner Growth
3. A Trialogue
4. Some Considerations
Spiritual Direction |
is the “loving companionship that assists others on their life journey, helping each person to develop a closer relationship with God by discerning the action of the Holy Spirit in his or her life.” Spiritual Direction within the Catholic Christian tradition originated as the desert fathers and mothers were asked for spiritual advice, was formalized during the monastic age, and following Vatican II, became a regular and confidential meeting between a spiritual director (lay or religious) within the context of a prayerful and ongoing relationship. It is a safe place to grow humanly and spiritually: the Lord meets each person where she is at only to call her higher in love.
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Inner Growth |
occurs at the intersection of wholeness and holiness, deep within the human person at the center of his or her being, the heart (Catechism of the Catholic Chruch, 362-368). Spiritual Direction facilitates intimacy with Lord and "ultimately helps us place ourselves before God to allow His grace to act upon us" (Fathers Acklin & Hicks). The Spirit leads the directee to healing and freedom in the Lord through interiority, bringing true identity, that is, the heart-felt experience of self as God’s beloved son or daughter. This is the still point of real discernment, fertile soil for transforming union with the Lord. In short, Love heals, fills, and overflows in the journey towards eternity.
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A Trialogueor sacred conversation between three persons explains the dynamics of spiritual direction:
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Some Considerations |
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