SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
Here are some FAQs that may help you determine if Spiritual Direction is a path you might want to travel on your Prayer Journey:
What is Spiritual Direction?
Spiritual Direction is help given by a trained Spiritual Director to another person through confidential, ongoing conversation. It is a relationship between the Director and the one being directed but also, it is an encounter with God that they participate in together. The purpose of the relationship is so that the one being directed might grow closer in their relationship with God.
What Spiritual Direction is not.
Spiritual direction focuses on a relationship with God. It is not about solving problems or overcoming a psychological sickness, as professional psychotherapy would address. Instead, spiritual direction focuses on the relationship one has with God and how the person sees or struggles with God in their everyday life. It is not therapy or coaching. It is not career counseling or rehabilitation services. It is, however, a mentoring relationship where the director accompanies an individual through a process of on-going spiritual growth.
In that process, one might find answers to problems or dilemmas in their life, but the focus is not on those issues. The focus is on developing a relationship with God so that one feels God’s presence in one’s daily life. The directee is guided in deepening a prayer life and on engaging in a spiritual journey to discover more about the Divine.
How Often Should I Meet With a Spiritual Director?
Some people have a regular monthly meeting with their director. Others are in a different stage and might meet more often. Some might meet a director once and then not meet again for some time. The directee can meet once a week, once a month, once a quarter, or whatever works for the person and the director. Typically, an hour session, each month, at a mutually convenient location where privacy can be assured is the norm. It is customary to offer a small stipend or donation for each meeting in appreciation for your director’s time and expertise. (Standard rates vary but are roughly $40 per hour on a sliding scale).
How Do I Prepare for Spiritual Direction?
In preparing for your session, it can be helpful to spend time in intentional prayer about what has been happening in your relationship with God since the last time you met.
Here are a few questions to ponder:
What am I grateful for in my life and in my relationships?
When or where have I been aware of and responded to God’s presence?
When or where have I moved away from God?
Am I discerning anything in my life or in my relationships?
Do I seek forgiveness for my own actions or do I feel the need to forgive others?
What has been my experience in celebrating the Sacraments?
What Can I Do After A Spiritual Direction Session?
After the session, spend time asking God to help understand any truths revealed during the session and any actions you feel God has asked you to take. Express your gratitude to God and your desire to love God more faithfully in the days ahead.
“Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)
For further guidance, feel free to call our "in-house" Spiritual Director:
Sister Rose Adams, I.H.M
IHM Conference and Spirituality Center
401 S. Bryn Mawr Ave.
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
267-586-5131 (cell)
Here is another excellent resource on Spiritual Direction from the Norbertine Community at Daylesford Abbey:
https://daylesford.org/ministry/spiritual-direction/individual-spiritual-direction/
Here are some FAQs that may help you determine if Spiritual Direction is a path you might want to travel on your Prayer Journey:
What is Spiritual Direction?
Spiritual Direction is help given by a trained Spiritual Director to another person through confidential, ongoing conversation. It is a relationship between the Director and the one being directed but also, it is an encounter with God that they participate in together. The purpose of the relationship is so that the one being directed might grow closer in their relationship with God.
What Spiritual Direction is not.
Spiritual direction focuses on a relationship with God. It is not about solving problems or overcoming a psychological sickness, as professional psychotherapy would address. Instead, spiritual direction focuses on the relationship one has with God and how the person sees or struggles with God in their everyday life. It is not therapy or coaching. It is not career counseling or rehabilitation services. It is, however, a mentoring relationship where the director accompanies an individual through a process of on-going spiritual growth.
In that process, one might find answers to problems or dilemmas in their life, but the focus is not on those issues. The focus is on developing a relationship with God so that one feels God’s presence in one’s daily life. The directee is guided in deepening a prayer life and on engaging in a spiritual journey to discover more about the Divine.
How Often Should I Meet With a Spiritual Director?
Some people have a regular monthly meeting with their director. Others are in a different stage and might meet more often. Some might meet a director once and then not meet again for some time. The directee can meet once a week, once a month, once a quarter, or whatever works for the person and the director. Typically, an hour session, each month, at a mutually convenient location where privacy can be assured is the norm. It is customary to offer a small stipend or donation for each meeting in appreciation for your director’s time and expertise. (Standard rates vary but are roughly $40 per hour on a sliding scale).
How Do I Prepare for Spiritual Direction?
In preparing for your session, it can be helpful to spend time in intentional prayer about what has been happening in your relationship with God since the last time you met.
Here are a few questions to ponder:
What am I grateful for in my life and in my relationships?
When or where have I been aware of and responded to God’s presence?
When or where have I moved away from God?
Am I discerning anything in my life or in my relationships?
Do I seek forgiveness for my own actions or do I feel the need to forgive others?
What has been my experience in celebrating the Sacraments?
What Can I Do After A Spiritual Direction Session?
After the session, spend time asking God to help understand any truths revealed during the session and any actions you feel God has asked you to take. Express your gratitude to God and your desire to love God more faithfully in the days ahead.
“Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)
For further guidance, feel free to call our "in-house" Spiritual Director:
Sister Rose Adams, I.H.M
IHM Conference and Spirituality Center
401 S. Bryn Mawr Ave.
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
267-586-5131 (cell)
Here is another excellent resource on Spiritual Direction from the Norbertine Community at Daylesford Abbey:
https://daylesford.org/ministry/spiritual-direction/individual-spiritual-direction/