Location: St. Peter Upon the Water
Dear Bishop Mike, beloved faculty members, and spiritual directors commissioned today; congratulations on the completion of formation cycle six of St. Peter upon the Water, and the beginning of a new chapter in the spiritual journey for this group of spiritual directors!
The Responsorial Psalm echoes the profound thirst for God that has driven each of you to pursue this calling: “My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.” Mysteriously, this supernatural thirst grows as it is quenched, both in yourselves and your directees. Your role is to help them go back to the well of living water flowing from the pierced heart of Jesus. This is only possible because you have found the way to Christ through your own faith and the healing of the wounds in your own heart.
Our first reading, from the Letter of Jude, urges us to “remember the words spoken beforehand by the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This remembrance is more than a mental exercise; it is an invitation to go back and anchor ourselves in the holy faith passed down to us. As spiritual directors, you must be deeply rooted in this faith, strengthened by continuous prayer in the Holy Spirit. To be able to help others go back to the well, you must remember and constantly relearn the way. Referring to the calling received from God, Pope Francis has said: (quote) “The Lord calls us because he wants to enable us, like Peter, to ‘walk on water’… (…) Yet, like Saint Peter, our desire and enthusiasm coexist with our failings and fears. If we let ourselves be daunted… by the hardships in store for us, then we will soon turn away from the gaze of Jesus and, like Peter, we will begin to sink.” (end of quote).
In the Gospel from Mark, we see Jesus confronted by the religious leaders, questioning His authority. Their inability to recognize the divine authority in Jesus is a cautionary tale for us. As spiritual directors, your authority certainly comes from your formation and the commission you receive today, but only as a means and confirmation. Deep down, your authority stems from a deeper source: the Holy Spirit. This authority is manifested through wisdom, which is not just knowledge but an infused gift of grace, allowing you to see and act according to God’s will.
Wisdom, as a supernatural habit, will enable you to guide others not just by what you know or feel, but by what you live. This wisdom, infused by grace, allows you to perceive God in all things and to help others do the same. Your authority comes from a place of humility and service, grounded in the recognition that it is God who ultimately heals, directs, and transforms hearts. Jude’s exhortation to “Build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit,” is crucial. It reminds you that to accompany others, you must first be firmly anchored in your own relationship with God.
Jude continues, “On those who waver, have mercy; save others by snatching them out of the fire; on others have mercy with fear…” As spiritual directors, you will encounter individuals at different stages of their spiritual journey. You must trust the Holy Spirit! Attuned to God’s heart, you must be ready to act with compassion and discernment. Your authority is exercised through the joy of a servant attitude, leading you to ask the right questions, which take both the directee and you to deeper listening. Listening to God’s Word in our hearts leads to becoming living signs of that Word. As we are transformed into Christ, we are enabled to proclaim Him with our lives. And the cycle goes on.
May Our Lady of Guadalupe obtain abundant blessings for each of you, and may your ministry bear much fruit.
