Spiritual Direction

In recent years, interest has increased among believers for someone to accompany them in deepening their experience of God. This accompaniment is known as spiritual direction. The desire for spiritual direction is not new. It has its deepest roots in the Gospels, where we find Christ investing significant time with His disciples, teaching and modeling how to live out His Father’s love in daily life.  

The Desert Fathers (Abbas) and Mothers (Ammas) of early Christian centuries, having drawn apart to enhance their intimacy with God, were sought out by persons wanting to know God in a similar way. This practice of seeking spiritual guidance from holy men and women rooted in a contemplative experience of God is still carried on today – not just by those called to the ordained or consecrated life, but also by lay persons seeking oneness with God. 

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, spiritual direction is a prayerful presence offered to others by “certain of the faithful” who have been gifted by the Holy Spirit with “wisdom, faith, and discernment for the sake of this common good which is prayer” [CCC 2690]. A spiritual director is a mature Christian accompanying seekers into a deeper prayer life connecting them with the Holy One. 

Another definition describes it as “help given by one Christian to another which enables that person to pay attention to God’s personal communication to him or her, to respond to this personally communicating God, to grow in intimacy with this God, and to live out the consequences of the relationship” (William A. Barry and William J. Connolly, The Practice of Spiritual Direction). This definition, which guides the formation of spiritual directors for the Archdiocese of San Antonio, has several key concepts. 

Spiritual direction enables us to pay attention to God’s personal communication. We are a busy people, and we don’t always take time to “pay attention” to God, who continually reaches out to us. Spiritual direction can help us attend to His voice. 

Spiritual direction assists us in responding to this personally communicating God. It is not enough for us simply to hear God’s voice; He is asking us to answer Him. Spiritual direction can facilitate a more open response to the God who loves us. 

Spiritual direction enhances growth in intimacy with God. God desires a relationship with each of us, which can remain superficial or can grow into a profound intimacy. Spiritual direction invites us to deepen our walk with God. 

Spiritual direction guides us in living out the consequences of a divine relationship. God does not ask us merely to “live in” intimacy with Him, but also to “live out” our intimacy with Him. Spiritual direction helps us discern and carry out what God teaches and asks of us, whatever that may entail. 

Spiritual direction is not about fixing a personal problem—this is the work of counseling. Nor is it a lesson on Church teaching—this is pastoral care. Spiritual direction is specifically about growing closer to God. In the context of the director’s prayerful listening presence, the Holy Spirit—the true Spiritual Director—can lead us into a greater oneness with God and abundant fruitfulness for His Kingdom.