by Jean Khoury
Key Elements of Spiritual Direction
1 – What is Spiritual Life?
In “spiritual direction”, the term “spiritual” refers to the Life of God in us and our life in Him, rooted in Christ and the Trinity through Baptism. It refers not simply to human depth or moral effort, but to the inner work of God guiding one’s growth from baptism towards the fullness of love. At Baptism, this Spiritual Life is planted as a small divine seed within us, invited to grow and reach its fullness — union with Christ and the fullness of love — through the sanctifying, transforming action of the Holy Spirit. It points to the inner work of God guiding the soul along its journey of growth and transformation towards the fullness of divine life.
2 – What is Spiritual Direction?
Spiritual Direction is a Prophetic Gift given by Jesus to His Church. This mission in the Church consists in the help offered by a person (the Director, the one who accompanies) in the grace of God, to facilitate, discern, and support Spiritual Life to its full growth. The Spiritual Director offers this through guidance (words, advice) and prayer. The first task is to ensure synergy—working together—between the directee and the action of the Holy Spirit; in other words, it seeks steady growth. Its main pillar is to foster the personal responsibility of the directee for his or her own spiritual life.
3 – Who is the Spiritual Director?
St. John of the Cross underlines that the principal Master, the main Director, is the Holy Spirit. Therefore, humbly, the Spiritual Director seeks to discover the action of the Holy Spirit in the directee.
4 – Who can become a Spiritual Director?
Spiritual Direction is not only for priests; lay people and women can also offer it. A deep personal spiritual life is essential. It goes without saying that priests are strongly encouraged to offer it, as it forms part of the cura animarum — literally “care of souls” — that is, their pastoral responsibility. Their priesthood brings added experience, knowledge, and discernment. Nevertheless, it is a very specific form of helping others. Often, wise monks provide it, as their deep spiritual life places them among the first qualified to do so. It goes without saying that formation in Spiritual Theology and in Spiritual Direction is essential.
5 – Qualities of the Director
The three principal qualities required of a director are: Knowledge, primarily through formation in Spiritual Theology; Experience, cultivated through a deep personal spiritual life and having been directed oneself; and Discernment, gained through the experience of being directed.
6 – Many Practices Related to Spiritual Direction Must Still Be Distinguished From It
Confession, general advice, Counselling, Psychoanalysis, Psychiatric help, and so on. Professionally, Spiritual Direction cannot claim to offer these services (except perhaps in cases of mild psychological difficulty; general advice will depend on the human maturity of the Spiritual Director). If needed, the seeker should be referred to the appropriate professional. It goes without saying that if the Spiritual Director is also qualified in any of the above disciplines, this will be of great help, provided a healthy discernment is maintained.
7 – How do we begin Spiritual Direction?
To start, at least an implicit two-way agreement is required between the directee and the director. Prayer is recommended on both sides to gain clarity, after which each decides whether to proceed. A trial period may therefore be arranged.
8 – Are There Prerequisites for the Directee?
Spiritual Direction is given to a person who already has some degree of Spiritual Life, who has undergone, or is about to undergo, a Second Conversion. It is intended to help the person find his or her new bearings. The personal relationship with Jesus is taken for granted and awaits, like a seed, to grow. The main Gardener is the Holy Spirit. Both the directee and the director are called to listen to Him.
9 – Spiritual Direction vs. Spiritual Formation
Spiritual Direction is not Formation in the Spiritual Life (it is not meant to become private tuition/tutoring in Spiritual Life). Normally, a solid formation in the Spiritual Life should come first, to empower the person and generate spiritual practice (prayer, etc.). If it is lacking, it should be strongly encouraged, since otherwise there are no solid foundations for growth. A minimum knowledge of Spiritual Theology should be possessed in order to manage one’s own Spiritual Life.
10 – Length of the session
The first session is usually longer, as it is necessary to learn the person’s spiritual story. This also helps to focus on the exact kind of guidance needed. It may last up to two hours. Subsequent sessions typically last between one hour and an hour and a half.
11 – Frequency of the Sessions?
It depends. An urgent need may call for more closely spaced sessions, after which an average rhythm is usually established—between every two weeks and once a month. The frequency depends on personal needs and one’s way of life. When Spiritual Direction occurs at an early stage of Spiritual Life, it can be particularly helpful if held often. For a typical, fervent spiritual life, sessions are usually held at intervals of two weeks to a month.
12 – What does the director do during the session?
He is called to discern the Grace of God at work: When did it begin? What has it achieved so far? Where is the person spiritually at this very moment? Is there steady growth? Is the person making use of the right and strongest means? Is his or her daily life well ordered? The Director must perceive the needs, the gaps, and the weaknesses, and offer remedies progressively—checking that daily life improves in connection with the Spiritual Life.
13 – Powerful Means for Growth
It goes without saying that among the most powerful means we have for growth (apart from Mass and Confession) are Lectio Divina and the Prayer of the Heart. A relationship with Mary should also be checked or suggested (through readings and the Rosary), because of the fundamental role she plays.
14 – Vocation vs. Spiritual Growth
A common difficulty, especially among the young, is the tendency to seek knowledge of one’s vocation or state of life instead of focusing on allowing the Relationship with Jesus to grow.
15 – Spiritual Direction and transference
The Director’s style should not create dependency. It is important that he foster responsibility in the directee and help him or her develop the capacity to make decisions. The directee should feel free to leave if he or she so chooses.
16 – Knowledge of the Spiritual Journey
It is important for the Director to know the different stages of the Spiritual Life and how to discern between them. He is expected to guide the person along this journey.
17 – Different Types of Discernment
It is important for the Director to understand the different types of discernment associated with each stage.
18 – Attitude of the Director
In addition to the three main qualities—experience, knowledge, and discernment—the following qualities are also needed: clarity, humility, kindness, empathy, a total capacity to listen, to step outside oneself and one’s own ways of thinking, and prudence. Truth should be the guiding principle in the help he offers, while charity determines when and how that truth should be spoken. Praying for the directee is essential (through Mass and the Divine Office). The broader and deeper the director’s spiritual experience and knowledge, the greater his ability to guide others. It is vital to have the humility to stop when the director realises he is not helping the person, or when the directee belongs to a different spiritual family that he cannot fully grasp. Humility, humility, humility.
19- Attitude of the Directee
At the heart of spiritual direction is the revelation of the soul’s thoughts and movements. It is the act of recognising the truth within oneself and speaking it openly to the director. This honesty is the condition for God’s grace to act. It demands the same courage as the sacrament of reconciliation, yet embraces all of life, inner and outer. Only in truth—admitting struggles, weakness, and resistance—can grace flow and help be received. In this openness, the session becomes fully “sacramental”.
20 – The first stage of growth
The first stage of growth —from conversion or second conversion to union of will—is of absolute importance and requires determined determination: the practice of the virtues, with great dedication, altruism, and striving for perfection. Together with the practice of Lectio Divina and the Prayer of the Heart, this ensures steady growth. This last point is of central importance. Matters requiring attention at this stage include time management: how to live this period so as to ensure steady growth, how to implement Lectio Divina and the Prayer of the Heart, and how to organise one’s time.
21 – Triggers of the Grace of God
One must understand how the grace of God operates and recognise this for each stage. It is important to know, both generally and specifically (in each form of prayer), what the triggers of divine grace are, and how to ensure they are put into practice. The director must also understand the key factors of growth and discern between different “methods”, maintaining a certain flexibility in view of the diversity between persons.
22 – The differences between people
The differences between people run deeper than the differences in their outward appearances. Therefore, one should exercise caution in applying principles blindly, taking time first to listen to the person and discern the work of the Holy Spirit. No spiritual director is “universal” — that is, capable of guiding every type of soul — and humility is required to refer the person to another director when appropriate.
23 – Why is it called “Ars Artium”?
Why is it called ars artium? Spiritual Direction is termed ars artium — literally “the art of arts” — because it is the highest and most challenging form of art, requiring the integration of many qualities. “And with such an aim, choose one among a thousand, Avila says; — and I say among ten thousand, for there are fewer than one would think capable of this office.” (Introduction to the Devout Life, Part I, Chapter IV)
Catechism: 2690 The Holy Spirit gives to certain of the faithful the gifts of wisdom, faith and discernment for the sake of this common good which is prayer (spiritual direction). Men and women so endowed are true servants of the living tradition of prayer.
According to St. John of the Cross, the person wishing to advance toward perfection should “take care into whose hands he entrusts himself, for as the master is, so will the disciple be, and as the father is so will be the son.” And further: “In addition to being learned and discreet a director should be experienced… If the spiritual director has no experience of the spiritual life, he will be incapable of leading into it the souls whom God is calling to it, and he will not even understand them.” (St. John of the Cross, The Living Flame of Love, stanza 3,30, in The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, eds K. Kavanaugh OCD and O. Rodriguez OCD (Washington DC: Institute of Carmelite Studies, 1979), 621.)
24- Importance of Spiritual Direction
To embark on the spiritual life alone is among the most perilous choices a person can make. Seeking guidance and counsel, by contrast, is an act of true wisdom. In a profound sense, spiritual direction within the life of the Church prolongs a central aspect of the Incarnation: Jesus, present among us, provides spiritual directors to accompany us, offering his discernment, his support, and his guidance along the journey of the soul. “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)
See
Introductory Course to Spiritual Direction (First Hour Video)
Program for the Formation of Spiritual Directors (Two Years Formation)
Read also