Spiritual Direction

If you are interested in growing in your personal relationship with Jesus, getting to know Him more intimately to better understand the unique plan He has for your life and grow in virtue, you would benefit from spiritual direction.

Lay spiritual directors have a long history in the Church.

Historically, the first spiritual directors were those who left the world to live isolated lives in the desert. St. Antony of Egypt and St. Synletica are among these. These holy men and women became directors solely because others came to seek them out for advice and encouragement.

As a young man, Saint John Paul II received direction and formation from a layman in his local parish, Jan Tyranowski. Saint John Paul II identified Jan as having had a substantial influence on his desire to become a priest.

The focus of spiritual direction is your relationship with Jesus. Topics often discussed during a meeting include your personal prayer times, your sacramental life, putting together a plan to grow in virtue, general questions about prayer and Church teaching and other circumstances which may inhibit your ability to pray. It is also important to look at how your everyday relationships intersect with your spiritual life and goals. Do these relationships help or hinder your spiritual journey?

We most often meet with our directees at our center, either at the Mary and Elizabeth House of Prayer and Formation, or the House of St. Joseph. We also meet with directees over Google Meet.

Spiritual Direction does not have a cost.

We do encourage all who benefit from their time in direction to consider a stipend to the work of Mary and Elizabeth so we can continue this work for others. We suggest a stipend of $30 monthly for regular direction or $100 monthly for the Spiritual Exercises (which meet weekly).

We also have generous donors who provide funding for students or missionaries to benefit from time in direction.

There is nothing more important than the care of your soul! That’s why finding a good director is a priority. Here are some questions to consider when seeking a new director:

• Are they faithful to the magisterium?
• Has the person received formal training in Spiritual Direction? Where did they go?
• Are they in direction themselves?
• What is their personal prayer life like? Do they frequent the sacraments and how often?
• How long have they been providing direction?
• How often do they see directees? How accessible are they if you need to meet between scheduled sessions?

Spiritual Direction and counseling are different. While it is true that some of the topics covered may overlap, direction is focused primarily with your relationship with Jesus and your personal prayer life. It helps you to grow in virtue.

Counseling provides greater support for mental health issues, martial or family difficulties or trauma treatment. It helps you to be productive and functional in your daily life.

The great spiritual master Tanquerey writes, “The object of spiritual direction is in all that has a bearing upon the spiritual formation of souls. Confession limits itself to the accusation of faults; direction goes far beyond this. It reaches the causes of sin, deep-rooted inclination, temperament, character, acquired habits, temptations, and imprudences. This, in order to discover the right remedies, such as to go to the very roots of the evil,” combat better, and move toward virtue.

The sacrament of confession is an actual sacrament instituted by Christ (John 20:22) with matter (the sins confessed) and form (the words of absolution). When the matter and form meet, sanctifying grace is bestowed on the soul by Jesus through the priest. Neither the education nor sanctity of the priest deters the fruitfulness of the sacrament. Our Lord’s grace and mercy is present at every confession.

Spiritual Direction is not a sacrament and while one might receive great counsel in moving toward the reception of actual and sanctifying grace in their life, it does not bestow grace and is not limited to the priestly ministry.

Spiritual Direction was actually first given by laymen, monks, in the early Christian Church, and throughout the history of the Church has been given by learned men and women, St. Catherine of Siena being a notable laywoman and Doctor of the Church who gave direction.

Additionally, who one chooses to be directed by matters (not so with Confession). Direction is not always good simply because it is “direction.” One can have a guide leading them in a direction that is not toward God. St. Teresa of Avila counselled that it was best to have a learned director moreso than a holy one. St. Francis de Sales said that a director should possess charity, knowledge, and prudence and that if the director lacked one of these there would be danger for the soul.