Spiritual Direction

This month we discuss Spiritual Direction.    Steven’s first encounter was when he began discerning for the priesthood he read a book that spoke of Spiritual Direction.     At its core Spiritual Direction is when you and another person who is more mature in the Faith both walk together and discuss how the Lord is working in your heart in prayer.We discuss the different phases of Spiritual Direction for a Priest.     The first phase is discernment before seminary.    Oftentimes people discerning a vocation begin by keeping it to themselves.     But, at some point you need to take the next step and make this public.  One of the first things that is recommended is you get a Spiritual Director.For Steven, this first phase greatly helped him in his prayer life.    He was challenged to reflect on what does it mean to be on this journey with the Lord.The second phase is where Steven is now; a seminarian.    In seminary, Spiritual Direction is readily available and expected.   Steven has a primary Spiritual Director with whom he will work through all his time at seminary.     This focus is to reflect on his prayer life and his whole life and see where the Lord is leading him.    The goal is to ground yourself in identity as a beloved son of the Father that’s been saved by ChristThe third phase is as a priest.    It is highly recommended that all priests seek out a Spiritual Director.    This should be someone who is not a peer-priest but rather someone who is more advanced in the spiritual life than you.