Spiritual Direction
“Spiritual direction is usually a one-to-one relationship with another individual for the purpose of obtaining spiritual guidance. By obtaining the help of an interested and wise human being, we are assisted on our journey of faith toward the kingdom of God. A spiritual director or soul friend will encourage, guide, advise, confront, and challenge us on he path toward holiness. The goal of spiritual direction is to help fulfill our God-given destiny on earth, to carry out the purpose of our existence, to fulfill all the duties of our state in life, to save our souls after death in heaven, and to become saints. We meet with a spiritual director or friend at regular intervals of time – monthly, bimonthly, quarterly – to give an account of our stewardship in God’s service. The accountability then becomes an added grace and help in our spiritual life.” “An Introduction to Spiritual Direction” by Monsignor Chester P.Michael, copyright 2004
httpv://youtu.be/uRhr4Bi3mTI
LINKS
- Roman Catholic Spiritual Direction – http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/
- Discerning Hearts – http://www.discerninghearts.com/
- Catholic Spiritual Direction – http://catholicspiritualdirection.org/
- Open Door Ministry/Spritual Direction Institute – http://chestermichael.org/
- Monsignor Chester Michael (1916-2014): Monsignor Michael was the Pastor of Holy Comforter Parish from 1963 to 1972. Throughout his priestly life and retirement years he has focused his ministry on spiritual direction. On his website you can read about his various efforts to promote spiritual direction, including his Spiritual Direction Institute (SDI) which has graduated over 600 people including Catholic religious and lay people and Protestant ministers. There is a list of graduates who are willing to provide spiritual direction including many in Charlottesville and nearby communities. There is also a list of books and recordings available.
- St. Anselm Institute – http://www.stanselminstitute.
org/ - is a voluntary organization of Catholic faculty and others dedicated to promoting the Catholic intellectual tradition at the University of Virginia and beyond. Founded in 2000, the Institute supports several activities, including a public lecture series, a faculty-student dinner, a Doctors of the Church faculty-student lunch seminar, various study groups, a Lenten faculty retreat, and an annual appeal to support Catholic education in Saltadère, Haiti.
