Spiritual Direction And The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius

Spiritual Direction

A spiritual director/guide is a person generally trained to sit with someone and listen to their life journey complete with their connections and disconnects. The director is present to God on the person’s behalf in order to be in harmony with God’s agenda, not the agenda of either director or directee. Together the director and directee observe the movements in a person’s prayer and life to unpack the God moments and nurture the individual’s connection with God, with themselves, with others and all of creation. Spiritual direction is helpful in accessing what is authentic to the person which is often buried under many layers. Spiritual direction is helpful during all seasons of life, including moments of grieving and discernment.

Everyone is on a journey, and every person’s journey is spiritual whether they recognize it or not. Spiritual directors help pilgrims to discover the holy moments and places in their lives they might otherwise miss. Spiritual directors, through holy, prayerful listening, assist individuals in finding their authentic path and the spiritual practices that are authentic to their unique path.

“Director” is somewhat of a misnomer. The spiritual director is rarely directive, but instead seeks to be present to God on the behalf of the directee, rather than present to the directee on behalf of God. Consequently, the true director is God, and the spiritual director functions more as a guide, a mid-wife, a soul friend. While director may suggest a book, passage of Scripture, or a particular prayer exercises, spiritual direction is not a problem-solving experience, but rather a listening experience: listening for the whispers of God and to the movements of the directee’s heart.

A typical spiritual direction usually begins with a few moments of silent prayer, a request that God be the “agenda-setter”, and that both director and directee be open to the leadings of Spirit. As the director listens to the directee recount a life or prayer experience, a question or sense of dryness, he or she may be prompted to ask questions that will further open the directee’s experience, or that will bring to light God’s presence in the situation. Most sessions last about an hour, and folks meet with their directors at whatever interval feels right to them: weekly, monthly, etc.

It is important that an individual find the right spiritual director for themselves. This can be done by asking for a referral from a trusted clergy person or friend, or by interviewing prospective directors. Both directee and director should have a sense of “calling” to this relationship. At Life Listening Resources we are committed to helping you find the right spiritual director of individuals, whether it be one of us or another of many fine spiritual directors in our area. Joy has recently agreed to serve as the Region 7 contact person for Spiritual Directors International, and has access to the membership rolls for this region.

Four spiritual directors are available through Life Listening Resources:

Joy Bergfalk, who has been accompanying folks of all ages on their journeys for thirty years and formally trained in spiritual direction through the Shalem Institute in Bethesda Maryland.

Jimmy Reader, Joy’s husband, has studied spiritual direction off and on for fifteen years and most recently completed the spiritual directors’ workshop in the summer of 2003 at Loyola House in Guelph, Ontario. Jimmy also participates in the direction of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and serves as a prayer guide.
Life Listening Resources has a policy that no one will be turned away because of inability to pay. Fees for spiritual direction can be worked out with the individual spiritual director.

THE SPIRITUAL EXERCISES

OF ST. IGNATIUS - 19TH Annotation

A Journey through Love into Freedom and Discernment
A Retreat in Daily Life
Offered by Life Listening Resources at Labyrinth House
Labyrinth House, 2071 Westfall Road, Rochester (Brighton), New York (585)256-3384

The 19th Annotation of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius is a 30 day intensive retreat spread out into 30 or more weeks. Originally developed for individuals discerning a call to religious life, St. Ignatius recognized that all who sought to follow God without hindrance would benefit from this retreat. Patterned after St. Ignatius’ own conversion experience and journey to unconditional surrender to God’s love and will, the Ignatian Exercises have been leading individuals into freedom for centuries. People all around our country and all around this globe, of all Christian persuasions, make this life-changing retreat every year.

The Retreat is an invitation:

• In the context of God’s LOVE;
• With the purpose of FREEDOM from all that distracts and hinders us from fully embracing God’s love and dream for us and our world;
• With the result of DISCERNMENT: the ability to distinguish between authentic and inauthentic movements as we make decisions in following Jesus.

At Life Listening Resources, the 19th Annotation consists of

• Weekly group sessions (times and locations TBA) in which the dynamics of the Exercises are taught and experienced, utilizing
  • Prayer
  • Music
  • Story
  • The Labyrinth
  • Sometimes Art
  • Sharing
• Weekly one half-hour session with a prayer guide
• Commitment to one hour of daily prayer (weekly prayer sheets provided)

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