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Spiritual Direction: A Powerful Opportunity for Discernment and Growing Closer to God
As parish spiritual director Marilyn Seiler puts it, spiritual direction offers us an essential and powerful reminder to continually grow closer to God.
“It’s a reminder to find the best way for each individual to grow in the way that suits best that person,” Marilyn says. “There are many ‘voices’ competing for our attention daily, especially in this digital age. It is helpful to periodically enter into a safe, quiet space where the director can be wholly focused on what the directee has to share. The director can then offer candid and inspired feedback and guidance to help find that still small voice of God.”
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Spiritual direction is a one-on-one relationship where a trained director helps another to grow in their spiritual life. Often, the spiritual director facilitates discernment and the exploration of feelings, senses, and images from the directee to help them recognize the Holy Spirit at work in their life.
Anyone interested in deepening their relationship with God can receive spiritual direction. A typical session takes place once a month for about 45 to 55 minutes in the spiritual director’s office or an office at the parish.
“The vision of the diocese is to ‘build a culture of discipleship and community, inviting all in our (parish) to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ,’” Deacon Randy Hearn says. “The ministry of spiritual direction is directly related to this invitation to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and those who seek the call of God in their lives.” Spiritual direction is a confidential ministry — nothing that is shared between the director and directee is shared with anyone else and the director does not reveal with whom they are meeting. “Spiritual direction is not a one-size-fits-all relationship,” Marilyn says. “Directors and directees are wise to discern as to whether they are spiritually compatible. If one of them is not the right fit, the director has the list of available directors in Oklahoma and can help you contact the right person.”
There are currently 80 known and trained Catholic spiritual directors in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. Spiritual directors participate in a two to four-year training program where they learn the necessary skills and meet with directees. They also continue to receive regular spiritual direction and supervision themselves, to provide competent spiritual direction to individuals.
