“Once the soul awakens, the search begins and you can never go back. From then on, you are inflamed with a special longing that will never again let you linger in the lowlands of complacency and partial fulfillment. The eternal makes you urgent. You are loath to let compromise or the threat of danger hold you back from striving toward the summit of fulfillment.” John O’ Donohue
About
is so close to being loved
that for the average person,
they are almost indistinguishable.”
― David Augsburger
What is Spiritual Direction?
Spiritual direction is companioning someone on their spiritual journey by being prayerfully and contemplatively present to God and the directee, by listening intently, creating a sacred space, and bearing witness to God’s presence and personal communication with the directee in prayer and in the ordinary circumstances of their life experiences.
Spiritual direction is not about being directed because God is the true director. Spiritual direction is not about judging, advising or problem solving. It is not therapy, counseling, preaching or teaching, it is not religious education and it is not new because it dates back to biblical times and can be found in most if not all faith traditions.
wHY IS SPIRITUAL DIRECTION HELPFUL
Spiritual direction is helpful because it enables the directee (person receiving spiritual direction) to focus on and to articulate their experience of God in the myriad and mysterious ways in which God is present: – in prayer and in the sacred writings of various faith traditions – in people and human relationships – in the natural beauty of creation – in the wonders inherent in the ordinary events of daily life. In exploring these experiences and the feelings connected with them, the directee can again encounter the mystery of God and God’s loving call at even deeper levels.
A person may seek spiritual direction when he or she desires to pay better attention to the ways in which God is present and communicating with them and is inviting the person into deeper friendship. This ongoing conversation with another believer presupposes that God is a self-communicating God, who can reveal self to the person through prayer, sacraments, scripture, creation, solitude, human relationships or one's own experiences.
wHY sPIRITUAL dIRECTION
Spiritual Direction fosters a person’s intimate relationship with God, can help one identify and trust ones own experience of God, deepen ones prayer, help one notice interior spiritual movements, while growing in relationship with God, self, others, and creation.
Spiritual direction is especially helpful:
• when one desires to deepen their relationship with God
• when one is experiencing a significant life transition or is grieving a loss or in need of healing
• when one’s prayer life seems stagnant or “stuck”
• when one is discerning critical life choices
• when one is questioning the meaning of life and seeking clarity about one’s purpose
wHO OFFERS SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
Spiritual direction is a ministry offered by someone:
• called to this ministry
• committed to their own ongoing and developing relationship with God including ongoing sessions with their own spiritual director and receiving regular supervision from peers or a mentor
• trained in a variety of ways including spirituality, theology and psychology
• certified to accompany others on their spiritual journey.
Spiritual Direction Session
As a member of Spiritual Directors International (SDI), I follow the guidelines for ethical conduct set forth in “Guidelines for Ethical Conduct” written by the Ethical Guidelines Task Force for SDI. A copy of the “Guidelines for Ethical Conduct” may be obtained upon request or by visiting www.sdiworld.org.The About page is the core description of your website. Here is where you let clients know what your website is about.
Fees/Donations
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Manresa Way An Ignatian Spirituality Ministry The Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola 19th Annotation Retreat Annually Sept - May
Certified Prayer Guide for the 19th Annotation of the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola
Certified Spiritual Director Spiritual Direction Intern Initiative Sisters of St Joseph Brighton MA
Loaves and Fishes ( Ignatian Spirituality Partnership of Maine) providing CPE for Spiritual Directors
Guest Spiritual Director Eastern Point Retreat House Gloucester, MA
Education:
BS Accounting University of Southern Maine Portland, ME
MST Bentley University Waltham, MA
mY FAITH JOURNEY
My Faith Journey: I am a practicing Roman Catholic. My spirituality is grounded in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. My life was irrevocably changed after experiencing the 19th Annotation of the Spiritual Exercises. I was awakened to a personal God that longs for me too. I realized that God is always with me and continually communicating with me. As a result, I fell in love with God and desired to live God’s dream for me. I felt “called” to be formed as a prayer guide and journey with others making an Ignatian Spiritual Exercises retreat. I experienced profound joy companioning others and after much discernment with my own spiritual director realized God was calling me to be formed as a Certified Spiritual Director. I applied and was accepted to the Spiritual Direction Internship Initiative (SDII) at the Sisters of St. Joseph in Brighton Massachusetts where I was trained as a spiritual director in the Ignatian tradition in the dynamics of the 19th Annotation. The SDII follows the guidelines of Spiritual Directors International (SDI) and includes elements of: theological foundations; psychological foundations; integration with justice; discernment; practicum; and supervision.
I work with individuals and groups seeking a closer relationship with God, Spirit, Higher Power to discern meaning and purpose or seeking a closer relationship with the God of their understanding. I also work with those struggling with questions of faith or in need of healing. My own background is in the Catholic tradition but I welcome seekers of all traditions including those who consider themselves spiritual but not religious. I am privileged to offer personal spiritual direction, accompany those desiring to make the Spiritual Exercises, host directed retreats and lead various workshops for those seeking closer union with God. Spiritual direction is truly Holy ground and I feel profoundly privileged and grateful to listen with another to God’s personal communication and awestruck to witness God’s grace and action in a directee’s life.
Events
Workshop: Learning to Pray the Ignatian Examen. Learn to find God in all things.
On going: We are currently reading Fr. James Martin's, "Jesus a pilgrimage." All are welcome to our book club and faith sharing group. We meet the last Tueday of the month from 6:30-8:00. Please email or call for information or to be added to the list of participants!
Resources
Websites:
To Find a Spiritual Director:
Office of Ignatian Spirituality https://jesuitseastois.org
Spiritual Directors International https://www.sdicompanions.org
Retreats:
19th Annotation of the Spiritual Exercises A Manresa Ignatian Spirituality Ministry. For more information https://ManresaWay.org or https://IgnatianSpiritualExercises.org
Ignatian Spirituality Partnership of Maine https://www.ignatianme.org
Marie Joseph Spiritual Center https://mariejosephspiritual.org
Eastern Point Jesuit Retreat House https://www.easternpoint.org
Sisters of St Joseph https://www.csjboston.org
Ignatian Spirituality:
https://www.ignatianspirituality.com
Become a Spiritual Director
Spiritual Direction Internship Initiative (SDII) held at The Sisters of St Joseph Boston contact: Sr Joan McCarthy jmccsj@aol.com
Prayers and poetry
Nothing is more practical than finding God, that is, than falling in love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you do with your evenings, how you spend your week-ends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love stay in love and it will decide everything. Pedro Arupe SJ
Contact
- Old Orchard Beach, Maine, United States