Domine, da mihi hanc aquam!: On Spiritual Directors
I found this post waiting for me this morning, (i.e. via blog following) and given that I know a LOT of people are looking for an SD, too, well, it's worth passing on Fr. Powell's advice.
He recommends "interviewing" your potential SD, and gives a series of questions. All of them are good ones, and I wouldn't have a problem asking those things. I wouldn't have to ask some of them; all the potential SD's I've contacted have been through recommendation of people who know them. For example; enneagram or labyrinth worship wouldn't be an issue.
Father Powell also points out the questions the Spiritual Director would have of any potential directees, and that we would have to know ourselves in order to answer them.
In reading them over, I realize that I really can't answer them. While I've said I need a "Drill Sergeant" SD, that really wouldn't be true. I need SOME of that, certainly, but having been in a couple paramilitary structures, I know that I can deal with some of that, but it certainly wouldn't put me in a mindset to be open. As far as his other questions go...I simply don't know. I've never really had spiritual direction so I don't know what would work with me.
Of course, all of this info is, for me, completely moot. I can't actually find an available SD, and so, it means the "interview process" isn't even going to happen.
But, if there is some kind of miracle and I find one, well, I'm glad for the advice.
So! If you are looking for an SD or maybe have recently found one, go read Fr's post!
1 comment:
As you have indicated, the biggest problem in finding a spiritual director is availability. Our archbishop's instructions to the deacons are that they are supposed to have a spiritual director; who should be a priest rather than a religious brother or sister or a lay person. And oh yes, he shouldn't be one's pastor or boss. My husband has yet to find a permanent one. There is a priest who would be perfect, except he is pastor of a parish paying off a 3 million dollar mortgage. He isn't taking on anybody. Most of our priests have 2 or 3 parishes, and their time is at a premium. So the solution has been, from time to time, to meet informally with one priest or another, and talk things over. Not the most satisfactory, but what do you do?
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