Spiritual Direction/Discernment

Spiritual Direction is when a person meets with a person trained and experienced in the spiritual life to discern where God is present in their life and how God wants to call the person to greater holiness. It is "like" counseling but different in that the focus is on the prayer of the person and the movement of God's Spirit. A person may come for Spiritual Direction for one meeting or once every 6 to 8 weeks for many months. If you are interested in meeting for Spiritual Direction, contact Father Chris.

Here are some wonderful resources for learning Mental Prayer in the Catholic Tradition:

• A Beginners Guide to Mental Prayer
• The Ignatian Adventure (The Spiritual Exercises)
• Sacred Space (Guided Daily Meditations)

Discernment is the process by which a Christian makes a decision about what is best from several choices (all of which are good; we can never choose that which is evil or bad). It is often best to have a timeframe for making the discernment (I want to make my decision by this date) and a method (a few are offered below). In addition, Spiritual Direction or friends from a Small Group can be a wonderful resource in discussing your discernmen and getting godly feedback.

• Steps from the Ignatian Tradition 
• Discerning a Vocation 
• Discernment within the Family