If you’ve ever wondered what the heck you’re doing, where you’re going, and how you should get there — spiritually speaking — then maybe you could use some spiritual direction.  If you’ve never heard of spiritual direction, then let me give you a brief overview of what it is, and why you might consider it.

A spiritual director is someone that you trust, generally a member of the clergy, with whom you meet regularly to help you grow closer to God.  We Catholics should confess our sins to a priest regularly, but spiritual direction is much more than that.

There is a lot of information (and misinformation) about our faith, which is readily available to all of us in this age of information.  A spiritual director can help you to understand what information is in line with Church teaching.

The spiritual director should act as your advocate, helping you to discern the Will of God in your life, and helping you grow closer to God through a form of prayer that works well for you.  The many charisms of our faith offer us many options, which can be very overwhelming.  A good spiritual director will work with you to determine which spiritual exercises, and with what frequency, you should be doing to increase your Catholic fitness and deepen your conversion.

Do you have a difficult time trying to think of things to give up for Lent?  Your spiritual director can help guide you and offer you exercises that will help you to overcome some of your character flaws — helping you to better live out your Catholic faith.

Not all priests are available for spiritual direction.  Some are just too busy with their day-to-day ministry.  Another option is to find a Catholic Brother or Sister at a local monastery.  Try to find someone who is likely to be in your area for the next several years.  I’m in the process of finding a new spiritual director right now as I’m losing my current one to an inter-diocese move.  It’s a bummer!

Considering the religious life?  Thinking about joining a third order or some sort of Catholic lay association? If you feel as though you’re ready to take the next step in your faith, but aren’t sure which way to step, spiritual direction is a great way to go.