
Last Saturday I completed the first of the courses I am undertaking this year and after an overflowing flight to Australia I am enjoying a little break in Melbourne. As I am putting the study files from the course in Manila in order I see once again how blessed time I had in the Philippines. What I can say right now is that it was my Easter Experience. The First Easter was all about the Lord Jesus coming to his disciples after his Resurrections. They discovered that heaven and earth were woven and what kept heaven and earth together was Christ Jesus. When I was going to Manila I didn’t expect that I would experience the presence of the Risen One so powerfully. I was preparing myself just for another curse but I found myself sensing the presence of my Lord. One of the two unites we did was Contemplative Spiritual Direction. It may sound out of this world but actually it focuses how much Jesus is involved in this world. Spiritual Direction it is an accompaniment you receive from a priest, brother, nun or a lay person on your faith journey. To be a spiritual director one must go through some training. What we learnt over the last weeks was how to find out “footprints” of Christ in what the person coming to us shares about his life. It is easy to tell people what they should do but it takes lots of prayer, silence, sensitivity and faith to recognize Jesus presence in all events of life and to help the person to respond to how Christ is drawing him or her to himself. Very often people say that they need Spiritual Direction when they face big issues they find confusing or overwhelming. However the main point of Spiritual Direction is helping the directee to grow in a relationship with the Lord. It is not talking about some high thoughts or inspiring ideas read in the books but Spiritual Direction is focusing on how Jesus is speaking to the person through feelings, joys, concerns, ups and downs of life. As the course was progressing I found myself more and more exited and fascinated as I was feeling like a deaf who can hear more and more or like a blind whose sight is improving every day. I learnt a lot during the course but I was spiritually “hit” by the stories of my fellow participants sharing about their life and faith. What was so exiting? FINDING JESUS IN THEIR STORIES.
If you want to grow in your faith and love for Jesus I encourage you to start praying to the Holy Spirit to give you a Spiritual Director.