By Virginia Vollmer OFS
Welcome to the spirituality column of the Family Seton Newsletter! Beth Lema, Gladyce Janky, and I will be the main rotating contributors.
This issue’s column will focus on defining and explaining the vocation of spiritual guides, also known as spiritual directors or spiritual companions. Because we don’t necessarily direct how an individual is to be in relationship with God, is has become more common to use the words “guide’ or “companion”. I have used, and do use, all three terms interchangeably. But for the purpose of this article, and as we now have a Spiritual Guide Ministry at St. Elizabeth Seton parish, I will use “spiritual guide”.
As a spiritual guide, I walk with individuals as they grow in their relationship with God. It is a holy conversation about all kinds of life experiences that open up to a recognition of God within these experiences. Examples of these are workplace gossip and machinations, family dynamics, or a sudden illness.
Hence, a spiritual guide is not fixing or coaching or counseling, but listening. The basic framework from which every spiritual guide listens is that every human being is basically good, creation is good, and God is Good. Each person coming for spiritual guidance has received the grace of “desire for more”. It is a yearning for God in one’s life — for more of God.
God always acts concretely in the world. He is present in all of our experiences. We can experience God in our hearts, minds, psyches, and bodies. God always takes the initiative in coming to us. God is always loving — in fact, God is Love. But because human beings have been given free will, we can refuse God’s communications, actions, relationship, and Love.
The conversation is led by the individual coming for spiritual guidance. Through listening I help the person recognize God and the movement of the Holy Spirit within their life. This is part of the discernment process. We are most familiar with people discerning a religious vocation. But there are many aspects of our lives for which discerning is important. We discern where to attend college, making a career move, getting married, moving to a new home, and retirement. If we are to be in a relationship with God, then each step of our lives must involve God. God wants us to be in a relationship with Him. Our prayer is our relationship with God. Prayer may take many forms: the Mass, the rosary, Lectio Divina, or the Psalms. Sometimes our prayer is a thank you or a plea for help on a walk through the neighborhood.
All of this is, and can be, part of a meeting with a spiritual guide. Most importantly is the reminder that God continually pours out His Love upon us. Our harshest judgements are always on our own selves. And still God loves us and wants us to be our true authentic selves. I am ready to listen.
For appointments:
Virginia Vollmer: vvollmer@sescc.org
Gladys Janky: gjanky@sescc.org
Beth Lema: blema@sescc.org
