Friday, September 8, 2017

Two heads are better than one

 “I SAY to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything
they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where
two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of
them.” (Mt 18,19-20)

            We should always remember these words in our collective
activities. We should never think that in our meetings and gatherings,
we are simply on our own, guided only by our own agendas. God is in
the middle in all these, and he should be the center and focus.
Collegiality should be understood in this way. Otherwise, what would
we be doing?

            And among these collective activities, special attention
has to be given when we give or receive spiritual direction. In this
specific means of spiritual formation, we need to realize that both
the giver and the receiver are trying to discern the will of God as we
face different issues in our daily life.

            It is our way of trying to figure out what exactly is the
Holy Spirit telling us, convinced that two heads are better than one
in this delicate task of discernment. Obviously, the spiritual
director is there to help, but the directee is the one who in the
final analysis would have to make the decision.

            It should be clear to both parties that it is Christ who
is the model to be followed and the Holy Spirit who is the modeler to
be obeyed. The spiritual director, no matter how holy and competent he
is, is not the model nor the modeler. He just helps, encouraging the
directees to be close to God, opening horizons to them, motivating
them, making suggestions, etc.

            To be sure, spiritual direction can only be properly done
in the context of prayer, always aware of God’s continuing, merciful
and wise providence. It is our way of sustaining our effort at
sanctification as we face all the trials and challenges of our daily
life.  It should not be done only in the level of some psychoanalytic
exercise.

            Of course, it helps that the spiritual director always
gives good example and, in fact, should try his best to be consistent
in the public testimony of his genuine Christian life. But in giving
spiritual direction, he just helps. He has to respect the freedom of
his directee, never imposing his own concrete ways, though he may
suggest them if they are compatible with the directee’s way of being.

            He has to be most sensitive to the temperament of the
directee, and quick to adjust when he notices differences in this
area. He should be knowledgeable enough to identify the specific
spirituality the directee is manifesting, trying to develop it as
fully as possible. He should not impose his own spirituality, and
therefore should be open to all kinds of Church-approved
spiritualities and charisms, of which he should be familiar.

            He should be so broad-minded, patient and understanding as
to inspire the sincerity of the directee. He should try not to be
scandalized by anything, and should reassure the directee that he will
defend the directee before God and men all the way.

            On the part of the directee, he has to realize that he
needs to have spiritual direction. No matter how gifted and holy he
is, he will always need some guidance. Practically all the saints
availed of a spiritual director. He has to choose his director freely,
and goes through that spiritual means of personal formation because he
wants to and not because it is expected of him or that he was told to
do so.

            Spiritual direction should be done in the spirit of
friendship and brotherhood, where trust and confidence in the
mysterious workings of the Holy Spirit should prevail.


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