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Seminars in Ignatian Formation
Application for Spiritual Direction
SIF interns are preparing to be Ignatian spiritual directors. Interns have academic and pastoral formation in theology and spirituality, and they have already made the Spiritual Exercises.
It is a pastoral ministry in the Church and a form of spiritual accompaniment. In spiritual direction one
believer assists another believer to “pay attention to God’s personal communication, to respond to this personally communicating God, to grow in intimacy with this God, and to live out the consequences of the relationship” (William A. Barry & William J. Connolly, The Practice of Spiritual Direction, 2009: 8). From one meeting to another, the director (DR) and the directee (DE) reflect together on the DE’s direct experiences of God since the previous meeting. Focus on a person’s actual experience of God reflects an essential theological precept of The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), namely, that ‘God deals directly with the soul’ (Sp. Ex., 15). With attention on the actual experience of God the process of spiritual direction over time yields greater awareness of the sacred across every dimension of human experience – the intrapersonal and interpersonal, the social and societal, the structural and environmental, the universal and the cosmic. Patterns, themes, and distinct qualities in the experience of God emerge over time as knowledge of God, freedom before God, and love of God increase. With this increase comes greater love of self and others, greater commitment to the present world, and improved discernment in living out the consequences of the direct experience of God.
Spiritual direction is distinct from both pastoral counseling and spiritual conversation. Counseling addresses specific life problems often with a view to problem-solving and remedies for intrapersonal and interpersonal distress. Spiritual conversation is discussing ‘ideas’ about God, while spiritual direction is discussing actual ‘experiences’ of God. Knowing about God is not the same as experiencing God.Applying for a Spiritual Director through SIF (Seminars in Ignatian Formation)
If spiritual direction in the Ignatian tradition as described in the paragraphs above appeals to you, consider engaging in this ministry with an intern in SIF.
SIF interns are preparing to be Ignatian spiritual directors, and most will train eventually to give the complete Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Each intern has academic and pastoral formation in theology and spirituality, and many have already made the Spiritual Exercises. As they will explain to you, their work as interns in the SIF program is supervised. This means that in addition to a monthly meeting with you for spiritual direction they will have a monthly one-on-one supervision session with one of the two SIF Directors as well as a monthly peer supervision meeting. In these meetings your confidentiality will be strictly observed. Pseudonyms will be used as well as fictional place names for workplaces, organizations, and institutions that might identify any of the DEs. You will not be charged a fee for spiritual direction by an intern since the SIF interns are still in training.
If you and a SIF intern make a commitment to spiritual direction it will be for 9 meetings. The first meeting is the intake interview based on your responses to the questions in the Application. Eight spiritual direction sessions will follow, one per month between Sept. and the end of April or early May. It is a mutual decision between the DR and the DE whether to continue in spiritual direction beyond the 9 meetings. You will meet for spiritual direction in person or in Zoom, but not by phone. Visual presence, at a minimum, is important for effective spiritual direction.