Pope Francis repeatedly mentions the vitality of the youthful spirit in his exhortation to young people, Christus Vivit. Those who work with middle and high schoolers are especially attuned to the particular gifts and challenges of this intense charism.
As we mature, this spirit can fade. We settle down in a place, with a person, or in a community. We stop exploring and challenging the faith as we mature in our relationship with God. In some ways, it is a relief to move past the intense emotionality of adolescence. However, Pope Francis warns that adulthood can bring a stagnation of our faith as we “lost that enthusiasm and openness to an ever-greater reality.” He reminds us that “in every moment in life we can renew our youthfulness.”
One wonderful practice to maintain this youthful spirit in our lives has been broadly unrecognized in The Church – spiritual direction. At one time limited to priests and religious, the reforms of Vatican II brought this practice to lay Catholics. However, many people have never considered spiritual direction.
Spiritual direction is not therapy or pastoral counseling. It is an accompaniment in the journey of growing closer to God. It is a relationship with a spiritual director who will help you process and examine your faith life.
We go to annual exams to make sure our bodies are healthy; spiritual direction is a regular time to examine the health of your soul. If our relationship with God is the top priority in life, we need to treat it as seriously as our physical health. Having accountability and space for questioning and exploration helps you continually grow deeper in your faith. Most spiritual directors meet monthly, although more or less frequently is certainly possible.
Adolescents are acutely aware of their dependence as they yearn for more independence. As adults, we are so independent that we can forget to be dependent on others. Hopefully, you feel your spiritual director is wiser (or at least more experienced in the faith) than you. In times of struggle or stagnation, you can depend on them to listen and provide wisdom, just as those of us who are youth workers provide wisdom to the youth we serve.
My spiritual advisor recommends different prayer practices or ideas to meditate on that I would not think of myself. Sometimes I find myself doing practice on her word alone, expecting it will fall flat, only to find it incredibly fruitful in my life. In adulthood, it can seem like we’ve experienced all the Church has to offer, but a spiritual director can continue to bring new riches of prayer practices or ideas into your life.
FIRST, pray to God to send you the right person. I am convinced that God sends spiritual directors like angels to those of us who ask for them. This practice is so powerful in leading Christians to renewed holiness that the Holy Spirit loves bringing directors to those who are seeking them.
SECOND, ask the Holy people in your life if they know any spiritual directors. Perhaps those people do not participate in spiritual direction, but they may have gone on a retreat that offered direction or know a friend who does practice. This includes lay people as well as priests. While some parish priests are certified spiritual directors, most are not. However, your parish priest may be able to point you to a nearby spiritual center that provides spiritual direction.
Continue these steps of praying and asking until you find a spiritual director in your area. If the first person you meet is not a good fit, they will be able to refer you to someone else. Don’t forget to seek and pray.
Brooke is a cradle Catholic who has done a bit of everything in Youth Ministry – summer camps, high school campus ministry, parish ministry, youth conferences, etc. Currently, she lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and works at a Catholic Montessori Preschool. She loves her job because she gets to go to Mass every day and because the kids tell her they love her. You can find her at
https://brookeannbuth.wixsite.com/writer
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