A guide for Christians who are considering spiritual direction or who are already engaged in the process. It explains what spiritual direction is, the qualities to look for in a director, the process of finding a director and ways to develop a deeper prayer life.

The need for spiritual direction—or the accompaniment of a spiritual guide—is becoming more prominent in a world where so many are suffering from so many wounds. With a harmonious integration of both timeless spiritual wisdom from the Catholic Church’s tradition of prayer and direction, and the insight of the psychological sciences, Fathers Thomas Acklin and Boniface Hicks offer a comprehensive guide for all who provide or seek spiritual direction. Spiritual Direction: A Guide for Sharing the Father’s Love fortifies priests, religious, and lay faithful who embrace the ministry of spiritual direction and accompany the wounded, assist men and women in hearing the voice of God, and model the love and mercy of the Father for the many who are seeking Him but do not know Him or have false images of Him. This book also shows how various aspects of the spiritual life can emerge from and be fostered by a one-on-one relationship with a spiritual director. Together with concrete guidelines and numerous examples from personal experience, this book refers extensively to Sacred Scripture as the foundation for spiritual direction. Furthermore, since the practice of spiritual direction goes back to the first centuries of the Church, the authors turn for guidance to the Doctors of the Church, the writings of the saints, and the papal magisterium in developing and supporting their insights. Spiritual Direction will call spiritual directors to deeper holiness even as they assist others in growing closer to the Father through His loving gaze of mercy.

The Spirit is speaking. Can you hear him? If you're longing to become more attentive to God--to listen to him, know his voice and experience his love, spiritual direction can point the way. In Seeking God Together, experienced spiritual director Alice Fryling offers a unique introduction specifically for group spiritual direction: a place where individuals can experience what it means to be listened to and loved by others, so that they can learn to listen more attentively to God in their daily lives and be used by God. Out of her years of being both director and directee, Fryling offers practical, step-by-step guidance for those who would like to start, lead or participate in group spiritual direction. Her book will help you know what to expect and fully equip you for the different aspects of the group experience, including learning to listen to God, using Scripture in a group, navigating different personalities, setting group expectations and asking life-giving questions. She also provides an appendix with opening exercises for use in your meetings together. "The intentional goal of group spiritual direction," Alice writes, "is to help each participant become more aware of God in their lives, for the sake of others. Spiritual direction leads you to an awakening of the soul." The Spirit is speaking to you and to others. Here is a book to help you and a group of soul friends listen for and with each other as you seek God together.

The practice of spiritual direction assumes a theology of the Holy Spirit, a theology of revelation and of the Church, and a theology of prayer. Seeking God in All Things explores each of these themes as the underpinnings of spiritual direction and examines what makes the Christian religious experience distinctive. Since not every experience of God bears a Christian imprint, William Reiser, SJ, asks whether and in what way a Christian might be ale to assist someone who is not Christian in developing his or her interior life. This question looks beyond suggesting the concrete steps a person might take in initiating, nurturing, and solidifying a way of praying. It looks, rather, toward the fundamental issue of helping others as they discover and deepen their relationship to the mystery of God. Chapters are It Is God Who Directs," *Imagining Divine Action in Human Lives, - *Where Do Holy Desires Come From? - *What's Distinctive About the Christian Religious Experience? - *Further Elements of Christian Distinctiveness, - *The Incarnation as a Starting Point for Spiritual Direction, - and *Should Christian Spirituality Move Beyond Jesus? - William Reiser, SJ, PhD, is a professor of theology in the religious studies department at Holy Cross College, Worcester, Massachusetts. Over the past twelve years, he has also served as an associate staff member at the Center for Religious Development in Cambridge. He is the author of Jesus in Solidarity with His People, published by Liturgical Press. "

Spiritual Direction gives us the unique and unrivaled experience of having Henri Nouwen as our personal spiritual director, answering our questions about the spiritual life in his wise, comfortable, and engaging style. With Nouwen's guidance, we can reorient our lives and open the door to true spiritual transformation. Henri Nouwen, the world-renowned spiritual guide and counselor, understood the spiritual life as a journey of faith and transformation that is deepened by accountability, community, and relationships. Though he counseled many people during his lifetime, his principles of spiritual direction were never written down. Now two of his longtime students, Michael Christensen and Rebecca Laird, have taken his famous course in spiritual direction and supplemented it with his unpublished writings to create the definitive work on Nouwen's thoughts on the Christian life. Stories, readings, and thematically organized questions for reflection and guided journal writing provide an unparalleled resource for spiritual direction, both for individuals and for small groups.

Spirituality.

You have spent a great amount of time, effort, and money in training to be a good spiritual director. Now you can fulfill this calling as your full-time work. This book is an "insider's report from the trenches," based on Bruce Tallman's experience of being a full-time spiritual director since 2002 and his research on how successful counselors set up their practices. Dr. Tallman has presented this material in training sessions for spiritual directors across North America. It is becoming "required reading" in many programs because it is full of practical, down-to-earth insights on every aspect of developing a spiritual direction practice. The book has sold well as an ebook since 2007 and now has been totally updated on how to find seekers through social media networking: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Skype.