Spiritual Direction

Spiritual direction in the Christian tradition has a long and

honoured place in the history of the Christian Church.

Persons offering to accompany others on the spiritual journey traditionally were called spiritual directors; today other terms may be used, such as “guide” or “companion.”

An image of Spiritual Direction that relates to Spiritual Formation is the image of Jesus walking with the disciples on the road to Emmaus. - Luke 24:13-35.

Like Jesus the Director in Spiritual Direction aims to:

Meet each person where they are at.

Respect the sacredness of their story and experience.

lnvite each to tell their story.

Listen to their experience.

Help each one to make sense of their personal reality.

Engage them with their own spiritual journey.

In this way the directee’s experience of life does not change but their understanding of it is transformed.

‘I am the way the truth and the life says The Lord’

- John 14:6

The Role of the Spiritual Director

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was greater than the risk it took to blossom.

- Anais Nin

Br Bill Sullivan fmsBill is a Marist Brother and is in his thirty ninth year as a teacher, administrator and Principal. Bill is the Director of the Hermitage leader of the La Valla Marist community which is resident on site. The Hermitage is a Marist Retreat and Spirituality centre located at in the Southern Highlands. Bill is also a qualified spiritual Director and is available to accompany people seeking to deepen their appreciation of God’s presence in their life.

Br Robert O'Connor fmsRobert has been a Marist Brother for over fifty years. The greater part of that time he has spent in schools – as teacher, middle manager and Principal of three Colleges. Robert has participated in the Ignatian Centre of Spirituality programme at Canisius College Pymble and Sacred Heart Monastery Douglas Park where he undertook the great exercises of St Ignatius with subsequent reflection and formation in Spiritual Direction.

If you would like to discuss Spiritual Direction, please contact the Hermitage on 02 4872 4120

Spiritual Direction

Spiritual direction in the Christian tradition has a long and

honoured place in the history of the Christian Church.

Persons offering to accompany others on the spiritual journey traditionally were called spiritual directors; today other terms may be used, such as “guide” or “companion.”

An image of Spiritual Direction that relates to Spiritual Formation is the image of Jesus walking with the disciples on the road to Emmaus. - Luke 24:13-35.

Like Jesus the Director in Spiritual Direction aims to:

Meet each person where they are at.

Respect the sacredness of their story and experience.

lnvite each to tell their story.

Listen to their experience.

Help each one to make sense of their personal reality.

Engage them with their own spiritual journey.

In this way the directee’s experience of life does not change but their understanding of it is transformed.

‘I am the way the truth and the life says The Lord’

- John 14:6

The Role of the Spiritual Director

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was greater than the risk it took to blossom.

- Anais Nin

Br Bill Sullivan fmsBill is a Marist Brother and is in his thirty ninth year as a teacher, administrator and Principal. Bill is the Director of the Hermitage leader of the La Valla Marist community which is resident on site. The Hermitage is a Marist Retreat and Spirituality centre located at in the Southern Highlands. Bill is also a qualified spiritual Director and is available to accompany people seeking to deepen their appreciation of God’s presence in their life.

Br Robert O'Connor fmsRobert has been a Marist Brother for over fifty years. The greater part of that time he has spent in schools – as teacher, middle manager and Principal of three Colleges. Robert has participated in the Ignatian Centre of Spirituality programme at Canisius College Pymble and Sacred Heart Monastery Douglas Park where he undertook the great exercises of St Ignatius with subsequent reflection and formation in Spiritual Direction.

If you would like to discuss Spiritual Direction, please contact the Hermitage on 02 4872 4120

Spiritual Direction

Spiritual direction in the Christian tradition has a long and

honoured place in the history of the Christian Church.

Persons offering to accompany others on the spiritual journey traditionally were called spiritual directors; today other terms may be used, such as “guide” or “companion.”

An image of Spiritual Direction that relates to Spiritual Formation is the image of Jesus walking with the disciples on the road to Emmaus. - Luke 24:13-35.

Like Jesus the Director in Spiritual Direction aims to:

Meet each person where they are at.

Respect the sacredness of their story and experience.

lnvite each to tell their story.

Listen to their experience.

Help each one to make sense of their personal reality.

Engage them with their own spiritual journey.

In this way the directee’s experience of life does not change but their understanding of it is transformed.

‘I am the way the truth and the life says The Lord’

- John 14:6

The Role of the Spiritual Director

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was greater than the risk it took to blossom.

- Anais Nin

Br Bill Sullivan fmsBill is a Marist Brother and is in his thirty ninth year as a teacher, administrator and Principal. Bill is the Director of the Hermitage leader of the La Valla Marist community which is resident on site. The Hermitage is a Marist Retreat and Spirituality centre located at in the Southern Highlands. Bill is also a qualified spiritual Director and is available to accompany people seeking to deepen their appreciation of God’s presence in their life.

Br Robert O'Connor fmsRobert has been a Marist Brother for over fifty years. The greater part of that time he has spent in schools – as teacher, middle manager and Principal of three Colleges. Robert has participated in the Ignatian Centre of Spirituality programme at Canisius College Pymble and Sacred Heart Monastery Douglas Park where he undertook the great exercises of St Ignatius with subsequent reflection and formation in Spiritual Direction.

If you would like to discuss Spiritual Direction, please contact the Hermitage on 02 4872 4120

AboutSpiritual Direction

prayerfully listens to another (the Directee) and helps them notice, name and respond to the movements of the Spirit in their life. Spiritual Direction assists a person as they share the stories of their life, their encounters with the Divine and their spiritual journey; to help them notice the Gold Threads running through their life. It is ultimately about the life and health and growth of their relationship with God.

“We need someone who encourages us when we are tempted to give it all up, to forget it all, to just walk away in despair. We need someone who discourages us when we move too rashly in unclear directions or hurry proudly to a nebulous goal. We need someone who can suggest to us when to read and when to be silent, which words to reflect upon and what to do when silence creates much fear and little peace.” - Henri Nouwen

The role of the Spiritual Director is to accompany another as they reflect on their life in order to recognise the movement of God working within the daily events of their life.

A Spiritual Director is fellow-traveller withsome training, life experience and maturityto offer, which is demonstrated in wisdomand discernment.

“Each of us needs an opportunity to bealone, and silent, to find space in the day orin the week, just to reflect and to listen tothe voice of God that speaks deep withinus.

Our search for God is only our response tohis search for us. He knocks at our door, but for many people their lives are too preoccupied for them to be able to hear.” - Cardinal Basil Hume

Usually the Director and Directee would meet for about an hour once a month at a mutually convenient, safe location.

The Directee would share with the Director what has been happening in their life. As the Director listens attentively and compassionately, to what is being said. The Directee is invited to move deeper into their story such that connections, insights and wisdom are revealed. During a session the Director may question, challenge, suggest, support, pray, be silent, whatever seems called for by the Spirit. It is however ultimately the Directee who must own whatever insights are uncovered or the course of action that is to be taken.

What happens in a Spiritual

Direction session?Spiritual Direction is a relationship of ‘spiritual companionship’ where one person (the Spiritual Director) respectfully and