What''s spiritual guidance - from personal experience - Faith - sincerity - matter of pride and humility docility - one can not face alone the problems - our s.g. suggests readings.

Most of us probably know what spiritual guidance is, and perhaps many of us have had, consciously or not, a person who we called 'spiritual father', that is a guide, someone to whom we have referred to be recommended, and that about ethical and religious questions helped us not to get lost on the way. It is true that we all share the human condition, and each of us makes navigating the boat of his life in his own way in the stream of time, and all we have to necessarily go in the same guidance.

But HOW we sail it should be such as to avoid the wreck at the end of the navigation. Let me give you an example to succeed in this attempt, just to make make myself understood better. A spiritual guidance I had experienced since time now far enough, because I was a child, from the sixth elementary grade up to the last class of high school I went to school by the Jesuits, who advised this practice, while leaving everyone the freedom. Incidentally my school this is the Institute Massimo, was then at the Massimo's palace in the Piazza of 500 (now one of the seats of the National Roman Museum). But the last high school year I was at EUR42 Rome in the new institute.
Even then I had those who supported me in the spiritual life, but I will confess that I had not really understood the thing, I can not remember exactly when and how - by then retreats - have passed sixty years or so there - and I was wondering what need there was chatting with someone when there was already a confession and the advice that you gave the confessor.

Usually the events that normally occur at the beginning of the life of a person who comes from childhood, especially the tumultuous times of today, are not conducive to the practice of spiritual guidance. Food for thought for all of us that we are no longer boys are:

• that pawing of feelings, we should all have suffered and experienced by young people when, at a certain age, certain impulses and attractions are usually very strong;
• the relationship with the family of origin, not always devoid of contrasts;
• commitment in studies and work: for me, not being an eagle, it was certainly not small in engineering studies at the Sapienza University in Rome, in military service as Air Force officer, and finally in the marriage with its many positive sides, but also with the responsibilities and heavy following duties;
• the work in which we strive relentlessly and maybe no schedules. In my case it was just the technical of steel plants, with its incessant problems and commitments and also risks, and that maybe also leads you to neglect family and children, and that  also absorbs you much beyond your duties (it's called 'professionalitis')

Well, all of us may be tempted to do the reasoning that I did when I did not grasp well because there must be someone to advise you over your confessor. Even when I was studying at the university I attended priests and among them there were also people really friendly, especially when I worked at Ilva of Taranto. Incidentally our parish was held by the Fathers Somaschi (those of St. Jerome Emiliani), and I had the opportunity to attend a spiritual guidance, but in that period of difficulty of the work was not thinking right about. Maybe sometimes I went to the sea to make spear fishing with my parson, my friend and contemporary, but the spiritual guidance I had just lost sight of. Then when I met the Opus Dei things have changed radically: the frequency to the media training has strengthened my faith, made me see the world in a new light, and I returned the availability to the action of grace.
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Necessity and purpose of spiritual guidance.br>
Many of us, especially the professionals, but I also believe all those who perform any other job, know that you must never stop learning and you have to constantly keep up to date if you want to get it right.
If, for example, who does the surgeon or physician is relaxing, as it were asleep on their laurels, should think he knows everything and neglect to update, to study, and to keep fit to work lucidly, let's do not say that he would become a danger to the his patients, but it certainly would violate his duty. His behavior would not be that one of a doctor.
Well, in the spiritual life is exactly the same thing. Continuing education and lifelong learning is a necessity. I said earlier that we all share the human condition, and that as it were, in the stream of time each of us makes navigating the boat of his life in his own way, and that we all must have to go in the same guidance. But that HOW we sail should be such as to crash at the end of our navigation. It is true that in the end even a good rudder's shot could be able to avoid the wreck, but is not it better to be cautious, avoiding risks and try not to fall at the last moment? Isn't it ? So, of all the trining means helping us to keep the right guidance, and that I knew better and appreciated since my working time, that is all that then allows a person to live each day the presence of God, say retreats, courses of withdrawal, meditations, readings and other, there is the spiritual guidance.

The spiritual guidance. br> By definition the spiritual guidance is an accompanying relationship between a person with wisdom and discernment, which lends itself generously and diligently, and another person who wishes to make a journey of faith and discovery of God's will in his life.
A person like us living in the world, facing all sorts of difficulties and problems that are often not easy to solve; that is targeted by all sorts of messages, often contradictory, in the hedonistic atmosphere and practical today's atheism, in which relativism triumphs and the common man seems to live as if God did not exist; I say that this person, who wants to live doing the will of his Creator, is it not at risk of slipping?
To such a person is essential to communicate with those who can help him to overcome some rocks parrying on his spiritual journey. The spiritual director is not our confessor, and then our relationship with him should take account of this, but in the Opus Dei we know that the person with whom we communicate is a friend of ours, who knows how to understand and advise us. We have to be honest and forthright with our director, as we would with our doctor, who can not cure us if we do not tell what symptoms we suffer.

Let's read the point 715 by 'The Way'; ...... read ........

Our spiritual director can provide advice, give indications of life and suggestprayers, he can resolve doubts in matters of faith and morals, but leaving in the choices and decisions to the person who he is accompanying.
I tell you one of the many occasions when the board of a director has been a big help to me. Each of us may have special moments, moods where is attacked by negative thoughts, perhaps of hatred for someone who has done an injustice or some evil or something like that. Maybe these thoughts assail you in the moment you are weaker, like when you're about to fall asleep, and beyond to make you turn over in bed disturbing your wife, that cause you feelings of sadness and despair. These are negative feelings, because they open the doors of our soul to evil, and should be avoided completely.

When I set out with sensitivity and sincerity my problem this time the director told me:
“"Do you keep a rosary on the bedside? Take it and recite it quietly and carefully, there where you are. Try to imagine what it would have done or said Jesus Christ in such an occasion. Dedicating at least one post of the Holy Rosary to the person who hurts you, ask the Virgin Mary that recommend because that person understands when and where he's doing evil. Your prayers and your intentions will top your requests for grace and your problems will seem no longer so heavy " ”

Of course, I did as he told me. And even if I recite a ring of Rosary during the day, I try to do it in the evening before falling asleep. By the way is much better than counting sheep or fantasize. Falling asleep thinking about one of the mysteries of the Rosary is a beautiful thing, I assure you.
The spiritual guide aims to discern, or understand, what the Holy Spirit, through the situations of life, spiritual insights fruit of prayer, reading and meditation of the Bible, tells to the accompanied person. For our part, however, we must be honest. FAITH and insincerity not go well together. Each of us is here is because someone has brought him, has indicated hom this means of training and many of us already have a spiritual director. Otherwise this someone, if it has not already done so, will definitely recommend how and whom to turn to.

What a spiritual director does ? Alongside the person on the way, helps her to discern, offers her advice fruit of wisdom and experience, and prays for her. And all this without invading the sanctuary of conscience or affecting in any way the freedom. What does the person who is directed? There is a book about "The spiritual guidance" that you can find on the internet, also in the form of digital book. Procure it and read it in moments of relaxation, there will be very useful.

This book contains a lot of experience and is useful both to those who make spiritual guidance both to whom it is directed. Do not stop with practical steps on how to handle interviews. Much deeper question is, how the directors should do, of what do souls need, what are the aspirations to arouse in them, and what aremore frequent or more severe disorders and diseases. To conclude let's say that the guidance task can not play if not from an inner life deeply rooted in Christ.

But for the same reasons such a book it will be equally useful to those who receive spiritual guidance, which in those pages will find guidance for approaching the talks adequately prepared, and knowing how to apply the advices to practice.