Spiritual Director as Spiritual Friend

Introduction to the Devout Life
Fifth Part
English-speaking Group: 13 January 2006
(Balaraj, Virgilio, Vettath)

1.The fifth part of the ‘Introduction to a Devout Life’ emphasizes the need to renew every day the affection of the heart towards God, towards oneself in God and towards one’s neighbour in God through regular examination of conscience, re-reading of the resolutions and checking the direction or the orientation of the affection of one’s heart during various moments of the day.

2.The chapters forming the fifth part makes it very clear that a life of devotion and continuous growth in it is a process that should go on all through one’s life and is the result of sincere commitment to it, i.e, taking all the burden and responsibility that it calls for on oneself in the free exercise of one’s free will in collaboration with God who is living and working in one’s life continuously.

3. The role of a spiritual director even in the form of a good friend is continuously emphasized in one form or another in every chapter so that there is no danger of going astray by one’s own whim and fancies and puts spiritual growth as a reality that happens not just in isolation but in relationship with God and others.

Jose