Having finished six episodes and being halfway through the season, Suhail and Mary begin by reflecting on how they’re feeling about the project, including some of the nervousness that comes with receiving encouraging early feedback. They then turn their attention to defining the word “directee,” exploring who embodies this reality in the Gospels, and sharing how directees exemplify humility by acknowledging their need for others in their experience of God. The episode concludes with a reflection on what directees are seeking in spiritual direction: the transcendent, their true self, a sense of wanting “more” in life, support in avoiding burnout or leadership failure, a space where questions are honoured, an experience of hospitality, and accompaniment in grief, among other things. SHOW NOTES Anonymity * At times, we share anecdotes about our directees. Anytime we do so, in keeping with typical ethical practice in spiritual direction, we keep their identity confidential and modify personal details. The directees to which we allude would likely not even realize the anecdotes are about them. Quotes * “The directee is the pilgrim who invites another to walk beside them on the way toward God.” — Margaret Guenther, Holy Listening: The Art of Spiritual Direction (1992) * [The directee is] “a seeker who, moved by grace, presents their interior life to a trusted companion in order to learn to recognize God’s presence and respond more freely and deeply.”— William A. Barry and William J. Connolly, The Practice of Spiritual Direction (1982) * “The directee is the person who seeks to share their spiritual experience with a trusted companion who helps them recognize and respond to the divine.” — Spiritual Directors International * “The young man who rings the bell at the brothel is unconsciously looking for God.” — Bruce Marshall, The World, the Flesh, and Father Smith (1945) * “I entered into unknowing, and there I remained, transcending all knowledge… I did not know where I had entered, but when I found myself there, without knowing where I was, I understood great things.” — St. John of the Cross, The Ascent of Mount Carmel (prose rendering) (c. 1581–1585) Programs * School of Spiritual Direction — Suhail teaches in this training program, typically offering cohorts in the fall. References * “Directee” comes from the verb to direct, from the Latin dirigere, meaning “to guide” or “to set straight,” combined with the English suffix -ee, which denotes the recipient of an action. In its literal sense, it means “one who is directed.” In spiritual direction, the term emerged in modern pastoral and Catholic usage to describe the person who receives spiritual direction. * The human person can be understood across four interwoven dimensions: the vital, which refers to our physical and embodied life; the functional, which concerns what we do and how we act in the world; the socio-historical, which includes our relationships, culture, and historical context; and the transcendent, which points to our openness to ultimate meaning and to God. — Adrian van Kaam, Transcendent Formation: Formative Spirituality (1995) * The Paralytic Lowered Through the Roof — Mark 2:1–12, Matthew 9:1–8, Luke 5:17–26 * The Man at the Pool — John 5:1–15 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit listenwithlove.substack.com
