WEBVTT 00:00:05.920 --> 00:00:06.400 Alright. 00:00:06.400 --> 00:00:10.100 So we're gonna go ahead and get started with today's webinar. 00:00:10.800 --> 00:00:12.580 I see Minnesota as well. 00:00:12.800 --> 00:00:14.340 Happy feast day. 00:00:14.400 --> 00:00:15.220 Most definitely. 00:00:16.205 --> 00:00:25.665 I'm here, the from marketing, and I'm here have a pleasure to be presenting with miss Maria Brackett today from the SDC program. 00:00:26.285 --> 00:00:29.825 And Maria is the executive director of the program. 00:00:30.470 --> 00:00:35.770 And just to give you some background about her, I'm gonna share her bio with you. 00:00:36.070 --> 00:00:38.730 Maria Brackett is a native of Boston, Massachusetts. 00:00:38.950 --> 00:00:43.210 I didn't see any people from Massachusetts, but if you're from there, let us know. 00:00:43.430 --> 00:00:52.045 She received a bachelor's from Thomas More College of Liberal Arts and a master's from the University of Dallas, both in English. 00:00:52.585 --> 00:01:10.340 After this, she went into the world of education, directing schools in The United States and Spain while also completing degrees in pastoral studies at the Pontifical University, Regina Apostolorum, and education at the Universidad Anahuac. 00:01:11.040 --> 00:01:22.675 Accompanying people as they grow in her passion, she became involved in the ministry of spiritual direction about twenty years ago, and three three years ago decided to dedicate herself to it. 00:01:22.895 --> 00:01:29.795 She has also trained and given the Ignatian spiritual exercises, a ministry that is very close to her heart. 00:01:30.090 --> 00:01:34.830 She considers it a privilege to walk along others in her relationship with the Lord. 00:01:35.210 --> 00:01:42.750 And from that experience, she's gonna share how you can actually strengthen your walk during this Lenten season. 00:01:43.265 --> 00:01:47.125 So now without further ado, I'm gonna kick it over to Maria. 00:01:47.185 --> 00:01:49.365 Thank you, Maria, for being with us today. 00:01:51.665 --> 00:01:56.085 Thank you so much, Ebony, for this opportunity to be here. 00:01:58.090 --> 00:01:59.070 I'm very happy. 00:01:59.130 --> 00:02:07.070 Welcome all of you to Divine Mercy University and to the spiritual direction program, certificate program here at Divine Mercy University. 00:02:07.770 --> 00:02:11.310 Let's just start our webinar today with a little prayer. 00:02:12.395 --> 00:02:15.695 In the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit, amen. 00:02:20.235 --> 00:02:25.055 Holy spirit, come upon us in this time that we have together. 00:02:27.570 --> 00:02:31.590 Please help us to open our hearts to you. 00:02:33.810 --> 00:02:35.670 Allow you to move in us. 00:02:36.610 --> 00:02:46.855 May this be a time of the building up of the presence of the lord in each of our lives, in my life, and and all the lives of the people that are attending the webinar today. 00:02:48.995 --> 00:02:55.255 Holy Spirit, extend your wings and send your presence upon the whole world and bless it. 00:02:56.580 --> 00:02:58.360 We ask this in Jesus's name. 00:02:58.580 --> 00:02:59.080 Amen. 00:03:00.180 --> 00:03:01.860 And father, son, the holy spirit. 00:03:01.860 --> 00:03:02.360 Amen. 00:03:05.220 --> 00:03:23.285 Well, again, thank you so much for being here in this webinar and for the opportunity just to share with you a little bit about walking through lent and their you know, just how a spiritual direction relationship could help us in this time of lent. 00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:36.860 I really did kind of wanna extend, you know, this concept of the lent and journey as, you know, to the different lengths that happen in our lives. 00:03:38.065 --> 00:03:43.685 We're now going through this liturgical time of lent in the Catholic tradition. 00:03:44.625 --> 00:04:10.855 And it also can be symbolic of the different times in our lives where we go through, a more difficult time or a time of, you know, lent is considered sometimes as a time of purification, a time of atonement, a time of of reassessing where we are and trying to turn our life back to the Lord. 00:04:13.475 --> 00:04:18.135 And so that there can be different times in our life like that. 00:04:21.600 --> 00:04:29.540 And, you know, it just made me think of, you know, what pope Francis said about Lent this Ash Wednesday. 00:04:30.320 --> 00:04:34.340 Lent is a journey that involves our whole life, our entire being. 00:04:34.985 --> 00:04:45.325 It is a time to reconsider the path we are taking to find the route that leads us home and to rediscover our personal relationship with God. 00:04:45.625 --> 00:04:49.805 He said this in his Ash Wednesday homily this year. 00:04:50.470 --> 00:05:03.405 And that's, you know so we have this liturgical type of Lent, but we also have Lenten times in our life where God calls us to rediscover our path to him, to rediscover that path to our home. 00:05:03.465 --> 00:05:04.205 You know? 00:05:04.425 --> 00:05:13.245 That could be our identity to our the turtle dwelling with the Lord and to rediscover our profound relationship with God. 00:05:13.865 --> 00:05:14.365 No? 00:05:14.990 --> 00:05:19.250 And involves not just a liturgical time, but our whole life. 00:05:19.310 --> 00:05:19.810 Right? 00:05:22.350 --> 00:05:30.050 So this time, you know, we're talking about a Lenten journey of holiness, following Jesus in our life journey. 00:05:30.515 --> 00:05:43.015 You're kind of using this time of lent to remind us also of the different moments, different Lenten moments that we have in our life where God might be calling us to return to him in a deeper way. 00:05:44.550 --> 00:05:59.715 Calling us to kind of reassess how we're walking and where we're walking so as to, you know, fix fix our path, you know, correct our path in one way or another so that we really can find our way home to him. 00:06:07.375 --> 00:06:17.170 Well, I wanted to just do a little shout out to Saint Joseph today because in the Catholic tradition, we're celebrating his solemnity as a spouse of the Virgin Mary. 00:06:17.470 --> 00:06:26.245 And this is also falls within the Catholic, you know, what the pope Francis declared of the year of Saint Joseph. 00:06:27.105 --> 00:06:28.385 And so it's a special day. 00:06:28.385 --> 00:06:43.520 And just to remember how well Saint Joseph took care of, Jesus and the blessed Virgin Mary and, the time that he was placed to be their guardian and spouse. 00:06:43.820 --> 00:06:49.680 And so we can just, you know, ask for his care and his attention to us today as we do this webinar. 00:06:49.975 --> 00:06:51.755 He's such a consoling presence. 00:06:57.975 --> 00:07:02.135 So the light the life Lenten journey to holiness and spiritual direction. 00:07:02.135 --> 00:07:06.490 As I said, you know, we can think of lent as that liturgical time now. 00:07:06.490 --> 00:07:16.430 And we could also think of the life Lenten journey, the different moments in our lives, where it becomes more clear to us that to a certain extent, life is a Lenten journey. 00:07:16.890 --> 00:07:32.425 It is that continually, you know, walking towards the Lord and trying to find out how to do that better, and how to, you know, walk closer to him. 00:07:32.740 --> 00:07:51.695 Sometimes I don't like to use the word better because we find difficulties with that, but how to walk closer to him, how to, how to hear his voice better, how to hear his voice more intimately in us, and just the the place that spiritual direction has in this. 00:07:54.475 --> 00:08:24.455 The space of spiritual direction is a space of accompaniment where, you know, I love using the image for spiritual direction of the road to Emmaus, you know, where Christ comes and walks along with those disciples for a certain time and listens to them and understands where they're at, not just physically on a certain road, but actually where their spirits were at, what was happening inside of them. 00:08:24.455 --> 00:08:28.520 And then he begins to explain some things to them. 00:08:28.900 --> 00:08:32.840 So and they begin to understand more just what is happening. 00:08:33.300 --> 00:08:44.585 And, so it's kind of like that in spiritual direction where you the director walks along beside the directee and helps them in one way or another. 00:08:45.205 --> 00:08:51.625 And that, you know, it's it's a helping relationship, the relationship of the director to the directee. 00:08:52.405 --> 00:08:58.850 And one thing that I immediately think of when I think of the space of accompaniment is being where the direct d is. 00:09:00.270 --> 00:09:01.890 Often this is called empathy. 00:09:02.350 --> 00:09:02.750 Right? 00:09:02.750 --> 00:09:12.005 It's not just sympathy of I understand what you're going through, but, I'm looking at your situation from a distance. 00:09:12.545 --> 00:09:26.540 It's actually being where the directee is, that empathetic presence, whether they're in joy or in pain, really walking alongside of them and trying to understand where they are at interiorly. 00:09:28.760 --> 00:09:35.260 In that space of accompaniment, sometimes it's a space of encouraging, of supporting, of helping. 00:09:36.975 --> 00:09:45.635 But as we know, spiritual direction is not directed towards problem solving, nor even advice giving, nor even teaching. 00:09:46.335 --> 00:09:55.350 Although there are moments of all these in spiritual direction at one time or another, But it's mostly just being there with the person. 00:09:56.530 --> 00:10:02.230 The listening, you know, deep listening, understanding. 00:10:03.665 --> 00:10:25.420 Interiorly, the director making a space for the directee to understand what they're going through, what it feels like, the experiences that they're having, to walk with them into their interior, to look around with them, to have them explain to you. 00:10:26.280 --> 00:10:33.660 So that as you walk with them, they can walk deeper and deeper into themselves and find the living Lord that dwells there. 00:10:35.335 --> 00:10:49.915 So it's a journey with the person as the Lord leads him, her, her, and the director tries to understand that journey as best as he or she can and tries to help the person along the way. 00:10:51.090 --> 00:11:00.550 And as I said, most often, that help is just by being there, really being present with the other person. 00:11:06.985 --> 00:11:14.265 So there's a book called spiritual direction, a guide for sharing the father's love that was written by two Benedictine priests a few years ago. 00:11:14.265 --> 00:11:25.430 And here's some different quotes that I found that I that can just kind of enlighten a little bit more, this relationship and and this relationship of help and support and accompaniment. 00:11:26.610 --> 00:11:30.150 Our one on one relationship with God grows when it is shared. 00:11:30.815 --> 00:12:02.055 And this helps us to just see that why that spiritual direction relationship, does does help us in difficult times because as we share with another, where we're finding God in our life, what we feel like he's doing, but we what we're understanding, what we're feeling, that relationship with God will automatically grow because we're having a faith sharing, and that faith sharing helps our faith to grow. 00:12:03.795 --> 00:12:14.390 And this might be true for every relationship, you know, when we have a faith sharing in any relationship, but the spiritual direction relationship is special. 00:12:15.170 --> 00:12:18.370 This is what, Ackland and Hicks say about this. 00:12:18.370 --> 00:12:35.245 Every relationship affects our relationship with God, but the special relationship of spiritual direction can play an irreposable role in developing the directees one on one relationship with God because it deals most directly with that relationship. 00:12:36.585 --> 00:12:38.765 Because it's at the service of that relationship. 00:12:39.470 --> 00:12:44.610 The whole relationship of the director and the director is at the service of the relationship with God. 00:12:44.750 --> 00:13:06.425 And the and the place of the director is just to help that person access that relationship, put themselves in touch with that relationship, walk into the interiority of, themselves and the experiences that they're having, what they're feeling and living, in their interior and find the Lord there. 00:13:09.270 --> 00:13:22.490 Then lastly, spiritual direction is an opportunity to open one's heart totally to another person, sharing the most intimate memories and experiences all the way to the foundation of one's being the relationship with God. 00:13:24.955 --> 00:13:42.330 One of the, the examples that I'd like to use is, you know, we're all familiar or we probably are familiar with Saint Teresa of Avila's interior castle and how she speaks, that prayer life as a journey into the interior of the castle. 00:13:42.790 --> 00:13:43.290 Right? 00:13:43.350 --> 00:13:50.250 And as you move from room to room, you get closer to the Lord and king that dwells in that castle. 00:13:50.545 --> 00:13:58.805 And this is exactly what, a person's relationship with the Lord is, is that they're moving closer and closer to him and their interior. 00:13:59.505 --> 00:14:08.910 So the spiritual director just helps them to do that, to move from room to room and to kind of see or discern where the Lord is calling. 00:14:10.250 --> 00:14:17.995 You know, kind of the root that the Lord is asking them to take, which room to go into next, how to move from room to room. 00:14:18.295 --> 00:14:26.135 But ultimately it's to get into that relationship with our Lord, our closer relationship and that, you know, when we talk about holiness, that's what it means. 00:14:26.135 --> 00:14:32.540 It's sharing, it's growing in the sharing of, God's life. 00:14:34.120 --> 00:14:36.680 You know, holiness is nothing more than that. 00:14:36.680 --> 00:14:37.740 It's not perfection. 00:14:38.760 --> 00:14:42.920 It's it's just growing in God's in sharing God's life. 00:14:42.920 --> 00:14:53.435 So the the measure that we, grow in our relationship with the Lord, we share our life more with him and he shares his life more with us. 00:14:53.435 --> 00:15:00.335 And we open ourselves more and more to that divine life, to that God that dwells inside of us. 00:15:05.190 --> 00:15:13.830 So I wanted to talk a little bit this about the sacred space of spiritual direction, because I think that there's two different elements at play. 00:15:13.830 --> 00:15:14.330 Right? 00:15:14.870 --> 00:15:23.915 It's a human relationship within this divine within a divine relationship. 00:15:24.375 --> 00:15:24.875 Right? 00:15:26.535 --> 00:15:29.275 Which which happens in other relationships too. 00:15:29.650 --> 00:15:37.570 But since this the it's a relationship that really is at the service of helping the directee to grow in their relationship with God. 00:15:37.570 --> 00:15:40.630 The whole context is a very sacred space. 00:15:41.650 --> 00:15:47.185 But even though it's sacred, it doesn't mean it's not a human relationship. 00:15:48.045 --> 00:16:02.490 And I think both of these elements working together allows, the person to really grow and heal and flourish in, you know, in a very integral and whole way. 00:16:04.550 --> 00:16:12.250 The spiritual director is not just there as like a, you know, two ears to hear or two eyes to see. 00:16:12.915 --> 00:16:16.455 The spiritual director comes to the relationship as a human being. 00:16:17.315 --> 00:16:26.295 And the the director director relationship or the spirits director to the relationship is a real human relationship with a certain purpose. 00:16:28.690 --> 00:16:38.790 No, and that's to bring, to help the direct tee, to walk closer to Lord, to deepen in the relationship and the spiritual direction relationship. 00:16:38.850 --> 00:16:43.750 And every spiritual direction session is always developed in the presence of the holy spirit. 00:16:45.245 --> 00:16:56.385 And the spiritual director depends upon the presence of the holy spirit and believes that the holy spirit is there and believes that this is a walking with someone, in faith. 00:17:00.940 --> 00:17:09.360 And it's that, and it's also a human relationship of connectedness, of human contact. 00:17:11.485 --> 00:17:31.000 And often, this human relationship can be an opportunity for the directee to find a secure relationship that allows them that kind of bridges, you know, serves as a bridge to bring that person to form a secure relationship with the Lord. 00:17:32.020 --> 00:17:45.085 It's an intimate relationship, but just by the nature of what spiritual direct direction is, the sharing, the vulnerability, the confidentiality, this all speaks about the intimate nature of this relationship. 00:17:45.225 --> 00:18:00.380 And for some people that's very healing to be able to have an intimate relationship, but to be able to be known kind of from our inside out instead of just from our outside or even from our outside in to be known. 00:18:00.600 --> 00:18:04.380 It's also a relationship, a human relationship built on trusting. 00:18:04.920 --> 00:18:10.300 And this this helps people, to be able to have a trusted relationship. 00:18:10.440 --> 00:18:18.675 We can know in our lives that sometimes, you know, trusting relationships are not as often or frequent as we would like them to be. 00:18:18.815 --> 00:18:23.135 And we know that we trust the Lord, or we want to trust him. 00:18:23.135 --> 00:18:32.050 Sometimes we need a trusting human relationship that kind of just gives us, you know, a leg up and learning how to trust the Lord. 00:18:32.350 --> 00:18:36.770 Or sometimes it's because our trust in the Lord helps us in that human relationship. 00:18:37.550 --> 00:18:40.725 But it's, you know, this is how the Lord wants us to be. 00:18:40.725 --> 00:18:52.505 That it's not only a relationship that we have with him, that we have relationships with other people that help us to grow in our relationship with him, and that he comes to us often through others. 00:18:53.700 --> 00:19:18.980 And it can often be a healing relationship because the director is a human person and does care as a spiritual director within that space and, the definition and what that means to be a spiritual director, which is not, you know, the same type of relationship like, of a friendship or even an intimate spousal relationship. 00:19:19.040 --> 00:19:38.385 It's nothing like that, but it's, but it offers a very deep and close relationship where the person that's driven directed, the directee can often lean on the spiritual director and find support, and can hear the truths about themselves. 00:19:39.245 --> 00:19:41.425 Sometimes when they forget those truths. 00:19:42.765 --> 00:19:46.225 So it also is a time of remembering, you know, and encouraging. 00:19:47.110 --> 00:20:16.850 And this all leads the capacity for that directory to heal, to grow, and to flourish as a human person, in this kind of sacramental, space, the sacred spade of spiritual direction where a a relationship with a human person, it helps us, and works to be a bridge, to help us or support and encouragement to help us to grow in our relationship with the board. 00:20:21.230 --> 00:20:29.355 So there are some different images, you know, from sacred scripture that I just thought of that kind of depict for us. 00:20:29.355 --> 00:20:37.055 I know that, you know, there are people that sometimes understand things through words since other people that understand things through pictures, right, or images. 00:20:37.755 --> 00:20:49.520 So when we began the webinar, I had the image of this good Samaritan, You know, and often we can speak think of the spiritual director, the spiritual direction relationship as the Good Samaritan. 00:20:50.380 --> 00:21:01.655 The the director might come upon someone in their lives who's hurting, who kneels, who needs some help, and they stop along the way and they offer what they can offer. 00:21:01.875 --> 00:21:02.935 They help them. 00:21:03.075 --> 00:21:11.655 They bring them to a place, you know, like the good Samaritan brings them that that wounded band to an inn. 00:21:11.970 --> 00:21:16.050 He off he gives them money so that the innkeeper takes care of them. 00:21:16.050 --> 00:21:19.410 And he says, you know, do take care of them and look after them. 00:21:19.410 --> 00:21:24.735 And and on my way back, I'll stop and see if there's anything else that I can do. 00:21:24.975 --> 00:21:32.515 So within that identity that the good Samaritan had and what he was doing and what he could do, he did stop along the way and help. 00:21:33.935 --> 00:21:42.800 And this could also, you know, is the image of a spiritual director doing what they can to help that person to get to the health that they need. 00:21:42.800 --> 00:21:49.280 So the spiritual director is always trying to help the directee to to grow in that relationship with the Lord. 00:21:49.280 --> 00:21:59.765 And if there's anything that they need healing, that's that serving as an obstacle to that relationship to help them to do that healing and whatever way that the director can do that. 00:22:00.305 --> 00:22:05.290 Another image is like this of Christ on the way to his the cross. 00:22:05.290 --> 00:22:12.970 So this is a real Lenten image and the, and the next one after this that I use, of Simon and Cyrene is also a very Lenten image, right? 00:22:12.970 --> 00:22:22.865 And, and this kind of describes the Lenten moment in our lives that sometimes we experience when we're having a hard time at difficulty when it's painful. 00:22:22.865 --> 00:22:26.145 Like we see a Christ trying to take up his cross. 00:22:26.145 --> 00:22:52.965 When we as direct deeds are going through a time in our lives where Christ is asking us to carry the cross with him, But even to see in the life of Christ, as he's carrying this cross, that the father gave him these people along the way that gave him some, some comfort, some support, certain encouragement that connected with them, that connected with him. 00:22:54.625 --> 00:22:57.365 Human contact, caring. 00:22:59.345 --> 00:23:04.085 And this this often is what happens, in a spiritual direction relationship. 00:23:04.990 --> 00:23:12.450 The caring that we see that that can occur where, a directee can feel cared for. 00:23:13.870 --> 00:23:21.785 And it as you like you see with Veronica or you even see with Simon of Cyrene, they don't take the place of Jesus. 00:23:24.405 --> 00:23:52.885 As the director can't take the place of the directee, he can't, you know, he can't follow, he can't take, the person's cross off of them or he can't take on the situation of the directee and he can't he or she can't, take the place of the directory, but they can help the directory as they are going along this journey. 00:23:56.785 --> 00:23:58.485 And that's what we see with Veronica. 00:24:00.280 --> 00:24:02.460 That's what we see with Simon of Cyrene. 00:24:03.400 --> 00:24:05.660 And that's also what we see with the good Samaritan. 00:24:08.440 --> 00:24:41.030 That help, that support, that even carrying a little bit of that pain, you know, whether it might not be actually to carry it, but to carry it, within the heart of the director and to have those concerns and and to know, to know, to let the direct d be seen in what in the situation of the of life where they're at having to carry across or having to carry to persevere through suffering or pain. 00:24:42.530 --> 00:24:50.305 So this this human being, that director that places themselves there, it becomes a comfort. 00:24:50.365 --> 00:25:02.630 It becomes a way to help the person, the directee, to go through that life situation, which often is so Lenten. 00:25:03.010 --> 00:25:03.510 Right? 00:25:03.970 --> 00:25:12.230 Filled with purification or a a challenge that could be painful, but to be there for that person to help them. 00:25:17.115 --> 00:25:28.575 So this is kind of the, you know, the importance of spiritual direction in this Lenten journey, whether it's now in Lent itself or in the Lenten moments in our lives. 00:25:30.500 --> 00:25:43.640 It allows us, you know, a direct d to face the turns of life, the moments of pain or trial, whether those are, you know, moral pains, interior or exterior in a safe environment. 00:25:44.415 --> 00:26:12.230 And to see the holy ground where the Lord is present, to see where the Lord is acting, what he's doing, to be able to, you know, with the help of a director, to be able to discover the presence of the Lord in these Lenten moments of purification or pain or trial or just following Jesus to the cross, which often is so much of a heart, of our Christian life. 00:26:14.145 --> 00:26:20.805 And that spiritual director can help us, the direct deed, to trust in the Lord's plan. 00:26:22.785 --> 00:26:24.085 Now they can encourage. 00:26:25.665 --> 00:26:30.580 They can remind us of the way the Lord has acted in our lives before. 00:26:31.840 --> 00:26:42.015 And this can help us the direct tea, to trust in the Lord's plan and to know that he is that the Lord is here with us. 00:26:42.015 --> 00:26:43.395 And there there's a reason. 00:26:43.775 --> 00:26:48.675 There's something that he's doing that he's at work in our lives, that he's not abandoned us. 00:26:49.535 --> 00:27:04.860 And it also, you know, the spiritual direction relationship can also help us as directees to find the strength that we need to unite ourselves to the suffering Christ and to find the capacity to continue on. 00:27:06.680 --> 00:27:17.985 You know, if we think about Simon of Cyrene or Veronica and these moments that they met Christ on the way of the cross, I'm sure that that was an encouragement for Christ. 00:27:19.245 --> 00:27:30.400 I'm sure, you know, from the just taking the weight, some of the weight of the cross that Simon took off Christ's back was a help for him. 00:27:30.400 --> 00:27:46.315 But also that sharing, you know, having another human being share that weight, share that situation that I'm sure comforted Christ and encouraged him. 00:27:47.175 --> 00:27:52.075 Even, you know, it might have even been a way for the father to let Christ know that he wasn't alone. 00:27:54.240 --> 00:27:57.140 And Veronica too, how she went out to the Lord. 00:27:59.120 --> 00:28:10.485 And, you know, who knows if that's what our Lord needed, but he needed that knowing that someone was looking at him and caring about him. 00:28:11.105 --> 00:28:19.125 And Rana connected to him in a deep way as we can see in that picture from the passion of the Christ. 00:28:21.410 --> 00:28:28.390 And that and that strengthened the board, I'm sure, and helped him to continue on the path that the father wanted for him. 00:28:28.690 --> 00:28:32.390 And this also too is how the spiritual direction relationship works. 00:28:35.085 --> 00:29:14.025 So this is just a little bit about how, you know, whether in this actual time of lent, how spiritual direction can help us persevere and continue wherever the Lord has us in this Lenten time or whether in the in the different Lenten seasons of our life, you know, where the Lord might be asking us, or might just invite, you know, inviting us to greater purification, to greater contact with who we are and who he is, how the spiritual direction relationship, our relationship that is sacred and also truly human. 00:29:14.430 --> 00:29:59.685 You know, how that, that listening, that empathy, that being present of another human being to us, someone that we allow into our interior, with whom we are able to be vulnerable with who we're able to feel known, how that those, all those human parts and characteristics of of a of a deep human relationship, how that also can help us to persevere, to encourage us, know that that connection to another human being in a deep way, how it can lead us and encourage us in our the growth of our deeper relationship with the Lord. 00:30:04.225 --> 00:30:16.910 I wanted to just before we end today, spend a little bit of time explaining to you what the spiritual direction certificate program here at DUVU is and in case you'd like information about it. 00:30:20.410 --> 00:30:22.810 Often, we might feel called to be a spiritual director. 00:30:22.810 --> 00:30:27.915 We might just feel like, you know, how do I know if I'm called to be a spiritual director? 00:30:28.455 --> 00:30:36.695 And, you know, these are some of the ways, that we can see in our lives, but the Lord always works in our lives. 00:30:38.130 --> 00:30:46.150 You know, just by by our own experience, you know, and you know, what, what have I, what are the desires that I have in my heart? 00:30:48.050 --> 00:30:58.535 Do I feel called or I feel moved to accompany others on this pilgrimage, that is often lengthened to a living God. 00:31:00.995 --> 00:31:06.855 You know, am I inspired by sharing by faith relationships and sharing with others? 00:31:09.060 --> 00:31:25.175 Do I find, you know, energy to get strengthened when I get to listen to other people and just, when they allow me to to get them to know them in an intimate way and to to encourage them and help them. 00:31:27.315 --> 00:31:56.825 And would I like to, you know, know know more about the Catholic Christian spiritual tradition and what it would mean and and maybe how to, to serve others as a spiritual director, even to start beginning that path because that's part of the the program, the spiritual direction program, certificate program here at Divine Mercy University is that you go through a path of, you know, of saying, you know, lord, is this really what you want me to do? 00:31:56.965 --> 00:31:57.365 You know? 00:31:57.365 --> 00:32:03.730 And you start trying to understand why it could be that he could be, calling you to this. 00:32:04.830 --> 00:32:07.170 You know, you start seeing the signs in your own life. 00:32:08.430 --> 00:32:20.655 What people have said about yours, the help that you've given and and just, how this ministry makes you, grow yourself, how it makes you flourish. 00:32:22.795 --> 00:32:27.290 So the spiritual direction certificate program is made up of six courses. 00:32:29.510 --> 00:32:36.410 This is a non degree program, so you don't necessarily need a college degree to get into the program. 00:32:37.430 --> 00:32:40.310 And it doesn't give you any type of academic degree. 00:32:40.310 --> 00:32:42.785 It gives you a certificate of completion. 00:32:45.005 --> 00:32:49.425 These are the six courses that of which the program consists. 00:32:51.005 --> 00:33:07.000 And as you can see, there are a great combination of that understanding the whole theological process or journey that a person makes throughout their life and the key elements to that and also understanding the human person. 00:33:07.460 --> 00:33:25.085 And then those human relating skills that makes the spiritual direction relationship deep, and it allows the direct tea to, to move into their interior and to find the Lord there and to move past obstacles or pains or difficulties, or even joys. 00:33:25.350 --> 00:33:30.010 Sometimes it can be even difficult for us as human beings to just rest in joy. 00:33:31.830 --> 00:33:40.010 So the so these are the different aspects of the spiritual direction program, weaves throughout its curriculum. 00:33:41.335 --> 00:33:42.875 It's an online program. 00:33:43.495 --> 00:33:47.515 We say fully online because all the classes are given online. 00:33:48.215 --> 00:33:54.100 It was created to be online, so it allows, a format that's very easy to learn on. 00:33:54.100 --> 00:34:03.160 And, since it was created to be online, the activities are really distributed in such a way that they help you to learn. 00:34:04.100 --> 00:34:15.315 It was created by not only by teachers that are used to teaching within an actual traditional classroom, but also by educators that are used to teaching online. 00:34:15.375 --> 00:34:19.315 So it it come it combines both of these expertise. 00:34:21.600 --> 00:34:31.780 And then it has two in person four day residencies where we ask you to come here to Divine Mercy University in Sterling, Virginia, for for a four day residency. 00:34:31.920 --> 00:34:33.520 So this is twice in the program. 00:34:33.520 --> 00:34:39.055 It's at the end of the SDC 300 and at the beginning of the SDC 500. 00:34:39.835 --> 00:34:49.055 And this allows us the opportunity to really work on those human relating skills in person, allows you us also to get to know you better and need to get to know us better. 00:34:52.470 --> 00:34:55.850 Our next semester starts, May 19. 00:34:56.790 --> 00:35:03.290 We always our week always goes from Wednesday to Wednesday, and the application deadline is April 30. 00:35:04.565 --> 00:35:12.745 So if you'd like more information, please visit us on our website, sdc-divinemercy.org. 00:35:13.445 --> 00:35:19.730 You can also contact us by calling (703) 416-1441. 00:35:22.270 --> 00:35:37.605 We have, we're not able to offer scholarships yet in the program, but we do have what are called MOU partnerships, with different organizations, whether they be diocese or religious congregations. 00:35:39.025 --> 00:35:54.110 So if if your diocese or even your parish or your religious congregation has an MOU with Divine Mercy University, we're able to offer a 10% discount for our courses, in the program. 00:35:55.450 --> 00:35:57.210 So thank you so much for your time. 00:35:57.210 --> 00:36:04.075 I wanted to leave a little bit of time here at the end of the at the end of the webinar to see if there's any questions. 00:36:13.920 --> 00:36:14.420 Alright. 00:36:14.480 --> 00:36:15.860 Thank you so much, Maria. 00:36:16.800 --> 00:36:26.505 We do have one question currently, and I think that, after they hear the answer to this question, should definitely be excited. 00:36:27.365 --> 00:36:31.065 The question is, I'm from Canada and travel isn't allowed. 00:36:31.685 --> 00:36:36.265 Any way I can do the residency part in Canada or any other option? 00:36:38.645 --> 00:36:39.945 Thank you so much, Ebony. 00:36:42.170 --> 00:36:47.630 Well, we have been doing during this whole COVID time, we have been doing the residencies online. 00:36:48.170 --> 00:36:55.575 It's not our preferred way of doing it, but, of course, we've wanted to continue offering them. 00:36:55.815 --> 00:36:59.015 And they have been, you know, we've been surprised. 00:36:59.015 --> 00:37:02.535 It has been a good learning experience for the students. 00:37:02.535 --> 00:37:03.915 We've been happy with that. 00:37:04.135 --> 00:37:08.955 We're going to try to come back to in person residencies as soon as possible. 00:37:09.320 --> 00:37:12.440 We know that for some of of no. 00:37:12.440 --> 00:37:17.800 The overseas are, you know, Canadians, it's much more difficult to travel. 00:37:17.800 --> 00:37:21.420 So, we're kind of doing it on a semester basis. 00:37:21.725 --> 00:37:25.665 Just kind of seeing what the what's going on in the world at that time. 00:37:26.925 --> 00:37:34.545 And so we're hoping for the May semester, the summer semester to offer the residencies here if everything works out well. 00:37:36.670 --> 00:37:39.330 And then we'll go semester by semester after that. 00:37:40.750 --> 00:37:47.090 I don't def I don't think it would be a prohibitive reason for you, you know, as the things are evolving. 00:37:47.710 --> 00:37:55.535 There could there, you know, it could work out that as things evolve that you could be get down here from Canada. 00:37:55.835 --> 00:38:02.175 And if we really saw that this was not happening, you know, we would put them back on the line again. 00:38:05.470 --> 00:38:05.970 Okay. 00:38:06.750 --> 00:38:07.250 Great. 00:38:07.310 --> 00:38:21.035 And, I do wanna point out sometimes, people may not understand that it is online and it requires, your own study times and dedication. 00:38:22.295 --> 00:38:28.475 We do have another question coming in, but while that question, comes in, could you explain those elements? 00:38:29.870 --> 00:38:30.110 Yes. 00:38:30.110 --> 00:38:32.510 It it is, like we said, fully online. 00:38:32.510 --> 00:38:38.130 So that does mean that, we use what's called an asynchronous model. 00:38:38.670 --> 00:38:48.835 So it doesn't mean that you have to, like, get online at a certain time and have a class with a professor and your other other students in the course. 00:38:50.015 --> 00:39:04.940 Asynchronous means that as a cohort, as a group, you go through the class, you know, with the within the same calendar, but you don't have to have times that you actually get online in real time. 00:39:05.960 --> 00:39:15.225 Sometimes there's some triad groups that, you know, three or four students you're giving assignments and you have to get online with three or four other students. 00:39:15.605 --> 00:39:20.325 But other than that, you know, you're we can unroll as you needed to enroll. 00:39:20.325 --> 00:39:27.230 And if you need to send an assignment, you know, one day very early in the morning or one day very late at night. 00:39:27.450 --> 00:39:32.170 As long as you're keeping up with the deadlines on the assignment, you're fine. 00:39:32.170 --> 00:39:40.305 You can submit them and, like, if you needed if you're gonna have a very full weekend and you're going away, you can always do assignments ahead of time. 00:39:40.785 --> 00:39:52.405 Or, and if you if you talk to the instructor, you could even, get the opportunity to say, you know, I can't do these things before this time, but can I do them, you know, a few days later? 00:39:53.240 --> 00:39:54.620 There's that type of flexibility. 00:39:55.160 --> 00:39:58.780 So it does allow you kind of to do assignments when you need to do it. 00:39:59.880 --> 00:40:10.565 Even though the whole cohort, that whole group does work through the eight week period together, but there is a lot of flexibility within the week of each thing. 00:40:13.665 --> 00:40:14.805 Thank you, Maria. 00:40:15.425 --> 00:40:41.705 And, I think it's really exciting because that May 19 start date, is, I believe, ten or eleven days after graduation, which is an opportunity where SD students actually do walk across the stage, when they get to that ending point, and they're able to actually meet each other and, share that excitement, although it's a online program. 00:40:41.765 --> 00:40:45.045 So, just wanted to put that out there. 00:40:45.045 --> 00:40:53.040 We do affiliate this program strongly with the university and our, total mission here at Divine Mercy University. 00:40:53.260 --> 00:40:55.520 So just keep that in mind. 00:40:56.460 --> 00:41:03.520 Our next question is, does the certificate program have endorsements from any Catholic authority individual? 00:41:04.455 --> 00:41:13.755 Is there an individual candidate profile for those applying for the SDC program such as certain experiences, traits, or background? 00:41:15.815 --> 00:41:16.315 Mhmm. 00:41:17.335 --> 00:41:24.670 The endorsements that we have are just, the same endorsements that Divine Mercy University has. 00:41:24.670 --> 00:41:34.210 You know, a very well known university, really spoken of so highly in a lot of Catholic and Christian circles. 00:41:34.655 --> 00:41:48.670 And we do have on our advisory board, the auxiliary bishop of of Atlanta, father David Sanji, who who is the president of St. 00:41:48.670 --> 00:41:49.650 Luke's Institute. 00:41:49.710 --> 00:41:54.770 There are different people that have involved themselves with the program as a way also to show their endorsement. 00:41:56.430 --> 00:41:58.370 So the endorsements are of that nature. 00:41:58.430 --> 00:42:04.745 Really, anyone that endorses the university also, endorses this program. 00:42:05.525 --> 00:42:08.425 And then the second part of that question was the profile. 00:42:08.565 --> 00:42:17.065 Well, if you look on our website, you'll see some of the requirements to come into the program and some things that are required as you go through the program. 00:42:17.380 --> 00:42:26.440 You do need to have been in spiritual direction and, we do ask when you are in the program that you are in spiritual direction. 00:42:27.220 --> 00:42:34.175 We just think that it's very important for anyone that wants to practice this ministry that they are being guided. 00:42:34.715 --> 00:42:35.275 You know? 00:42:36.475 --> 00:42:45.855 There's a there's a famous Latin or well known Latin phrase that I'm not remembering right now at this time that that basically says that in order to guide, we must be guided. 00:42:46.315 --> 00:42:50.640 So, you know, that's part of the listening. 00:42:50.940 --> 00:42:59.020 Listening to the Lord, and listening to others to find the Lord there is that capacity to be guided in your own life. 00:42:59.020 --> 00:43:09.725 So we want to know that you that you, you know, you've you have a commitment to your own, growth with the Lord and that you have been in spiritual direction, and you will be in spiritual direction during the time of the program. 00:43:11.865 --> 00:43:12.265 Yeah. 00:43:12.265 --> 00:43:24.700 And I do wanna mention that, even as a part of the application, your your letter of recommendation, it does confirm that experience. 00:43:25.000 --> 00:43:30.380 So, you can have someone to speak to your experience as far as that goes. 00:43:31.025 --> 00:43:31.505 Yes. 00:43:31.505 --> 00:43:31.905 Exactly. 00:43:31.905 --> 00:43:33.425 And that's what you'll see on the website. 00:43:33.425 --> 00:43:36.245 We do, we do ask for certain letters of recommendation. 00:43:37.585 --> 00:43:42.645 You know, one from your spiritual directors, of course, respecting that confidentiality of that relationship. 00:43:43.190 --> 00:44:00.975 And also for one from your, you know, your parish priest or your minister, you know, the head of your the ecclesial community to which you belong, if you're a religious sister or brother or a priest, you know, from your superior, just to show us that that you are inserted within a ecclesial community. 00:44:02.075 --> 00:44:06.335 Because really this the ministry of spiritual direction is at the service of a community. 00:44:08.235 --> 00:44:08.735 Absolutely. 00:44:09.660 --> 00:44:14.560 And, please do, write down this contact information. 00:44:15.500 --> 00:44:17.600 We do put it here for a reason. 00:44:18.620 --> 00:44:25.040 It will be addressed by our admissions representative, who can answer all of your questions. 00:44:25.635 --> 00:44:38.280 So if you can jot that down, sdc@divinemercy.edu and the telephone number, in addition to the actual website, sdc-divinemercy.org. 00:44:39.240 --> 00:44:41.880 So now we're gonna allow for ten more minutes. 00:44:41.880 --> 00:44:45.420 For any last minute questions, feel free to put those in the chat. 00:44:46.760 --> 00:44:47.260 Alright. 00:44:47.320 --> 00:44:50.540 So that would give us a few more minutes. 00:44:50.920 --> 00:44:53.180 We do have two questions here, Maria. 00:44:54.195 --> 00:44:59.735 The first being, when would the May cohort cohort complete? 00:45:00.515 --> 00:45:03.655 So, essentially, what's the duration of the program? 00:45:04.355 --> 00:45:04.595 Yeah. 00:45:04.595 --> 00:45:05.095 Exactly. 00:45:05.475 --> 00:45:09.335 It's, if you do that the pace that we recommend, it's two years. 00:45:09.555 --> 00:45:11.870 We We offer three semesters each year. 00:45:12.410 --> 00:45:15.930 So it would it it's, you know, two calendar years. 00:45:15.930 --> 00:45:25.055 So it means that you'd be completing in, well, July 2023. 00:45:25.115 --> 00:45:25.615 Right? 00:45:25.995 --> 00:45:36.175 Although your graduation, you'd be you'd be part of the graduating class of 2023 because that's how we we work it here at Divine Mercy University. 00:45:37.450 --> 00:45:43.770 So it's it's two years if you do the recommended rhythm that we have, which is to follow your cohort. 00:45:43.770 --> 00:45:57.855 It's a rhythm that, we created that's very, you know, very conducive to someone that has a full time job or a full time other occupation, you know, grandparent, parent. 00:45:58.235 --> 00:45:58.475 Mhmm. 00:45:58.715 --> 00:46:01.035 So we only offer three semesters a year. 00:46:01.035 --> 00:46:05.610 They're each course is is eight weeks long, and that gives you breathing space. 00:46:05.610 --> 00:46:20.465 And we also create, chose these semesters so that they're not coinciding, like, with major holidays or even summer holidays so that you could actually, you know, have your family life, along as you're taking this program. 00:46:20.845 --> 00:46:27.185 Considering that most of the people that do apply for this program, you know, we're looking for people that have a certain amount of life experience. 00:46:27.325 --> 00:46:41.790 So, you know, they're they're usually in, you know, 40, late thirties, at the at the youngest, and they, you know, they are they are doing other things. 00:46:42.650 --> 00:46:44.010 You know, this is a ministry. 00:46:44.010 --> 00:46:48.225 It's not a career, so it's not like it, giving spiritual direction. 00:46:48.225 --> 00:46:49.585 You will make tons of money. 00:46:49.585 --> 00:46:58.145 And so we know it's something that you that many people want to do, but it's a way to give back to the to their their church or their faith community. 00:47:00.090 --> 00:47:03.450 But it doesn't unnecessarily offer an income. 00:47:03.450 --> 00:47:15.150 So, sometimes people need to be also with a full time job and things like that as they're, as they're learning this this ministry and then as they're practicing this ministry. 00:47:15.885 --> 00:47:20.705 So the program tries to have a rhythm that can allow for both learning and life. 00:47:23.965 --> 00:47:24.465 Okay. 00:47:24.845 --> 00:47:25.825 The two l's. 00:47:26.045 --> 00:47:26.545 Mhmm. 00:47:28.620 --> 00:47:29.120 Alright. 00:47:29.260 --> 00:47:38.940 Our next question is, with COVID COVID and diasen assignment changes, my spiritual director of many years was moved. 00:47:38.940 --> 00:47:46.325 So I've had a gap in my own direction recently, and I'm currently seeking and discerning a new director. 00:47:47.025 --> 00:47:49.045 Will this gap be a problem? 00:47:49.985 --> 00:47:50.225 No. 00:47:50.225 --> 00:47:53.585 The gap is not a problem because you've had spiritual direction. 00:47:53.585 --> 00:47:59.240 It sounds like you've had a spiritual direction relationship, but at least from what I'm picking up, it seems considerable. 00:47:59.380 --> 00:47:59.880 Right? 00:48:00.180 --> 00:48:08.740 And we we would just say to you, in the interviewing process that, you know, when you are in the program, we would want you to have a spiritual director. 00:48:08.740 --> 00:48:14.765 So as long as you're able to find that person when you're in the program, it should be fine. 00:48:18.585 --> 00:48:19.085 Alrighty. 00:48:19.865 --> 00:48:40.250 And, we'll also be sending out the recording to this webinar via email in addition to, the this the links here that you see, so that if you wanna go ahead and start your application, you can do so, and you can just click right on through. 00:48:40.975 --> 00:48:43.375 I don't see any other questions coming in. 00:48:43.375 --> 00:48:50.275 So if you do have those, feel free to reach out to us at your convenience, and we'd be happy to assist you. 00:48:50.735 --> 00:48:53.075 Thank you again, Maria, for today's presentation. 00:48:54.700 --> 00:48:56.480 Thank you, Ebony, for your help. 00:48:56.620 --> 00:49:00.160 It's always a joy to work with you, and and I thank everyone for coming. 00:49:00.460 --> 00:49:09.920 It's always, a great opportunity to speak about spiritual direction and and the the gift that this ministry is to, to each of us. 00:49:10.115 --> 00:49:16.375 I know it's helped me so much in my own life too personally and the gift that it is to our faith communities. 00:49:17.395 --> 00:49:19.415 God bless you all, and have a good day.