Confession or Spiritual Direction

As Catholics we should be familiar with the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession).  Less known, there is also Spiritual Direction.  The two can have a lot of overlap.   The Sacrament of Reconciliation focuses on our sins but can include some conversation that helps us to think about our sins and what we need to do to change our behavior.  Spiritual Direction can include discussion of our sins but its purpose is to invite us to find where God is leading us in our lives.  This is called discernment.  It can include discussion of our sins but its purpose is not the sacrament itself.  Since Spiritual Direction is not a sacrament, anyone can be a spiritual director.  It can be a priest, a religious, somebody who works in the church, or just someone who has a deep spirituality of their own and the gifts to be a spiritual direction.  It really is a matter of gifts.  There are lay people with these gifts while not every priest has the gifts to be a good spiritual director.  If the person is a priest, then it can include the Sacrament of Reconciliation but the confessing of sins must be done clearly and explicitly.

So how do we know if we should we go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Spiritual Direction?  If you know you have sinned, then always begin with the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  If you want to seek spiritual advice about problems in live or big decisions, then it is Spiritual Direction you are looking for.

There is one more distinction that should be made, time.  By time I mean the length of time you expect it to take.  Spiritual Direction may be a one-time meeting or be repeated over time as you discern God’s direction.  These meetings might be 40-50 minutes.  On the other hand, the Sacrament of Reconciliation generally takes just a few minutes.

Here at Immaculate Conception Church, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered each Saturday from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.  Typically, I might hear the confessions of anywhere between 5 and 12 people.  Given the time frame, one should understand that these confessions generally are just a few minutes for each person.

There are times, for instance when a person hasn’t been to confession in a long time, when it might take longer but still not need to be Spiritual Direction.  If you know your confession might be longer than a few minutes I invite you to make an appointment with your local priest.  This respects others who might be waiting in line but it also is meant to give you the opportunity to make a good and thorough confession of your sins.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff