I was recently going through the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola and came across this paragraph right in the beginning.  The explanation St. Ignatius gives us of "spiritual exercises" can help us understand what "spiritual coaching" is - in light of the comparison to sports training.  Here it is:

"This expression 'spiritual exercises' embraces every method of examination of conscience, of meditation, of contemplation, of vocal and mental prayer, and of other spiritual activity that will be mentioned later.  For just as strolling, walking, and running are bodily exercises, so spiritual exercises are methods of preparing and disposing the soul to free itself of all inordinate attachments, and after accomplishing this, of seeking and discovering the Divine Will regarding the disposition of one's life, thus insuring salvation of his soul." 

So a couple of questions that a spiritual coach might ask are:

What spiritual exercises do you practice?
Are you "exercising" spiritually enough?
What are you hoping to achieve through these exercises?
What "inordinate attachments" are you clinging to that need to be dropped?
Do you need a "spiritual diet"?
What is God's will for your life, for your family's life?

 


Comments

02/03/2010 12:46

This was very helpful. Thanks!

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