Each of us needs a good shepherd to guide his soul, for no one can guide himself without special help from God. The lack of objectivity, the passion with which we see ourselves and laziness, obscure our path towards the Lord. Then comes spiritual stagnation, lukewarmness and discouragement. On the other hand, "just as a ship that has a good helmsman reaches port safely, so too, the soul that has a good shepherd reaches it easily, even if it has made many mistakes ".
"Anyone understands without difficulty that to make the ascent of a mountain, a guide is necessary; the same happens when it is a question of spiritual ascent...; and all the more so, since in this case it is necessary to avoid the snares that someone (the devil) tends to us who is very interested in preventing us from climbing "
Spiritual direction is necessary for us so that we do not have to say, at the end of our life, the same as the Jews after wandering in the desert without direction or meaning: 40 years we have been wandering around the mountain31. We have lived without rhyme or reason, without knowing where we were going, without work or study bringing us closer to God, without friendship, family, health and sickness, successes or failures helping us to take a step forward towards what is truly important: holiness, salvation. So that we do not have to say that we have lived in any way, without meaning, entertained with four passing things. And all because we lacked supernatural goals to strive for, a clear path and a guide.
It may be necessary to entrust to someone the direction of our soul, because we all need a word of encouragement if discouragement comes because of our defeats on this path of God. We need then that friendly voice that tells us to go ahead, you must not stop, because you have the grace of God to overcome any difficulty! The Holy Spirit says: If one falls, the other picks him up, but woe to the one who falls alone, who has no one to lift him up!32 And with that help we can pull ourselves together from within, and draw strength when it seemed that we had none left, and we continue on our way.
It is a special grace of God to be able to count on that friendly person who helps us effectively in something of such importance, to whom we can open our soul in a confidence full of human and supernatural meaning. What a joy to be able to communicate the most intimate of our feelings, to direct them to God, to someone who understands us, esteems us, opens new horizons for us, encourages us, prays for us, and has a special grace from the Lord to help us! But it is important to go to the one who is truly a good shepherd for us, the one to whom the Lord wants us to go.
St. Luke tells us how the prodigal son feels the need to unload the burden that weighs down his soul. Judas also feels burdened by the burden of his betrayal. The former goes to the one to whom he must go and finds a peace he could not even imagine; he has restored his life again. Judas should have returned to Jesus, who, despite his sin, would have welcomed and comforted him, as he did Peter. He went, however, to the wrong person: to those who were incapable of understanding and, above all, incapable of giving the man what he needed. What about us? It is up to you, they say to him.
In spiritual direction we find the Good Shepherd who gives us the necessary help not to get lost, to recover the way if we have lost our way in our journey towards Christ.
Our Blessed Mother Mary always shows us the sure path that leads to Christ.
Hablar con Dios