Affirming the Characteristics of Faith in Spiritual Direction
- Jun 2
- 5 min read
By Gregory Vigliotta
In spiritual direction, affirmation can be a powerful tool for guiding directees toward deepening their faith in Jesus Christ. When spiritual directors affirm their clients in their faith, it deepens their felt sense of God's activity in their inner self, fosters a deeper connection between the director and the directee, and fosters a deeper connection with the universal church because any experience of faith in Christian spirituality is an experience of Jesus Christ, who is God's revelation.
This post explores how spiritual directors can effectively guide their directees by affirming them in their faith through understanding their personal experiences in the context of the Characteristics of Faith outlined for Catholics in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Understanding the Catholic Meaning of Faith
In the lexicon of the secular culture expressed in today's media, the term faith holds various meanings, which leads persons to presume that faith is anything I choose to believe in or will happen. While faith in the context of Catholic teaching holds a definite and particular definition.
First, faith is a theological virtue
This is important because it means that it is infused in us by God into the souls of the faithful, which has two effects. It makes us capable of acting as his beloved children, and it makes us capable of meriting eternal salvation, which he desires for us (See CCC 1813). This is important for believers to understand because it means that faith is a grace; a gift given to us so that we may believe in Him. The primacy of faith begins with God, and we receive this grace from Him in order that we may grow in intimacy with Him.
Second, faith is a free gift
The gift of faith is a free gift, and therefore we can lose this priceless gift. St. Paul makes it known in his letter to Timothy that many people "have made a shipwreck of their faith" (1 Tim 18-20) by rejecting their conscience and choosing to sin. St. Paul in his letters explains that to live in faith, we must nourish it with prayer, study, and charity (CCC 162).
Understanding the Characteristics of Faith
Faith is a Grace (CCC 153).
It is a supernatural gift from God. Before a person can act in faith, God must assist and act on the soul through the Holy Spirit (CCC 153).
Faith is a Human Act (CCC 154).
Belief in God begins by God's grace and is lived out as a human act, through trusting and assenting towards the divine truths revealed to us.
Faith is Certain (CCC 157).
Because faith is founded on the Divine Word of God, it is more certain than human knowledge.
Faith seeks Understanding (CCC 158).
It is intrinsic to faith that the believer desires to know more about the One who has revealed Himself and the truths of faith which have been revealed. St. Augustine said, "I believe, in order to understand; and I understand, the better to believe."
Faith is Above Reason (CCC 159).
Faith is above reason because of its supernatural nature. However, it can never be in opposition to reason because it originates in Jesus, who is Truth.
Freedom of Faith (CCC 160).
God offers Himself to us as a free gift. Therefore, we are not forced to receive the free gift of faith. Humans are bound to Him as we are made in His image and likeness, but we are not coerced.
Necessity of Faith (CCC 161).
Belief in Jesus Christ is necessary for salvation.
Perseverance of Faith (CCC 162).
Faith is a free gift that must be nourished in prayer, study, charity, and abounding in hope.
Faith is the beginning of Eternal Life (CCC 163).
In faith, we experience a taste of His Divine Glory.
Faith is a Personal Act (CCC 166).
Faith is a personal act, but it is not lived in isolation. Faith is received and shared with others in union with Jesus Christ.
Affirming Directees in their Faith
Why it is Important
A Catholic spiritual director helps the directee to notice the presence and call of God in the circumstances of their everyday lives and to help find the words for talking about the encounters which deepen the experience of being in a relationship with the Creator. The director also guides the directee in sorting out the various interior ‘voices’ within and around them for discerning God’s will.
A helpful visual model of the spiritual life is that of a spiralling funnel. When we grow in faith, our relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is deepened as we grow in awareness of His love for us and as we respond to Him with love.
Affirming directees in their faith, in the context of the Characteristics of Faith of the Church, helps the directee to deepen their intimacy with God, grow in awareness of God's active love, and grounds them in the communal nature of faith which is necessary for faith to grow. As St. Augustine said, we cannot believe "without being carried by the faith of others, and by my faith I help support others in the faith" (CCC 166).
Methods for Affirming Directees in the Faith Experience
Methods for affirming directees in their faith experiences can be demonstrated in the following ways.
Reflect back what the directee has said: “This was a difficult time for you and yet you felt Christ's presence with you along the way."
Mirror body language, tone and emotion of the directee.
Acknowledge and validate emotions around the faith experience to show understanding of the speaker's feelings and experience. "I hear you saying that you felt greater peace and calmness as you
Invite the directee to name the feelings surrounding the experience. "Praying with the Crucifixion moved you to tears, could you tell me about the feeling behind the tears?"
Instruct the directee on the nature of the characteristics of faith (at the discretion of the director) to validate the directees experience. "It sounds like your desire to know more about the Sacred Heart of Jesus was a gift of faith that became a greater devotion."
Invite the directee to recall past experiences. "Have their been other times in your life that you felt your faith deepened by the community around you?"
Affirming in Faith, Directing Toward Christ
Faith is a divine gift and a realization of what already is. It is an overwhelming awareness of God's presence and love within and the fullness of life that comes from being in relationship with God. The initiative is God's. Its origin is in God who awakens us and moves us towards Him. Faith is not conjured up in prayer, meditation, or quietness. We are called to union with God through Christ and it is lived and expressed with concrete characteristics.
When spiritual directors affirm their directees in their faith experience, they 'direct' their directees towards greater awareness of the life of Christ within them and instill in them a greater desire to be in union with God and seek God's presence and activity in daily life.
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