REFLECTION
Soft Summer
By Kaji Douša (adapted)

Many people from my church have set the intention for the blessing of a “soft summer” this year. So have I.

In soft summer, my spirit is open. Not wide open, there are boundaries. But I make the clear choice that I will open myself to things more than I’m wont to do.

In soft summer, joy is a must. The question, “Will this bring joy?” becomes a key component in my decision-making matrix. And that joy leads to seeking and maintaining meaningful connections – with others, and especially with God. 

Soft living means being gentle with yourself and with others. Living softly can eventually bring you to the place, in conflict, to see that the other is “doing as much as they can with what they have at the time.” This doesn’t mean that living softly dismisses accountability; it just holds compassion in the process.

In soft living, we accept fluidity. We move with the Spirit God has sent us.
Are you interested in living softly, together?

— Kaji Douša is the Senior Pastor of the Park Avenue Christian Church in New York City.
Dear Spiritual Direction Colleagues:

As I began my ministry with the Ignatian Spiritual Direction Initiative on the Feast of the Assumption last year, I scribbled the opening words of the Magnificat on a post-it note. “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my savior…” I placed these words in a prominent place. And I’ve been seeing God magnified in this ministry ever since.

Magnifying God is integral to our Ignatian spiritual direction ministry as we seek “the magis” and work for the greater glory of God. In these complex times, it may seem to our directees that God’s presence is hard to recognize. But through the graced work of spiritual direction, God’s presence in particular moments or in patterns of life becomes magnified.

Offering programs that promote your ongoing formation as Ignatian spiritual directors is another way of magnifying God. A woman who attended our programs this past year wrote, “I like the variety of longer programs with speakers and sharing, and shorter programs which offer encouragement and support from others in this ministry. Please continue your efforts. They’re very worthwhile!”

And so we continue, with a number of exciting initiatives in the works. Please scroll down to learn more about upcoming programs as well as some important updates and announcements.

Let us give thanks for the ways God is magnified in our Ignatian spiritual direction ministry and for the saving grace of God made manifest in so many ways.
Summer Blessings,

Nancy

Nancy Small
Associate Director for Spiritual Direction Initiatives
Office of Ignatian Spirituality
USA East Province of the Society of Jesus
929-232-3056
SUMMER UPDATES
We’ve spent time this summer updating some of the resources we offer, including:

  • Ignatian Spiritual Direction Formation Programs Directory: If you are thinking about enrolling in a Spiritual Direction Formation program or know someone who might be interested, take a look at our directory which contains the latest information on programs within the Jesuits USA East province. Some programs have fast-approaching deadlines. Click here to learn more.

  • 19th Annotation (Retreat in Daily Life) Programs: We’ve updated the OIS webpage with links to Retreat in Daily Life programs within the Jesuits USA East Province that offer the full Ignatian Spiritual Exercises (in-person and virtual) over the course of 30-35 weeks. Many retreats begin in September and registration is now open. Click here to learn more.
SEEKING SPIRITUAL DIRECTORS OF COLOR
The Ignatian Spiritual Direction Initiative is planning to host a conversation among Spiritual Directors of Color in 2024. If you identify as a Spiritual Director of Color and would like to learn more about this conversation, please click here to complete an initial contact form.
ISDI PROGRAM REGISTRATION FEES
In the past, the Ignatian Spiritual Direction Initiative has offered excellent programs, most of them free-of-charge. In the future, we’ll continue to offer excellent programs, and most of them will include a registration fee.

Our programs receive generous support from the Jesuits USA East Province. But in this era of rising costs and shrinking budgets, extra efforts are needed to practice good fiscal responsibility. Registration fees cover a portion of expenses for the quality programs we offer. We’ll try to keep our fees modest. And we’ll continue our practice of financial assistance to those in need for every program we offer.

As we make this change, I thank you for your generosity over the years. Many of you have given donations for programs offered free-of-charge. Others have given additional donations for programs that required a registration fee. Your generosity offsets more of our program costs, and we are truly grateful.

Thank you for your understanding as we adapt to this change together.
SEEKING TECH SUPPORT FOR VIRTUAL PROGRAMS
We are seeking several individuals to assist with technological “behind the scenes” work for our 2024 virtual programs. In particular, we are seeking individuals who:

  • have experience with and good working knowledge of Zoom, including the ability to troubleshoot problems that arise;
  • can set up breakout rooms, assign individuals, reconfigure groups that have too few people, monitor for needs that arise within the groups and respond accordingly;
  • have the ability to facilitate the chat function of Zoom, including posting resources mentioned by program presenters, reviewing chat for questions from participants and relaying them to program presenters;
  • are able to facilitate large group conversations by identifying people using the Zoom “raised hand” function, looking for raised hands, assisting with muting/unmuting;
  • can facilitate screen sharing of slide presentations, videos, music etc. used during a program.

Programs are held on weekdays, weeknights or Saturdays and are generally 2-3 hours in length with a practice session of 1-2 hours scheduled on a day prior to the event. A stipend will be offered per program. If you are interested or know someone who may be, please contact me at nsmall@jesuits.org.
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
The Spiritual Exercises Reclaimed: Uncovering Liberating Possibilities for Women
A four-part online series with author Elizabeth Liebert, SNJM, PhD
Sept. 19, Oct. 17, Nov. 14, Dec. 12, 2023, 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET
Registration Fee for the Series: $100
 
This program will offer spiritual directors new insights for accompanying women through the Spiritual Exercises and fresh perspectives for accompanying women and men facing obstacles in their spiritual lives that flow from situations of oppression. All sessions will be recorded and made available to all registrants.
 
Click here for more information about the series and to register. (Registrants will receive a 20% discount code toward the purchase of the book when ordering from Paulist Press.)

If you think you may have registered for this program, please check your emails for a registration confirmation from OIS to avoid registering twice!
SAVE THE DATE!
A Contemplative Advent Evening for Spiritual Directors
December 7, 2023, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. ET
At a time of year dominated by the demands of secular hospitality, Advent whispers a different message, inviting us to create space for the coming Christ. As spiritual directors, we are invited to create space within ourselves while also holding space for those we accompany.

Come spend some contemplative time with St. Martha, who spoke of Christ as the One “coming into the world” (Jn 11:27), and discover how God longs to be present to you in the brief and beautiful Advent season.

This program will be facilitated by author, retreat facilitator and former campus minister, Christine Marie Eberle. You can learn more and follow her here.

Registration coming soon!
SAVE THE DATE!
Gathering the Givers of the Retreat in Daily Life
A Special Program for Those Offering the 19th Annotation Spiritual Exercises Retreat
January 12, 2024, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET
This virtual program will offer givers of the Retreat in Daily Life a variety of opportunities, including:

  • dialoguing with others who are responding to the spiritual hunger of our times with the gifts that the Spiritual Exercises offer; 
  • networking with other Retreat in Daily Life leaders;
  • reflecting on the joys, challenges and invitations of this extraordinary ministry

Fr. Kevin O’Brien, SJ, author of The Ignatian Adventure, will be our featured presenter. He will offer input, inspiration and insights at the beginning of the program.

Registration coming soon!
CAVE OF SAINT IGNATIUS - MANRESA
The Ignatian Charism for the World of Today
An International Pilgrimage on Ignatian Spirituality
April 20 - June 2, 2024
This six-week program (April 20 to June 2, 2024) combines lecture, prayer, retreat, pilgrimage to Ignatian sites, and discussion among participants, who are Lay and Religious men and women from all over the world. In the words of a recent participant who is an Ignatian spiritual director: “The reason I appreciate this program so much is that it gave an extra dimension to everything I thought I knew about Ignatian spirituality. In other words, it was less about learning new information than about understanding what I had learned previously in a whole new way.”

Application deadline is October 15th. Click here to learn more and register.
OIS IGNATIAN SPIRITUAL DIRECTORS CATALOG
Thanks to all who responded to our July email regarding our Catalog of Spiritual Directors. I offer a special welcome to those of you who registered for the first time and ongoing gratitude to those of you who updated your listing.

The Catalog is a rich resource that helps us extend the reach of Ignatian spiritual direction throughout the Jesuits USA East Province. Information in the Catalog is confidential, viewed only by OIS Staff members when referring someone seeking a spiritual director to a trained spiritual director.

If you aren’t registered in the Catalog or if it’s been a while since you’ve updated your record, click here to register or update your record.

We’ve added a number of new fields about your experience and expertise to give us a fuller picture of your background, and we’re inviting your input about topics and preferred times for programs we offer.

If you tried to register or update your record but had difficulty, please accept my sincere apology. I encourage you to try again, using the following instructions:

  • When you fill out your registration form, you may see “I am not a robot” at the bottom of the form before you submit it.
  • If you see this message, check the box next to it. Then click on “submit” and the form should be submitted successfully.
  • If you don’t see the “I am not a robot” message, scroll up in the form to find a reCaptcha image that asks you to click on boxes that contain certain objects. Once you complete that successfully you should be able to submit the form by clicking on “submit” at the bottom of the form.

For those who want to know more about the Catalog, here’s a snapshot of how it currently works:

The OIS Catalog of Spiritual Directors was created to help those seeking a spiritual director in the Jesuits USA East Province find a trained spiritual director in their area. When our office receives a spiritual direction application, here’s what we do:

  • We identify spiritual directors in the applicant’s geographic area whose expertise and experience seems to be a good match with the preferences expressed by the applicant;
  • We share information about the applicant’s interest in/hopes for spiritual direction with spiritual director(s) identified in the previous step;
  • After locating a spiritual director who is open to exploring spiritual direction with the applicant, we send the spiritual director’s contact information (name, email) to the applicant with the invitation to contact the spiritual director to set up an initial meeting.
WHAT ARE THEY SAYING ABOUT SPIRITUAL DIRECTION?

"Spiritual direction is the practice of holy presence and the gift of shared wisdom. The intent is to help us to awaken as we journey, so that we can recognize the sacred within and be available to the mystery of purpose that permeates the cosmos. In African American cultural contexts, spiritual direction is both formal and informal, mystical and practical. It can happen during a carefully scheduled appointment or spontaneously at a fast food joint or barbershop, where ordinary people seek advice and talk about everything."

— excerpted from Embodied Spirits: Stories of Spiritual Directors of Color

If you have quotes to share about the importance of spiritual direction, please email them to me at nsmall@jesuits.org.