The whole purpose of spiritual direction is to penetrate beneath the surface of a man's life, to get behind the façade of conventional gestures and attitudes which he presents to the world, and to bring out his inner spiritual freedom, his inmost truth, which is what we call the likeness of Christ in his soul.

Thomas Merton, Spiritual Direction and Meditation

  • Direction is the practice of prayer, in community, where we mature into the image of God, Jesus Christ, through the presence of the Holy Spirit. It is not counselling, therapy, or medical care. If you are facing mental health, medical, or other personal crises, we encourage you to also seek support from qualified professionals.

    The purpose of Direction at Ora House is to help the seeker pay attention to the presence and leading of the Holy Spirit. We trust God’s love for you and know He is communicating with you, which is why we make ourselves present to help you see Him in all the ways He is reaching out to you.

  • A Spiritual Director is someone who has given themselves to the formation of the soul personally and for others. We believe this role as spiritual guide is both a God given gift and a nurtured skill of the heart. One must first give themselves to the practice of prayer and formation of the soul personally before they can give it away by guiding others.

    Our commitment is that our Spiritual Directors are seekers first, committed to their own formation, and guides second. We believe we follow the Lord together.

  • Spiritual Direction can take various forms, as there are different traditions within the practice of the Church. Fr. Robert practices contemplative spiritual direction, which is recognized as the foundation of all direction. That means there is nothing that must be brought to a session. You are welcome to bring a journal, Bible, or whatever else would be beneficial for reflection. However, you are also welcome to arrive without anything but your intention to lean into God together.

    We begin each session with a moment of silence. The purpose of this silence is not to speak to God, nor necessarily to hear anything from Him. Instead, it is to acknowledge that God is present, and we are present with Him. When you feel ready, you will say ‘Amen’ to bring the silence to a close, and Fr. Robert will invite you to lead the conversation. At this point, you begin to share what it is God has been leading you in since the last session. Your sharing can include both positive and negative emotions, experiences, or even your hopes and doubts. Again, this is led by the directee, and the Spiritual Director's role is to prayerfully sit with you, listening to your story while being attentive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit regarding anything you are saying.

    When the Director notices the prompting of the Holy Spirit, he will remain silent until there is a pause in the directee’s narrative. Then, quietly and prayerfully, the Director will draw attention to the phrase, comment, or emotion that arose when the directee was speaking. Although this can be done in various ways, the aim is to see if God has any more He wishes to share with the directee about what the Director is pointing out.

    The session will conclude whenever a natural break occurs, but they typically last between 40 and 60 minutes. As we did at the start, we will return to a moment of silence, sitting in and enjoying the presence of God together. Once the directee feels the moment is complete, you will say “Amen” to end the session.

  • Traditionally, Spiritual Direction was something that all Priests and Monks would be called to practice in their Parishes and Monasteries. If that was the case, having them as your spiritual guide was all part of your communal life together. The Parish covered their needs as a whole, and spiritual direction would not have incurred any cost.

    Today, the landscape has changed slightly. Not all Parish Priests are trained or officially practice the ministry of spiritual direction, although they likely utilize a version of it in pastoral meetings. That means some have taken on the practice of spiritual direction as a vocation, seeking the contemplative life and offering direction to anyone seeking spiritual guidance.

    Thus, there is a cost for the practice of spiritual direction, and although every director is different, there are commonalities among them. The usual cost is $50-$75 CAD per session. That being said, we do not want money to be a barrier. If $50 CAD is not feasible, please get in touch with us to discuss alternative options that may be available.

    If you are able to pay the $75, we hope you will choose to, as any amount over $50 will go towards those who cannot afford a spiritual director but are in need.

BOOKING A FIRST SESSION

Father Robert Steele

Father Robert is a Priest at Christ the Redeemer Anglican Church in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, where he oversees Spiritual Formation. He is also a member of the Contemplative Order of the Sons of the Holy Cross, which is a Religious Order of the Anglican Diocese of Canada. He and his wife, Sarah, were married in 2003 and have three children. He holds a Master of Arts in Religion (with a focus on Church History and Theology) from Trinity Anglican Seminary. He is currently studying Spiritual Direction in the Selah Certificate Program at Leadership Transformations Inc., where he receives ongoing supervision from their faculty. Whether formally or informally, spiritual direction has been an integral part of Fr. Robert’s ministry and his own soul formation for over 20 years.

“Being trusted as a companion on the journey towards eternity is one of the greatest privileges I have ever known. It would be a privilege to walk with you, too.”

Mark Walters

My vocation, for years, has taken the shape of a Registered Clinical Counsellor, and while not leaving the former behind, it has more recently shifted toward spiritual direction. I hold an M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy from ACTS Seminaries, where much consideration was given to the relationship between Christian spirituality and psychology. As a member of the Contemplative Order of the Sons of the Holy Cross for the past seven years, I have been and continue to be formed by the rich Christian contemplative tradition.

In my own journey of formation, many spiritual companions have accompanied me along the way – helping to light the path when it was dark and guide the way when the path was lost. Mostly, they helped me to listen and attend to Christ: his invitation to heal and his call to follow him and participate with him in his generous love. Christ’s particular invitation to me, in my life, has led me to a vocation of companioning others - attending and listening together to His voice and His work in their lives. As such, I am currently enrolled in Selah: a certification program in spiritual direction at Leadership Transformations Inc. As a director, it is humbling to witness the wonder of Christ’s active work in all our lives.