Who among us has not experienced insecurity, disorientation, and even doubt along the path of faith? We have all experienced this; I have too, it forms part of the path of faith, the path of our lives. None of this should surprise us, because we are human beings, marked by our frailty and limits. ... We are all fragile, we all have limits. Do not be afraid. We all have them. Even in these difficult moments, it is necessary to trust in the help of God, through filial prayer and, at the same time, it is important to find the courage and the humility to open ourselves to others."
--Pope Francis, Wednesday Audience, 27 Oct 2013
http://www.romereports.com/palio/pope-in-general-audience-be-humble-enough-to-ask-for-help-when-you-have-doubts-english-11474.html#.UnGwJ3BkN8E
Have the courage to be sincere
On the role of spiritual guides
http://www.zenit.org/article-34123?l=english
Dear brothers and sisters!
In the biblical readings of this Sunday -- the second in Ordinary Time -- the theme of vocation emerges: in the Gospel it is the call of the first disciples by Jesus; in the first reading it is the call of the Prophet Samuel. In both accounts there comes to the forefront the importance of the figure who plays the role of mediator, helping the persons called to recognize the voice of God and follow it.
In the case of Samuel, it is Eli, a priest of the temple of Silo, where in ancient times the ark of the covenant was kept before it is was transported to Jerusalem. One night Samuel, who was still a boy and had lived in the service of the temple from the time that he was small, heard a call three times in a row while he was sleeping, and ran to Eli. But Eli had not called him. The third time Eli understood and told Samuel: if you are called again respond: "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening" (1 Samuel 3:9). And so it happened and from then on Samuel learned how to recognize God's words and became his faithful prophet.
In the case of the disciples of Jesus, John the Baptist was the mediating figure. In fact, John had a large circle of disciples, and among these were the two pairs of brothers, Simon and Andrew and John and James, fishermen from Galilee. To two of them the Baptist points out Jesus the day after his baptism in the Jordan River. He indicates him to them saying: "Behold the lamb of God!" (John 1:36), which was the equivalent of saying: "Behold the Messiah!" And those two followed Jesus, remained with him for some time and were convinced that he was truly the Christ. Immediately they told the others this and thus was formed the first nucleus of what would become the college of the apostles.
In the light of these two texts, I would like to underscore the decisive role of the spiritual guide in the journey of faith and, in particular, in the response to the vocation of special consecration for the service of God and his people. The very Christian faith in itself presupposes proclamation and witness: in fact they consist in adhering to the good news that Jesus of Nazareth is dead and risen, that he is God. And thus the call to follow Jesus closely, renouncing a family of one's own to dedicate oneself to the great family of the Church, normally passes through the witness and the suggestion of an "older brother," usually a priest. But this is not to forget the fundamental role of parents, who with their genuine and joyful faith and their marital love show their children that it is beautiful and possible to build a whole life on the love of God.
Dear friends, let us pray to the Virgin Mary for all teachers, especially priests and parents, that they have complete awareness of the importance of their spiritual role to help young people not only in human growth but also in answering God's call and saying: "Speak Lord, your servant is listening."
--Pope Benedict XVI, 15 January 2012
We all need spiritual direction
WE ALL NEED SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
As she has never failed to do, again today the Church continues to recommend the practice of spiritual direction, not only to all those who wish to follow the Lord up close, but to every Christian who wishes to live responsibly his baptism, that is, the new life in Christ. Everyone, in fact, and in a particular way all those who have received the divine call to a closer following, needs to be supported personally by a sure guide in doctrine and expert in the things of God. A guide can help defend oneself from facile subjectivist interpretations, making available his own supply of knowledge and experiences in following Jesus. [Spiritual direction] is a matter of establishing that same personal relationship that the Lord had with his disciples, that special bond with which he led them, following him, to embrace the will of the Father (cf. Luke 22:42), that is, to embrace the cross.
--Benedict XVI, Address to the Teresianum, 19 May 2011
“Truth and humility go well together.”
“Humility preserves charity … The more humble someone is, the more charitable will he be towards his neighbour.”
“A sick doctor does not prescribe for himself, he calls in another doctor.”
“You are neither infallible nor incorrigible.”
“The most difficult thing in the world is to humiliate oneself. For there is nothing as difficult as that, nothing we find so much trouble.” [p. 106]
(St Vincent de Paul. From Jacques Delarue, The Holiness of Vincent de Paul, Geoffrey Chapman Ltd, London 1960, 132 pp)