These conversations are intended to help men and women hear God’s voice — in their own lives and in the world around them — through various experiences of contemplative prayer and other spiritual practices. They are intended to cultivate "contemplatives in action" — men and women able to discern the presence of God in their lives and to reflect that awareness by reaching out to others in service.

So, it is important to take some time to consider the following questions:

• Are you nervous about these conversations?

Spiritual conversations should be affirming, not threatening. So, you do not need to be. While they may uncover uncomfortable aspects of your psychological or emotional life, these conversations should be seen as an exchange with an accepting friend. Since the conversations are not only about you — they are an attempt to hear what God is already saying to you — and you need to be as open as possible for these conversations to bear the greatest fruit.

• Do you think you can be completely honest, with yourself and with me?

Since the goal of spiritual conversation is to illuminate the presence of God in you and in the world around you, you need to be completely candid when discussing your experiences — both spiritual and emotional. Often, the things that you discover during the conversations will be earlier insights you may have glossed over because of the distractions of daily life or you may have tried to avoid these leadings because they revealed something uncomfortable to you. During these spiritual conversations, you should trust that God is opening you to become the person you are meant to be. Reinforced by the presence of an open and caring companion, you should be more open to God’s desires and better able to feel the joy of accepting what God has to offer you.

• Will you be able to speak from your own experience?

One of the greatest temptations we face in life is to denigrate our own experiences of God. We are told that saints understand God in a different way than ordinary men and women or that they respond to God's presence with more freedom and generosity. But it is important to remember that even the greatest saints were (or are) human beings, sharing the faults and the virtues of that truth. Sometimes, it is tempting to use other people's words and images to express God's presence because we do not trust our own insights. While others have much to teach us, their experiences not ours and their words do not completely explain our situation. So, to the extent possible, you should always try to situate any comment or idea in your own lived experience.

Then…

If your conversation involves prayer or spiritual practices, please click here.
If your conversation involves spiritual reading, please click here.
If your conversation involves spiritual discernment, please click here.
If your conversation involves spiritual healing, please click here.
If your conversation involves spiritual development and/or witness, please click here.
If your conversation involves spiritual concerns related to creativity, please click here.