News from Louie as he wraps up his studies. Saints Simon and Jude, pray for him - -------- Forwarded Message -------- Subject: Final Thesis for Spiritual Direction Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2021 21:12:48 -0700 From: Antonio Labayen <llabayen7352@gmail.com> Praised be Jesus Christ! Thank you for your prayers as I write my thesis. The ideas are flowing well. I found out from the fine print that it is due at the end of October, and not this week, so I have some breathing space. The thesis is entitled, "Levels of Assistance in Spiritual Direction." It is all in Castilian Spanish, "Niveles de Asistencia en el Acompañamiento Espiritual." Once it is accepted by the Catholic University of Ávila for credit, I will translate it into English, copyright and publish both versions. It is a very limited topic within an already limited topic of spiritual direction, so I don't think it will have much readership but will be an invaluable contribution to the discipline because not much is known about this facet. We had a class in clinical psychology and that was most interesting to me with my background in behavioral sciences and my being certified in mental health. Our concluding theological class was also so enriching. I obtained the professor's permission to translate his class notes into English, that I may share them with our Community. What we discussed in Spiritual Direction is the practice of how to center the direction on the Holy Spirit, the true spiritual director. In fact, the term in Spanish is a spiritual companion and not a spiritual director. But what happens leading to a spiritual companionship session is something we need to learn on our own, that is before the guiding conversation starts. Essentially, it is like triage in a hospital. We first need to determine the state of the person physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Based on that state, we triage to the proper action plan and that may be to refer the person to a different professional, such as a psychologist. I also discuss diabolical cases. I did not recognize it when it happened to me before. It was only after a Carmelite prioress introduced me to exorcism literature that it made sense. What I'm writing is essentially a guide for spiritual companions so they know what to do in various situations and not panic. Thank you for your continued prayers. Unidos en la oración, Luís Antonio Labayen, ocds «... cuán delicadamente me enamoras.» - Llama de Amor Viva -SJC