When hard trials fall out, anxiety and excitement fall in, people ask for help from God or from the sages to get advice, recommendations for solving their problems. And then there is a need to find a person who can direct on the right path and help to understand yourself and your own troubles. It is such a person who often becomes a spiritual mentor who helps to open oneself to the soul, repent and decide to change one's life.
Why is spiritual guidance necessary?
Without a leader, a person cannot live a life of holiness. You can find a teacher in a church where you need to come and pray to the Lord to send a spiritual father who will console, advise and direct thoughts in a charitable direction. The role of the spiritual mentor is great. Communicating with his child, he conveys what the spirit of God conveys to him, instills peace and harmony into the soul.
As a rule, a spiritual mentor is a person with great life and religious experience, and he is obedient to lead the religious life of other people. The confessor plays a huge role in the life of a layman and clergyman, and he is necessary in order to, listening to his advice, live godly and achieve the kingdom of heaven. Church history has several mentoring options. But the main ones are:
- the priest’s service in the parish, where he is the healer of all parishioners;
- old age, it was it that was widely used in Russia.
Elders - Soul Healers
Having arisen in Byzantium, it firmly entered Russian culture and took one of the most significant places. The elders carried a vow of obedience, and by their word and deeds were called upon to expose sins and comfort those who became confused in their own doubts. With healing conversations and instructions, they healed souls, brought peace and tranquility to them.
Russian elders take their roots from the Monk Paisiy Velichkovsky and achieve their development thanks to the monks of Optina Desert. Monasteries with their spiritual mentors have long been a center of pilgrimage for the Orthodox people. Old age had its own peculiarity, where strict asceticism alternated with active exits to the world. These outputs were expressed in contact with the people and in the service of the world as a spiritual assistant, mentor and adviser.
Achieving simplicity by humility
Engaged in the religious education of their students, the elders taught wisdom, contributed to moral growth and improvement. During the earthly life of their spiritual disciple, they coordinated and directed the actions and actions of the child. The relationship between teacher and student was very strong, because it was built on trustful and respectful relationships, humility and love. Father Zacharias instructed to protect his conscience and strive for simplicity, which can be achieved only by humility.
They came to the elders for advice when there were doubts and difficult situations arose. From the confessor they expected consolations and help. The uniqueness of the eldership in Orthodoxy consisted in the unshakable faith and spiritual strength of the elders and in the subtle work that they carried out in the soul of their student. Influencing the human psyche, they delicately and accurately guide a person on the path to gaining love for the Lord.
Mentor Search
It is a great grace for a believer to find a clergyman who will be responsible to God for his disciple, pray for him, control the growth of spirituality, guide his actions and instruct in worldly life, and also direct him on a path of virtue that leads to eternal life .
For a believer, the way to solve problems is different from the way that non-believers are chosen. People far from religion, as a rule, try to solve their troubles arising based on the help and advice of their friends and mostly people who are far from religion. And often the problem is not resolved, but only exacerbated. This is due to the fact that all difficulties are concentrated within us, far from God. And as a result, under the accumulation of sins, spiritual harmony fails.
A church person with the appearance of unforeseen situations for advice should go to his confessor. At the same time, the believer understands that when asked what to do, he expects an answer to his question from the Lord. Seeing his humility, God through the priest gives true advice and blesses. The Christian will never have doubts that it is necessary to follow what the confessor said. He is sure that the Almighty sends him his support. Only if you transfer your heart and soul in obedience to the confessor, God's grace will dwell in man.
The church does not set limits and provides an opportunity for a good Christian to choose a confessor himself. How to find a spiritual mentor? It is good if they will be the clergyman from the temple, which often comes to pray. But everything is individual, and sometimes it is difficult to meet a confessor with whom trust and cordial relations would be established.
Mentor Challenge
Spiritual mentoring seeks to improve the personality and manifest in it the image of God, to educate the spiritual principle in man. The Orthodox Christian should definitely read and feel the instructions of the holy fathers. They read:
- the spiritual thoughts of any Orthodox should be led by a priest, whose help must be addressed and confessing, and in teaching;
- try to communicate with the confessor throughout your life, revealing your sins and godly thoughts;
- following the teachings of your spiritual father, you will certainly gain the kingdom of heaven;
- if you entrust your heart to the confessor, then God's grace will dwell in the soul.
How to choose a spiritual father?
How to choose a spiritual mentor? Do not look for some ways. There is no need to make special efforts, starting the search for a spiritual mentor. This will tell the heart. Understanding whether or not this is your person will come by itself if:
- the advice of the priest has a beneficial effect and heals the soul;
- you get comfort and support;
- Feel joy and tranquility, communicating with him;
- Feel and believe in the power of his prayers and mutual goodwill.
How to start a spiritual father search
For God to suggest how to find a spiritual mentor, you need to pray a lot and passionately. Starting the search, you need to take a closer look at the parish in which the priest conducts services. A good priest in a temple always has a benevolent atmosphere. It is worth communicating with the parishioners, getting their opinion about the pastor.
You should not go to distant lands, wondering where to find your spiritual mentor. He may be close and closer than you think. No need to tell anyone about your mentor by meeting him. Religious life is private, and there is no need to put it on public display.
Often come to the church, which is to your liking. Open to the priest in confession and pray for him, and then God through him will reveal his purpose. When communication with the clergyman is confidential, it is worth following the advice of the priest and, having received parting words, fulfill it. It is not necessary to come with one question or problem to many priests, hoping for a change of admonition.
No need to rush and call the first oncoming priest your confessor. When attending church, confess and ask the priest for advice about your pain. And then it is possible to meet a confessor close to himself.
Communicating with parishioners, find out where to find your confessor, and which father enjoys authority and respect among the flock.
It is necessary to start reading religious literature with simple and understandable texts. Spiritual books will help to determine the goals and priorities in life.
Does a person need a spiritual mentor
In any field of activity or in sports, a novice specialist, athlete or student always has a mentor. It helps to master the profession, shares experience, tips. The clergy mentoring is aimed at the achievement by the student of a fortress of spirit, religious self-awareness and the fulfillment of divine commandments.
Relations between a child and a spiritual father are not measured by the amount of time spent together. Sometimes a few suggestions are enough to calm the soul and resolve issues. It is important to follow all the advice that came from the confessor.
In worldly life, it is important for families following God's laws to confess with one confessor. It happens that emerging domestic family problems can be solved together.
How to seek advice from a confessor?
It is advisable for a church person to record their sins and then confess them to the confessor as often as possible. It is believed that salvation is in a multitude of tips. Therefore, it is useful for the soul to seek answers to questions from several priests. But thoughts and sinful thoughts are best revealed only to your spiritual father.
Some believers do not know that, going to the shepherd, you need to read the prayer: “Lord! Give me mercy and inspire the spiritual father to give me an answer according to your will. ” Entrusting yourself with the spiritual father is the best way to embark on the path of correction. The devil will not be able to intervene where everything secret and sinful has been revealed to the confessor. It is important to obey your leader, because through him you obey God.
Spiritual teacher
The confessor is like a teacher who reveals the true meaning of many things and the truth to his wards. The teacher, spiritual mentor must expand the inner potential of the personality, influence him, make the spiritual world of the pupil in tune with his own.
Mentoring is also the prayer of the spiritual father for the message of wisdom to him in the training of his students. This is his appeal to God in insoluble situations, a request for support from the Heavenly Intercessor in moments of doubt and helplessness. The spiritual father is responsible to Jesus Christ for the children entrusted to him.
The spiritual mentors of man
On our way a lot of people come across who call and consider themselves spiritual mentors. Often they have their own teaching, schools, or they call themselves followers of famous spiritual personalities. Such mentors have students, like-minded people and admirers who support their views and beliefs.
In addition, each person has his invisible spiritual assistants. These include angels who protect and preserve throughout life. If you can learn to understand them, then life will become much easier and simpler. Coming into the world with a baby born, the angels leave him after death.
A believer who seeks to follow God's commandments with a clear conscience and thoughts does not lose heart in the face of adversity. They only strengthen beliefs and perfect his soul. Going to his confessor, he realizes that he is asking for advice not from a person, but from the Lord, who through the priest gives the necessary advice and blesses. A spiritual admonition of the spiritual father, executed strictly, will lead to help from God. For the purpose of the existence of man on earth is to purify his heart and feel the closeness of God.