Wil Hernandez, PhD, is an active member of Spiritual Directors International. A spiritual director, he is well known for his teaching and books focusing on the spiritual legacy of Henri Nouwen, an internationally renowned priest and author, respected professor and beloved pastor.

Offering insight in his July 29, 2009 blogpost, Hernandez writes:

As if to wipe out its rhetorical mist and in the process demystifying it, Nouwen—in his characteristic simplicity—boiled down his definition of spiritual direction to that of “direction given to people in their relationship with God.” God is the ultimate focus of spiritual direction. It is not just a one-on-one but a one-with-one encounter. For Nouwen, “a spiritual director simply was someone who talks to you and prays with you about your life.” Nouwen focused on this crucial component of prayer which is the lifeblood of any true spiritual direction relationship.

Hernandez further describes Nouwen: "He filled the oftentimes indistinguishable roles of a spiritual friend, a spiritual guide, a spiritual mentor, a spiritual director effortlessly. He was able to do so because this was precisely who he was—a well-integrated soul companion on life’s sacred journey."

Read the entire post on the Henri Nouwen Legacy blog site ...