Archee A. Curiba Victor R. Baltazar, S.J.

Student Professor

My Religious Experience with God

In the article, “The Notion of Religious Experience,” Andre Godin says, “The experience
of God is never a first experience.” In our experience with God there is always a prehistory, it
might came from our family, in school and in our environment.1 In our study, we call it, “Lived
Religious Experiences” because there was already a long encounter with God, may it not that
exactly the same intimacy like what we have today, but elementary and high school encounter
with God were already an experience of God. As early as those times, we have already thoughts
and memories of God. Also, we have already a sense of identity in our relationship with God.
Moreover, we have already a thrust into the future in relation to our knowledge and relationship
with God.2

I remember, when I was a child my mother used to bring me to our chapel to attend a
mass. In that experience, I learned the importance of the mass because, as what my mother said,
“You can praise, ask and meet God during the mass.” In school, I was thought by my religion
teacher about many kinds of prayer especially basic prayers and rosary.

And, those things molded me of who I am now and how I am now in relation with God.
Now, I am a seminarian and I take God now as my bestfriend and my father.

As my bestfriend, I can share to Him all my stories and all my feelings, like if I am sad,
enjoy, excited, worried, happy and even I am inlove. I share everything to God, not worrying if
He exposed my secrets because I know God will always loyal to me. In the other hand, I also
listened to Him when He talked to me, when He answered my questions, and when He reacted to
my stories.

As a father, God is my protector, my provider and my guide. I felt really secure with
God. I remember when I first came here Manila, I didn’t felt any nervous and worried that time,
even if I didn’t have any companion going here. All I have that time was my faith that God will
accompany and will take care of me. I remember that time, when I came at the airport of Manila,
my cousin picked me and brought me to Paco, then at night Fr. Rector of San Jose Seminary
called me and asked me to come here in Ateneo which that time I only knew by name. I was
given a direction by my cousin and from Paco I was able to arrive here in Ateneo in my own.
Then, right after I came here in Ateneo for the first time, I was asked again by Fr. Rector to go
right away to Ortigas Center, Pasig to familiarize the place because I will be working there for a
year. So, I went right away after he gave me the direction and thanks be to my divine companion

1
Andre Godin, The Notion of Religious Experience, Psychological Dynamics of Religious Experience(Birmingham,
Religious Education Press, 1985)
2
Victor R. Baltazar, S.J., Lived Religious Experience: A Conceptual Map(Center for Ignatian Spiritualiity Philippines)
because I able to make it besides the complicated direction and many stop overs. For two weeks
here in Manila, I look for a boarding house while staying for a while in San Jose Seminary. After
that two weeks, by the help of God, I able to find a boarding house. That time, God provided me
everything, from my food, my shelter and even my family like, companions. I remember when I
was still working I didn’t missed that much my family in Bohol because here in Manila, God
provide me an image of many grandmothers, many mothers, two fathers and so many siblings in
the person of my co-legionaries, co-employees, co-members of Singles for Christ, co-boarders,
managers and our boarding house owner. God provide me so many people that became my
family here in Manila. So, God really provide, God always protect and God always guide. He
never let me felt alone and abandoned here while living away from home.

Lastly, I felt God always supports me especially if it is for my own good and happiness. I
remember when I was in dilemma thinking about what to do to my vocation, considering my
family and there situation. I was really in great trouble that time that I could not be at ease. That
time, I was in our chapel when God directed me to go into the statue of St. Joseph and the child
Jesus at the front of our Seminary. There, I saw the statue for the first time with me as Jesus, the
child and God as St. Joseph, the father. God asked me, what is my plan, then I think for a while
considering and balancing everything. After that, I told him what I felt and what I was thinking
to do. Then, I felt His hand topping my shoulder and He gave me an assurance that He will be
with me, supporting me of my plan.

Those are two of my most significant experienced with God and that is how I lived my
religious experienced of God.

Bibliography:

Godin Andre. The Notion of Religious Experience, Psychological Dynamics of Religious Experience.Birmingham,
Religious Education Press. 1985

Baltazar Victor R., S.J., Lived Religious Experience: A Conceptual Map. Center for Ignatian Spiritualiity Philippines.
Archee A. Curiba Bobby Buenconcejo, S.J.
Student Professor

Spiritual Direction Experience

(Strengths and weaknesses)

Experiencing many times how to be a directee to a spiritual director and for the first time
having the experience on how to be a spiritual director, now I see and I can say something in
both sides: in the side of the directee and in the side of the director. For me, it is a good
opportunity to experience being a spiritual directee and being a spiritual director so that I can
understand both of them if I play the role of a directee which many times I experience since I
was in college and if I play the role of a spiritual director which for the first time I happened to
experienced last November 24, 2015. At that first experience of being a spiritual director, I felt
mixed emotions: excitement, nervous and joy. There, I just know that I really love listening, but
also good to point out that in that time my head was divided because I was thinking on how to
response, at the same time I was listening. But I was really enjoyed doing it. In fact, that time I
felt thirty minutes was too short to listen as well as to response and to try to help the person
whom I have given my spiritual direction.

As I am aware to the things that happened in me during my first spiritual director

experience like how I feel, how did I responds and how was my entire experience, I see my
weaknesses and my strengths in giving the spiritual direction.

My weaknesses

First, I was preoccupied by thinking how do I respond and what I am going to say.3 I
noticed it from the beginning until the end of the conversation.

Second, I saw that I was playing the role of a problem solver4 who always tried to solve
the problem of my directee. With that, I saw myself as a goal-oriented when I was giving my
spiritual direction.

Third, since I was preoccupied of what I am going to say next and how do I solve the
problem, my listening to my directee was distracted.5 I noticed it when my directee told me that
he cannot pray his personal prayer anymore, I was struck to the dilemma what I am going to say
next to solve the problem. But I was dismayed because until we were about to end I still can’t
find the way to solve it. That is why, when we were really ending, I asked him to think for it and
bring it to reflection.

3
Checklist of Pitfalls Related to Listening (Center for Ignation Spirituality Philippines)
4
Ibid.
5
Common Obstacles to Contemplative Listenning (Center for Ignation Spirituality Philippines)
 Fourth, with those preoccupations in my mind, what I actually did was pre-rehearsing6
my thoughts on what I am going to say.

Fifth, I really had the difficulty to read non-verbal behaviours; I can’t understand the
meaning of those actions everytime I was confronted by it. I tried to assume what it means but
then I back-out interpreting it because I was not that certain about it. There is always in my mind
that I might be wrong in my interpretations.

Lastly, because of the preoccupation in my mind I was poorly noticed the interior states
of my directee.7

My strengths:

First, I am welcoming and hospitable.8 At the start, I able to greet my directee and
expressed my concern to him.

Second, I able observed and maintained the SOLER skills: face the person squarely,
adopt open posture, lean toward the other at times, maintain good eye contact without staring,
and remain relatively relaxed as you interact with the other. I used to do the acting and stick to
the SOLER so that I would not be noticed by my directee that I was preparing and rehearsing my
responds to him while he was talking.9

Third, I usually let my directee talk as a sign of respect to him. I don’t interrupt my
directee when he was talking.10

Fourth, I was able to underscore significant words and phrase of my directee. Also, I
oftentimes paraphrase his entire statement before I asked questions to him.11

Fifth, I was able to let my directee reflect what would be the answer of God to his
questions and what would be the feelings of God in his situation now that he didn’t have
anymore time to do his personal prayer.12

Sixth, I think even if I was preoccupied in rehearsing my thoughts, I was still able to give
my continuous presence to my directee since I able to respond to him very well.13

6
Ibid.
7
The Art of Contemplative Spiritual Direction Summary of Skills (Center for Ignation Spirituality Philippines)
8
Checklist of Positive Listening Skills for Spiritual Directions (Center for Ignation Spirituality Philippines)
9
Basic Helper Skills (Center for Ignation Spirituality Philippines, 2015),4.
10
Common Obstacles to Contemplative Listenning (Center for Ignation Spirituality Philippines)
11
The contemplative Process: Staying with Another’s Experience of God Open Ended Verbal Responses (Center for
Ignation Spirituality Philippines)
12
Ibid.
13
Checklist of Positive Listening Skills for Spiritual Directions (Center for Ignation Spirituality Philippines)
 Seventh, I able to listen both the content and feelings of my directee14 and sometimes I
felt empathy of those feelings especially if I can relate myself to it. Like when my directee talked
about the problem of the uncooperative members of his committees and the unfinished work of
these members which would later on become his work to finish.

Lastly, I was able to help my directee to see the challenge and invitations for him so that
he will slowly solve his problem about his spiritual life.15

Knowing all those things especially my weaknesses and strengths in my first practicum
as spiritual director, these make me aware of how to deal my own spiritual director at the present
time and more so, help me improve my capacity and ability to become a good spiritual director.

Bibliography:

Checklist of Pitfalls Related to Listening. Center for Ignation Spirituality Philippines

Common Obstacles to Contemplative Listenning. Center for Ignation Spirituality Philippines

The Art of Contemplative Spiritual Direction Summary of Skills. Center for Ignation Spirituality Philippines

Basic Helper Skills. Center for Ignation Spirituality Philippines, 2015

The contemplative Process: Staying with Another’s Experience of God Open Ended Verbal Responses. Center for
Ignation Spirituality Philippines

Checklist of Positive Listening Skills for Spiritual Directions. Center for Ignation Spirituality Philippines

14
Ibid.
15
Checklist of Positive Listening Skills for Spiritual Directions (Center for Ignation Spirituality Philippines)
 VERBATIM

Spiritual Direction Log

1. Director’s Name: Archee A. Curiba

Directee’s Pseudonym: Gigi

Date Session: November 24, 2015

Number of Meetings: 1

Date of Supervision: November 25, 2015

2. Background of the Directee

- Gigi was a seminarian and a second year Theologian. He was suffering from his disjoined
shoulder and becuase of that his everyday routine and his spiritual life have been affected
months already.

3. Reasons why bringing this things to supervision:

- I have a tendency to over react and over empathize especially if I can very much relate to
the situation in which the directee experienced and shared. I just want to ask what is the
efffective way to control myself so that I can still do my role as an effective spiritual director.

4. A conversation proper:

Director’s Conversations:
Reactions:
I feel Empathy Gigi 7 : Nowadays especially during the San Jose Alumni Homecoming I found it
hard to find meaning of the many things that I did in my committees, as an INSTA
I feel staff, as a Documentation Committee member and as a Creative Team member.
something In addition, I found myself angry to the members of our committees who didn’t
 triggered do their task and later on it turns out that I am the one who will do their work.
inside me
D 8: I can very much relate to that feeling of your’s, I am a committee head and I
I feel angry also have members of my committee who would not participate and who would
also not care to do their part, even just as simple as presence in the meeting. I also get
angry with these kind of people.

But going back to your sharing you said that you found it hard to find meaning of
Trying to go what you are doing in your commmittees and you said also earlier that you found
back my focus it hard to do yur personal prayer because you use the time of your prayer in doing
to my directee the therapy of your shoulder. Do you think, there is a connection between not
having a prayer life and finding meaning of what you are doing?