Salesian Pearl of Wisdom #4
The Direction of Intention
Beyond the prayer that we know at Bishop
Ireton, what is the Direction of Intention?
• It refers to the action of pausing before each
new action and focusing our attention on
lifting this action to God.
• It is elegantly simple and profoundly powerful
at the same time.
Everyday Acts
• Francis saw the Direction of Intention as a
means by which the simple, everyday acts
could be transformed into something holy,
sacred and sublime. The most insignificant
actions could become a spiritual experience.
History
• While he was a student at the University of
Padua, he composed a rule book for himself.
With the help of his spiritual director, Antonio
Possevino, a Jesuit, he composed a series of
guidelines to keep his heart focused amid the
temptations and turmoil of university life.
• This guidebook contained the Direction of
Intention.
Spiritual Directory
• He taught the Direction of Intention to St.
Jane de Chantal.
• When they founded the Visitation Sisters, they
gave the nuns a booklet titled Spiritual
Directory for Daily Actions.
• This booklet, which was intended to help the
nuns live an authentic spiritual life contained a
teaching on the Direction of Intention.
Founding of the Oblates of St. Francis
de Sales
• Two hundred years later, Father Louis Brisson
founded the congregations of the Oblate
Sisters of St. Francis de Sales and the Oblates
of St. Francis de Sales.
• He passed the Spiritual Directory for Daily
Actions onto the nuns, priests and brothers of
both congregations.
Words of Francis de Sales in the
Spiritual Directory
• “Those who wish to thrive and to advance in the
way of Our Lord should, at the beginning of each
of their actions, both interior and exterior, ask for
His grace and offer to His divine goodness all the
good they will do. In this way, they will be
prepared with peace and serenity all the pain and
suffering they will encounter as coming from the
fatherly hand of our good God and Savior whose
most holy purpose is to have them merit by such
means so as to reward them afterwards with the
abundance of His love.”
• “They should not neglect this practice in
matters which are small and seemingly
insignificant, not even if they are engaged in
those things which are agreeable and in
complete conformity with their own will and
needs such as eating, drinking, resting,
recreation and similar actions; by following
the advice of the Apostle, everything they do
will be done in God’s name, to please him
alone.”
Simplicity
• You don’t need to be in a church and you
don’t need any rituals
• You just need to pause for an instant before
starting the action, and offer it to God as gift.
• The Direction of Intention can be something
as simple as, “My God, this is for you. I give it
with love.”
NOTHING IS TOO TRIVIAL
• Anything can be given as gift to our Lord.
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Doing the laundry
Writing a birthday card
Taking a shower
Walking the dog
• Each becomes a spiritual gift, a prayer, an act of
love.
• This pearl shows how Salesian Spirituality leads
to love of God, love of self, love of others and
love of creation.
Some Reflections
• Three benefits of the Direction of Intention
– If there is some pain or difficulty in the action,
somehow it is received with greater peace because we
paused before the action to turn it over to God as gift
and to ask for His help.
– By the same token, if there is special pleasure in the
action, that pleasure itself becomes holy because you
took time to life the action to God.
– Your prayer life is deepened because of these little
connections with God woven through your day. A
short prayer, a glance, is all that is needed to take the
simplest action and bring it to God.
GOOD STUFF!!!
• It is a tiny spiritual action (making a Direction
of Intention) that can produce monumental
spiritual benefits.
WARNING!
• It takes time to form the habit of
remembering to make the Direction of
Intention before beginning an action.
• For some, it takes a very long time.
• One can easily give up, but please don’t give
in to the temptation to give up.
Solution
• As for the help of the Holy Spirit.
• Start with small, baby steps.
• Promise to make the Direction of Intention for three or
four of those actions you do routinely each day.
• Practice this for several days or weeks until you find
yourself naturally making a Direction of Intention for
each of them.
• Then add a few more until one day you discover that
you involve God and a desire to please Him in each of
your actions, that you are living each day with love and
prayerfulness.
Please write this out word for word.
• My God,
Give me Your grace.
I offer you all the good that I will do in this
action,
And all the difficulty found in it.
Trusting You and Your abundant love.
Amen.