The Difference Between Confession and Spiritual Direction

Many times, when people enter the confessional to own up to their sins and receive absolution, they expect advice from the priest.  Sometimes, that advice is forthcoming; other times, the priest simply listens to the confession without comment.  Why is there a difference?  The short answer is because advice-giving is not an intrinsic part of the sacrament.  Rather, advice-giving is more accurately called spiritual direction.  While confession and spiritual direction share some common characteristics, their essences are distinct.

The essence of confession is sacramental grace given to our souls from Christ through the priest.  Sincere repentance and confession of sins leads to the growth of God’s life within us.  That grace strengthens our weaknesses and reinforces our bond with Christ.  It also increases the virtues of faith, hope, and charity.  God, in the sacrament of Reconciliation, works directly on our soul. 

The essence of spiritual direction, on the other hand, is sound advice.  The task of a spiritual director is to help clarify what God is asking of us and to see how he is acting in our lives.  The director helps us evaluate what our response to God is:  are we truly discerning what God wants of us, or are we trying to justify our desires?

While there can be overlap, one difference between confession and spiritual direction is the nature of the story you tell.  When you go to confession, you talk about your sins and failings.  When you go to spiritual direction, you bring the entire story of your life with God.  You may be talking about a decision you need to make, something that has inspired you, or questions you have.  You may talk about areas of weakness, but that's not the only area of discussion.  While confession is required when there is awareness of grave sin, spiritual direction is an optional opportunity for growth in faith.

If a priest-confessor is like a doctor, working directly on the patient’s soul, then a spiritual director is like a physical therapist who helps us figure out the exercises we need to be doing in order to grow spiritually.  This is valuable advice, but it is a different task than that of the surgeon who actually, physically repairs a torn ligament.

While only a priest can hear confessions and offer absolution, spiritual directors are often religious brothers and sisters, deacons or lay people.  A spiritual director has solid training in spiritual theology, life experience, and the gifts of knowledge and counsel.  And while many priests are qualified and feel comfortable offering guidance as part of confession, others will entrust this important task to spiritual directors, whose efforts complement those of the priest in leading souls to holiness.