The saints strongly recommend finding a spiritual director: it is hard to guide oneself in the spiritual life. Sometimes it may be impossible (see below). But it is worth praying hard to find someone suitable. This will normally be a priest, though it’s not inconceivable that it could be a Sister or a lay person.
It’s worth asking a priest for spiritual advice a few times and, if you find that they are helpful, orthodox and practical – St Francis de Sales says, “full of charity, knowledge and prudence” – you can ask to receive regular spiritual direction. You can also ask around: some priests will be known as especially helpful.
However, St Francis also warns us that such priests are very rare – maybe one in 10,000. Whether or not that estimate is too bleak, it is certainly wise to be careful.
And if there just isn’t anybody, the Church provides innumerable other helps in the spiritual life: the sacraments, the sacramentals, spiritual reading, and so on.
