What is a Spiritual Conversation?
Annick Bonnefond: It is a humble, deep and benevolent conversation which has the particularity of opening up to the presence of the Holy Spirit. It is inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Conversation is practiced by two or more in a Christian, friendly, family or professional context. This exchange is based on the conviction of at least one of the participants that the Holy Spirit is given to everyone; and that his listening is both interior (we pray the Spirit to inspire us) and turned towards the word of the other. It involves a certain way of listening and speaking.
What is the role of listening?
AB: It is first, Saint James reminds us: Know this, my beloved brethren: each must be quick to listen, slow to speak (Jas 1,19). True listening is a demanding path. It requires paying full attention — paying attention to what is being said and how it is said — without being distracted by what one would like to respond to, setting aside assumptions and judgments; and by being convinced that what the other delivers to me, at that moment, is precious. It is “ save the proposal of the neighbour, as Saint Ignatius of Loyola says, without placing him on a pedestal.
What about speech?
AB: It is a personal word (expressed by an “I”, and not by a “we”), imbued with freedom, truth and courage. She is weighed and thoughtful. It is a word that comes from the sharing of experience.
What is the purpose of a spiritual group conversation?
AB: Arrive at a decision, shared by all participants. We consider the group as a subject in its own right, with a history that is reread to discover the presence and action of God. Listening is twofold: that of God and that of the common life.
Do you have examples of community discernment?
AB: Yes, they are very varied: the accompaniment of a student roommate or that of the world assembly of the Christian Life Community in Buenos Aires in 2018, which was to lead to new orientations; the merger of two religious congregations or the creation of a lay association, envisaged by a dozen women with very different backgrounds and profiles. Another highlight: a retreat, bringing together a dozen people, survivors of the Rwandan genocide, who choose to put themselves at the service of their traumatized people.
What benefits have you seen?
AB: A “going out of oneself” takes place among the participants: one is ready to abandon one’s position if a better idea arises. The ‘I’ and the ‘you’ flow into a ‘we’ — a dimension often overlooked in our individualistic society. Faced with problems of governance and power, I remember this community which took the time to iron out its tensions. The rediscovery of their deep values made a communion grow between the participants and made possible a unanimous decision.
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