I Myself shall pasture My sheep, I Myself shall give them rest – declares the Lord God. I shall look for the lost one, bring back the stray, bandage the injured and make the sick strong. I shall watch over the fat and healthy. I shall be a true shepherd to them. (Ezekiel 34:15-16)

Each and every person is precious to the Lord, thus He commanded individual care for His sheep. People live in the world encountering problems and difficulties of all kinds. Some do not know the way they ought to walk, others are very often confused and plagued by doubts, still others bear many bitter wounds in the heart and some others are caught in the grip of many vices and sins. People need the presence of authentic apostles whose spiritual counsel and prayers can comfort, heal and support them on their spiritual journey.

Which one of you with a hundred sheep, if he lost one, would fail to leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the missing one till he found it? (Luke 15:4)

And when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers to His harvest.’ (Mathew 9:36-37)

Spiritual counselling involves a sharing of the Scripture on a one to one basis by which a person is spiritually renewed, cleansed, refreshed and healed. Through spiritual counselling, the Lord Himself is at work and by the power of His all-healing Word, heals wounds, washes away faults and sins and fills with repentance and the Love of God. (Psalms 107:17-20; Wisdom 16:12)

It is only through a sincere repentance that the Lord heals the soul and gives it a completely new heart. Spiritual counselling is carried out with this objective, to help prepare the soul to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation after a detailed examination of conscience in the light of the commandments.

I shall pour clean water over you and you will be cleansed; I shall cleanse you of all your filth and all your foul idols. I shall give you a new heart, and put a new spirit in you; I shall remove the heart of stone from your bodies and shall give you a heart of flesh instead. I shall put my spirit in you, and make you keep my laws, and respect and practise my judgements. (Ezekiel 36:25-27)