Discernment at Benet Hill
Pray with the Sisters
We invite all of our extended community to pray the following series of discernment prayers over the next few weeks. We prepare through prayer, discernment, and seeking, with mindfulness of our community direction, to election our new Prioress and council to guide Benet Hill Monastery through the next six years. Pray the Discernment prayer on Sunday then follow with the Monday through Saturday prayers. Kindling The Fires of Hope lists each prayer in order.
The short answer is "choosing between two goods, letting go of the outcome completely and letting God's will be made clear." Sister Rose Ann Barmann, O.S.B.
Based on Conversations magazine, Discernment Issue, volume 6:2 Fall/Winter 2008, "Discernment:Deciding with God"
by Wilkie Au
"It has been decided by the Holy Spirit and by ourselves" (Acts 15:28,29, JB). This biblical statement in a letter from the apostles and elders in Jerusalem to settle a controversy at Antioch affirms the remarkable reality that our decisions can be made conjointly with the Holy Spirit. Our belief that we can rely on the Holy Spirit's guidance in making life choices grounds the Chrisitan practice of discernment.
The Goal of discernment is to refine the acoustics of the heart so that we can be more closely united to God in obedient faith.To live with a "discerning heart" is to believe that "earth's crammed with heaven" and that God is to be found everywhere in the holy ground of our existence. As a process, discernment is decision making that invites God into the process and relies on God to be the telling influence in the choices we make.
Holistic discernment encourages us to put our whole selves into the process of seeking God's guidance. The belief that we are temples of the Holy Spirit invites the individual to use all the senses, thoughts and feelings, reactions, moods, imaginations and dreams to discern the Holy Spirit's lead. Holistic discernment reflects this growing faith in a God of surprises who speaks to us through Scripture, church teachings, other people, and external events, as well as in the silence of our own hearts.
Ways of Discernment
Based on Conversations magazine, Discernment Issue,volume 6:2 Fall/Winter 2008,
"Discernment:Deciding with God"
by Wilkie Au
Saint Ignatious, considered the great authority on discernment, set down in his 16th century book The Spiritual Exercises a definition of three ways in which God can guide people faced with choice.
The first way is when God "so moves or attracts the will that a devout soul without hesitation....follows what has been manifest to it." The responses of Saint Paul and Saint Matthew to the call of Christ are examples of this immediate path, which can be viewed as a moment of peak religious experience. The result of this way of discernment is an intuitive and unambiguously clear way to proceed eliminating any futher need for decision.
The second way revolves around the knowledge bearing capacity of feelings. Ignatious understands consolation as a complexus of positive feelings that encourages, supports and confirms a prospective descision as being "right." He sees desolation as a complexus of negative feelings that discourages, questions, and calls into doubt a prospective decision, suggesting it is not "right." The underlying assumption is that emotions or affective states are indicators of God's will. This way of affectivity connects our emotional awareness to our ability to decipher how we are being moved by God.
The third way highlights the process of reasoning. This methods asks one to image what choice might be made if facing death's door. Which descision would the person be able to ratify as meaningful in the service of the purpose of one's life.
These three ways form an integrated structure of experience within a person to allow coordination of the heart and the head in figuring out the gentle direction of God when faced with descisions. Ignatious directed that if one uses the rational approach she should then prayerfully check in with her feelings to see if they were similarly aligned. The same advice would be given to test prayerfully with reason regarding a decision based on emotion or a state of feelings. If they are in agreement, it may be deduced one is on the right path. Negative feelings or a contrary outcome to the question put to reason would indicate further discernment is required. This process is therefore, grounded in felt knowledge rather than asbtract theory.
Saint Ignatious' process outlined above, involves, according to Scholar John Futrell, paying attention to "the continuity of thoughts during reflection, the concomitant feelings constantly reacting to those thoughts--feelings which confirm or call into question the orientation of the reflection--and the growing understanding which involves both the thoughts and feelings--felt knowledge."
How to use Discernment
Based on Conversations magazine Discernment Issue,volume 6:2 Fall/Winter 2008, Discernment:Where prayer and Action Meet by Thomas H. Green, S. J.
Discernment ... is the journey from spiritual blindness (not seeing God anywhere or seeing him only where we expect to see him) to spiritual sight (finding God everwhere, especially where we least expect it).
Discernment is both an art and a gift. Art because we can practice and develop sensitivity to the movements of the Holy Spirit. Gift because the presence of God is ultimately based on grace. It cannot be forced. The best we can do is to align ourselves, preparing to be receptive so when that grace is bestowed, we are in the best possible position to receive and interpret. *
A final thought on the process of discernment reminds us, as with any human endeavor, discernment is a fallible process, suspect to misinterpretation and blind spots. Fortunately, as illustrated by the story of the Prodigal Son, God allows for trial and error learning. Through a willingness to be as open as possible and through the humble experience of trial and error we continue to grow in the ability to fine tune ourselves to the slight movements of the Spirit as we navigate our lives.*
* Based on Conversations magazine, Discernment Issue,volume 6:2 Fall/Winter 2008,
"Discernment:Deciding with God" by Wilkie Au.
Quiet contemplation, opening of the heart and mind to receive direction from the Holy Spirit sets the stage for a person to practice discernment. Three prerequisites are necessary to proceed with a conscious practice of discernment. 1)A desire to do God's will, 2) an openness to do what God wishes and 3) knowledge of how God speaks. Prerequisite number 2 is often the hardest as we often spend much of our lives trying to convince God to do as we wish.
First of all, Saint Ignatious makes clear that it is the feelings, not the ideas, that we discern.
The second basic guideline is that there are two essential feelings we have to evaluate: "desolation" and "consolation." Desolation is disturbance, restlessness, depression or anger. The common element is a lack of peace with the Lord. Saint Ignatius tells us that desolation is never God's voice. God always speaks in peace. It is this peace in the Lord that Ignatius calls consolation.
The basic guiding principle is never make or change a decision in desolation unless you want the devil to be your spiritual director.
Questions for Discernment
Based on Conversations magazine Discernment Issue,volume 6:2 Fall/Winter 2008, Discernment:Where prayer and Action Meet by Thomas H. Green, S. J.
Discerning consolation is sometimes trickier but can be examined from the totality of the experience: beginning, middle and end.
For example a Beginning question might be: Am I in the right place at the right time for the right reason? For example if I neglect my family in order to participate in a Church prayer group, then the beginning is not good.
A Middle question might be: What is happening with me during this experience? An answer such as finding myself judging others or makeing myself feel superior is not a good middle.
Finally a question for the end might be: What am I led to do and say? If i am led to be a source of illegal or divisive action then the end is not good.
Ultimately, it is the lived experience of the decision which will validate. A reality that is marked by "the fruit of the Spirit... love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control."Based on Conversations magazine, Discernment Issue,volume 6:2 Fall/Winter 2008, "Discernment:Deciding with God" by Wilkie Au.
Recommended Reading
Conversations magazine available from formatio.ivpress.com
Many good books on spirituality and discernment are available ath the Benet Gifts store at Benet Hill Monastery. For more practical experience, our Benedictine Spiritual Formation Program invites students to delve into their own spiritual life through discernment as well as preparing to help others travel the journey of spiritual discovery.
Some additional books, specifically addressing discernment are:
Discernment: A Path to Spiritual Awakening
by Rose Mary Dougherty
The Discerning Heart: Exploring the Christian Path
by Wilkie Au and Noreen Au
Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices that Transform Us
by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun
The Way of Discernment, part of the Companions in Christ Series
by Stephen Doughty and Marjorie Thompson
When the Soul Listens: Finding Rest and Direction in Contemplative Prayer
by Jan Johnson