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Principles of Discernment
SpiritLife Presentation
Connie R. Burkholder
What is Discernment?
I J ohn 4:1 Beloved, do not believe
every spirit, but test the spirits to
see whether they are from God; for
many false prophets have gone out
into the world. By this you know
the Spirit of God: every spirit that
confesses that Jesus Christ has
come in the flesh is from God, and
every spirit that does not confess
Jesus is not from God.
Discernere - meaning to separate,
to distinguish, to determine, to
sort out.
Identifying what spirit is at work,
testing the spirits
Sifting through our interior and
exterior experiences to determine
their origin.
The art of appreciating the gifts that
God has given us and discovering
how we might best respond to that
love in daily life.
The process of finding ones own
way of discipleship in a particular
set of circumstances
Responding to the call of
Christian love and truth in a
situation where there are often
conflicting interests and values
and choices to be made.
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Observing and assessing
different factors in a situation and
choosing the course of action
which most authentically answers
our desire to live by the gospel.
David Lonsdale, SJ It is more than a
process of decision-making which occurs
during prayer. It is a covenant with God:
an alliance by which God and Gods people
agree to live in mutual love and fidelity. It
is a continuous succession of choices
between two paths, the one leading to
fullness of life in the love God; the other
leading in a direction that is ultimately
dehumanizing and destructive.
Discernment is the process of
distinguishing between these two paths.
Maureen Conroy, RSM to sift through
distinguish, separate, and divide interior
movements that result from Gods personal
involvement. Developing a discerning
heart means being attentive to the
movements and countermovements
withindiscovering a personal God who
embraces both our darkness and our light
because in Gods eyes darkness and light
are the same.. choose those that bring us
to deeper union with God and reject those
that draw us away.
Understandings on Which
Discernment Rests
Unawakened self operate on the
basis of external laws and rules
Experience of Awakening to the Spirit
of God within us. Purgative stage in
the Christian Spiritual Path. Guided
by the desire to imitate Christ and the
relationship with Christ/God, rather
than by rules.
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Richard Hauser, SJ The person
must have had an awakening to the
Spirit in order to move toward union
with God/Christ. This is the point at
which we no longer simply follow
external laws or teachings of the
church, but the person responds to
the internal direction of the Holy
Spirit.
Understanding human beings as
being created in the image of God
Brought to life by the very breath of
God and therefore basically good.
Created by God with freedom to
choose between good and evil.
Hausers Scriptural Model of Self in
God: the Holy Spirit is the source of
good actions
The Holy Spirit in us is the deepest
part of us, the part that we can trust to
guide us toward God
David Lonsdale the setting which
discernment presupposes: a
willingness to look at and appreciate
the signs of Gods love for us and in
response to listen to the voice of the
Spirit of God and to follow where the
Spirit leads.We have to find our
own new ways of being Christians, of
trying to live according to the gospel
of J esus, and discernment, rightly
understood is at the heart of this
search for an authentic Christian
discipleship.
Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556)
Finding God in all things the core of
Ignatian spirituality
Discerning the spirits reflecting on
his ordinary thoughts, feelings, and
desires.
Identifying the source of our impulses
good or evil spirits
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Consolation and Desolation
J oan of Aracadia video clip
Consolation and desolation described
by J oans mother
Margaret Silf Consolation
Directs our focus outside & beyond
ourselves
Lifts our hearts so we can see joys and
sorrow of other people
Bonds us closer to the human community
Generates new inspiration and ideas
Restores balance & refreshes inner vision
Shows us where God is active in our lives
& where God is leading us
Releases new energy in us
Margaret Silf - Desolation
Turns us in on ourselves
Drives us down the spiral ever deeper
into negative feelings
Cuts us off from community
Makes us want to give up on things
important to us
Takes over our consciousness &
crowds out distant vision
Covers up all our landmarks
Drains us of energy