Elements of
Discernment
Prayer: One needs to have a life of prayer and not just prayer at crisis times.
Evidence: You need to gather the facts about your abilities and
limitations – spiritual,
mental, physical. Are you able to live out the call to a life in an apostolic community?
Guide: Choose a mature Christian who can help you be objective in your
discernment – not a friend or a relative.
Openness: Look at your motivation. What are your
ideals?
Why do you
want to be a religious? Why not?
Time: Be patient with yourself and with God. Discernment needs time so you can
determine if the movements are from God or solely from yourself.
Peace: Look to see if you have a calm or sense of rightness about your decision.
If there
is a lot of anxiety, you probably should pray some more. If the anxiety persists, you
probably are not being called. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. Pay attention to your
feelings.
Decision: Make the most loving choice. Choose what you sense is God’s will as you
understand it. Remember that God does not want anyone to be unhappy.
Usually our
true deep desires are God’s desire for us.
Confirmation: After making your initial decision, give yourself more time to pray and to
wait awhile to see if your inner peace remains. There should be a continuation of inner
tranquility and satisfaction that you made the best decision. CAUTION:
Sometimes we
can panic after making a major decision. That is normal. The key is to see if the panic
persists. If so, you better look at it again.
Other Comments About Discernment:
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No one is 100 percent sure of any decision.
Strive to choose the most
loving thing. You cannot expect infallibility. Try to follow your heart the best you can.
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Discernment takes a lot of work. Try to get all the pertinent facts available.
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Decisions are not necessarily the most difficult choices.
God’s will is not always
hard.
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The core of discernment is prayer, evidence and peace.
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