Monthly
Spiritual Message
January 2007
DISCERNMENT
My brothers and sisters, a New Year is upon us, and with each New Year
come opportunities for new beginnings.
Francis’ thinking regarding new beginnings was this: “Brothers and
sisters, let us begin again to do penance, for up until now we have done
nothing!” This may seem a bit
harsh. But in order to understand such
thinking we need be aware that for Francis all is “Grace,” that is, everything
is dependant on God, and we need to co-operate with him. The invocation to “begin again”, then, is
based on a presumption that you and I want to live ever more deeply a life-giving
union with God that is flavoured, infused and
animated with a Franciscan approach.
In order for this to eventuate,
we need to begin again to be discerning.
What is discernment? Well, it can
be many things, but for it to be a holy thing operating in our lives it must
comprise the seeking of the will of God, with the help of the Holy Spirit, and
actively putting into practice in heart, mind and deed that which is discerned
as coming from God. It is a
religious-spiritual approach which then forms and informs the basis of the
attitudes through which we manifest our life.
The subject of discernment is twofold.
It can be the individual person asking him or her self what is better
for him or her before God. Or it can be
the local or even the national fraternity seeking the best decision regarding
an apostolic commitment, a question or problem, future direction, etc. Both personal discernment and communal
discernment need to be integrated if they are to be true and genuine. So, my brothers and sisters,
let us examine in a holy way some of the principles that govern a life-giving
discernment process.
The Discernment of
The Attitude of St. Francis: At the end of his Letter to a
Chapter, Francis adds a prayer that reveals his fundamental attitude:
“Grant us, O Lord, by your grace to do what you want, and to will what pleases
you.” This is a guiding principle in his
life. Is it a guiding principle in our
life?
As an act of discernment it may be worthwhile asking yourself the
question: what is the guiding principle of my life? When I’m in conflict; when I pray; when my
fraternity meets; towards my Franciscan sisters and brothers?
Actively Seeking the Will of God
in Prayer: One of the moments when Francis needed to seek
God’s will for the direction of his life was whether he should live a more
active life among the people or be more contemplative. Francis favoured contemplation. “The servant of Christ, not trusting in his
own experience … placed his trust in prayer to definitely discover what was the
will of God in this matter.” (Leg. Mag. 4.2).
Our Seraphic Father never made any decision great or small without
having recourse to prayer. He acted on
what was revealed even if it went contrary to what he thought was the best way
to go. What about us? Do we want a share in the joy and peace that
dominated Francis’ life?
Discovering God’s Will in the
Scriptures: Francis at times would seek God’s will in
Sacred Scripture. He opened the Bible
with firm, prayerful and profound conviction that he would find God’s will for
his life (1 Cel 22; 2 Cel 15). From the
references, there emerges some indispensable and fundamental principles of
Franciscan discernment: The fervent request made to our heavenly Father to send
the Spirit to enlighten us; the belief, once the request is made, that the
Spirit is enlightening us; the faith that God takes an active interest in our
lives and that he is guiding us by speaking through his Word; and most
importantly, the interior disposition of complete readiness to hear from God
and to act on his communication. Have
you ever opened Sacred Scripture in this way?
Guided by the Church: Another means by which Francis discerned God’s will for him in life was
through the voice of the Church. Francis
acknowledged that the Church was an extension of the authority of Christ (Mt
28.16-18). The Rule of
Interior Reflection: Francis professed an interior sweetness that flooded him with joy when
he did the Father’s will (2 Cel 9). Even
if this was something highly repugnant to his nature, like embracing a leper. Francis discerned God’s will for him through interior
reflection: here am I, Lord, I come to do your will (Mt 6.10; 12.50; Jn 4.34;
5.30; 6.39-40; Rom 8.27; Eph 5.17 among many others). Have you experienced this flooding with
interior sweetness? Would you like
to? Perhaps more contemplation is needed
in your personal mix of spirituality?
Dialogue With Our Franciscan
Sisters and Brothers: Another preferential way for Francis to
discern the will of God for him was to enter into dialogue with the brothers
and sisters that God gave him. We have examples of this in his Letter to a Minister and in Leg. Mag. 12.2. Are there those we have written off in our
local fraternities? Have we withdrawn
and keep to ourselves because we can’t be bothered with all the hassles? Have we opted out of a very real pathway to
God’s will for us and our sanctification?
In summary, Francis based discernment on prayer, listening interiorly to
the Spirit, listening to Sacred Scripture, being in dialogue with the Church,
fellow Franciscans and wise “others” in order to be filled with an authentic-
ness that left him open to the peace, sweetness, love and joy of God.
In this current New Year, we can make New Beginnings and be infused with
New Life, if this is what we choose to do.
Happy New Year and may the Lord grant you
peace.
Friar David M. Huebner OFM Conv, National
Assistant SFO – Oceania.