Should every good idea be acted upon? How do temptations change as I grow in my spiritual life?‛ When I’ve made a decision, how do I seek confirmation that it’s right? When I’m experiencing great joy, how ought I respond? And when difficulties come, how do I know whether to ‘tough it out’ or if I need to change course? These and similar questions were asked by participants during Sister Dorothy (Dot) Trosclair’s classes on discernment.
During a series of classes attended by mentors and discerners at Magnificat house, women in formation with the Daughters of Charity and Sisters of the Holy Family, and their directors, Sister Dot laid out the basics of spiritual discernment. We must believe that God acts uniquely in each of our lives, and calls us by name! God is a loving God, who leaves us free and will not force love upon us. The discerning person must be rooted in prayer; not just in saying prayers, but in being present to and with God. And discernment involves listening, both during prayer and during other interactions, to the interior movements that one feels in the heart and mind. When we pay attention, we will notice which of the movements lead us toward or away from God. This is the purpose of discernment.