Discernment, Not Decisions

Living in the Present

Today, Deacon David reflects on Jesus’ words, “Remain in me, as I remain in you,” (John 5:4), and in also recalling St. Paul’s words, “pray at every opportunity in the Spirit,” (Ephesians 6:18), Deacon David speaks to how we might better recognize God in the present and at every moment possible. To recognize Jesus’ walking with us right here and right now and to cherish that He is with us at every moment.

Obstacles

Today, Deacon David speaks to obstacles that inevitably arise on our spiritual journeys and how we might address these challenges when they do show up. Diving further into this thing we call Spiritual Formation, Deacon David ask, “What might happen if I truly told God I was ready for Him to take charge of my life? What might that look like and feel like if I really began trusting Him…if I purposely began allowing Him to direct me in my whole life?

Presence

Today, Deacon David looks at two questions to ask oneself in discerning God’s will. As we continue to grow in our prayer life, as we continue to grow in love and in God’s love, we begin to sense our Maker’s presence more often and, in more ways, and it is here where we begin to daily reflect on and often ponder, “How present am I in His presence?”  It is here that true spiritual growth begins.   And next, as we go about our days and begin looking for and seeing the face of Jesus in our brothers and sisters, we then can turn and ask ourselves, “How present am I in the other’s presence?”  Deacon David goes on to suggest when we consider these questions, we move closer to living the life of prayer that Jesus showed us and continue to move closer to this unceasing prayer life St. Paul taught us; our discernment continues.

We Come to You, Lord

Recalling what Mother Teresa once wrote, “My secret is very simple: I pray. Through prayer, I become one in love with Christ. I realize that praying to Him is loving Him.” Today, reflecting on Mother Teresa’s words, Deacon David reminds us - to pray to God is to love God. It is in our prayer, in our discernment, in our love of God where we will learn what God indeed wants for and from us. Deacon David encourages us to begin or renew our discernment journey by asking where might we begin? How do we stay committed? And how might we build a daily habit of prayer making it the center of our lives and grow in our relationship, our friendship, with God?

Our Hidden Centers

St. Teresa of Avila once shared a vision in which she heard God say to her, “If you wish to find Me… seek Me within yourself.” Today, Deacon David reflects on those words in light of Pope Leo’s recent insights on discernment and the hidden pathways of the heart. In a world filled with noise and constant distraction, finding quiet moments can be difficult. Yet, Deacon David encourages us to return more often to our inner stillness—the quiet center within—where God is waiting to be found.