Discerning God's Will: Seeking the Grace of Enlightenment

Step 4 of the Ignatian method of discerning God’s will is to pray from the bottom of your heart for the grace of enlightenment. In this step you are asking the Holy Spirit to turn the light on within your mind—“let me see, Lord, what it is that you are asking of me. Move me out of darkness into the light of knowing what your will is for me.” In the same token you are asking for the strength to do that which God is asking of you. Source: Discernment of Spirits by Warren Sazama, SJ, National Religious Vocation Conference, Chicago, IL 60615.

 The very fact that we seek enlightenment means that we realize that our minds have been darkened by the Fall of Adam and Eve. We have all inherited a dullness that clouds our thinking. The removal of these spiritual “cataracts” is not possible if we do not even recognize the fact that “cataracts” are clouding our vision.  That recognition requires humility modeled by Mary, Joseph, Peter, Mary of Magdala and all of those who were recipients of Jesus’ healing ministry in the NT Scriptures.  We do not seek “enlightenment,” “openness,” “light,” or help in any way if we do not recognize our need for an intervention. If, in truth, we are going to discern God’s holy will, we need the Holy Spirit to break into our minds with the light of Christ.  What blocks me from seeking the Wisdom of the Spirit, the Enlightenment of God?