Discernment: Reflection of Wisdom and Intelligence

Discernment:  In Dt. 4: 1, 5-9, the first reading of today’s liturgy, Moses speaks to us of obeying God’s laws and decrees. In the Gospel of today, Mt.5: 17-19, Jesus tells us that He is the fulfillment of the Law and that He has not come to destroy it.  In discernment, we are faced with laws and decrees that God places before us, including a decree that has to do with which vocation in life will I choose, what specific decision will I make.  Moses encourage us to keep the decrees of God so that “you may live” and so that “you will give evidence of your wisdom and intelligence.”  So, we will know that we have discerned properly if the choice that we make is life giving to us, first of all, and life-giving to others. We will also know that we have rightly discerned God’s will if the choice we make for ourselves gives witness to our intelligence and wisdom! And the first one to know will be ourselves. Each of us knows when we make “stupid” choices. We say to ourselves: “What did I do that for?” “I knew that was a wrong choice for me.”  Or we even verbally abuse ourselves, saying: “How stupid of me,” rather than gently recognizing that, as a human being, I am prone to error and that any mistake I make is an opportunity for growth. So, what I need to say to myself is:  “What do I need to learn from the mistake I made? What does God want to teach me from this mistake” and thus personally grow in grace (humility) and wisdom. Both of which are elements of discernment!

Discernment: How God Directed the Israelites

In Exodus 40: 16-21, 34-38, we are given information of how the Israelites knew God’s will for them. A “cloud covered the meeting tent and the glory of the Lord filled the Dwelling….Whenever the cloud rose from the Dwelling, the children of Israel would set out on their journey. But if the cloud did not lift, they would not go forward; only when it lifted did they go forward.” A cloud was seen during the day and “fire was seen in the cloud at night…by the whole house of Israel in all stages of their journey.” This was the presence of God in their midst. God also gave them the Ten Commandments and wrote the Law in their memories: “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts” (Jer. 31:33).

The Israelites did not go forward unless the cloud lifted. Imagine you and I heeding the clouds in our lives as a message from God not to make major decisions at that time, not to go forward when our minds are foggy, when we feel confused, when we really don’t know what to do or what to think. That is the time to recall Isaiah’s advice: “By waiting and by calm, you shall be saved; in quiet and in trust your strength lies” (Is. 30: 15). Also, then, imagine us following the directives of the Lord when “the cloud is lifted,” knowing that it is time to move forward , to implement a decision about which we are clear.

Like the Israelites, God dwells in our midst, in fact, God dwells in the very core of our beings. We are Temples of the Holy Spirit. God’s law is also written on our hearts and inscribed in our minds. The Holy Spirit lives within us “to infuse our knowledge with divine grace and guide us with divine creativity and wisdom” so that we, too, are able to stay on the right track on our journey to the Promised Land of Eternal Life with God (See The Word Among Us, July/August 2013, p. 51).

Discernment: The Human Cycle of Dependence, Independence and Interdependence

 We begin life totally dependent upon others and then move toward developing independence, a necessary prerequisite to being interdependent. Interdependence is a sign of a healthy sense of self, high self-esteem and a level of maturity that speaks of wisdom, prudence, and courage.   This latter sense of well-being is achieved only by those who have learned to take responsibility for themselves first and know when they need help. Those who are interdependent have built their “houses on solid rock,” as Jesus tells us in the Scriptures.

Discernment, as adults, means 1) that we know when others are legitimately dependent upon us and that we have a responsibility toward them, 2) that we know when it is essential that we depend upon ourselves, our abilities, our talent, acknowledge our dependence upon God working through us and guiding us and, finally, 3) that we know when  and how to work interdependently, acknowledging that we need the help and guidance of others:  Knowing  when and where to seek counsel; knowing when and in what circumstances we are powerlessness; knowing the importance of being open to and having the wisdom to  seek feedback;  in short, having the courage and the wisdom to enter into dialogue and mutual discernment in order to do that to which God is calling us as People of God, as Church, as God’s Kingdom People here on earth, members of one flock, one Shepherd, united in love as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one.