of God is active: That is where it all
begins. Developing skills of attention
to oneself, noticing how one feels,
thinks, and reacts—all these are important if we are to become discerning people.
Know thyself
This attentiveness obviously cannot
happen in a vacuum; we need a circle
of close friends and trusted advisors
who can help us to know who we
are, who can walk with us and assist
us in growing in self-awareness. Our
lives are filled with such people:
family members, friends, teachers,
pastors, spiritual directors, and others. Just as Jesus asked his followers,
“Who do people say that I am?” so
we need honest feedback from others
to come to know ourselves better and
to learn the movements of our heart.
One of the first principles of
Saint Ignatius of Loyola’s rules for
prayer and discernment is the necessity of knowing what one desires.
What is the passion that captivates
my heart? In gospel language the
metaphor might be: What, for me, is
the “pearl of great price” (Matthew
13: 45-46) for which I would sell
everything?
Second, the Hasidic saying reminds us that knowing and observing are not enough. We must at some
point in our lives make a choice for
what we perceive gives us life; we
must “choose that way with all our
strength,” not looking back, but putting our “hand to the plough” and
giving ourselves wholeheartedly to
that which has captured our heart. In
the true Ignatian sense, discernment
engages us in a process leading to a
decision for life—for God.
Our response to a perceived call
by God engages us in the long-es-
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