Discernment in ‘Spirit’ and ‘Truth’

This is the third of six blogs intended to help you to allow yourself to be guided by the Holy Spirit. Press this link if you wish to start reading from the first blog.

What is Discernment?

Discernment is the activity that a person does in order to judge well an event or life situation. In discerning God’s Will, the criterion is not merely human reasoning, but a process of paying attention to ‘the Voice of God, that dwells within one’s heart’ since,

In the depths of his conscience, man detects a law which he does not impose upon himself, but which holds him to obedience. Always summoning him to love good and avoid evil, the voice of conscience when necessary speaks to his heart: do this, shun that. For man has in his heart a law written by God; to obey it is the very dignity of man; according to it he will be judged (Cf. Rom. 2:15-16). Conscience is the most secret core and sanctuary of a man. There he is alone with God, Whose voice echoes in his depths. In a wonderful manner conscience reveals that law which is fulfilled by love of God and neighbour (Cf. Matt. 22:37-40; Gal. 5:14) […]. Conscience frequently errs from invincible ignorance without losing its dignity. The same cannot be said for a man who cares but little for truth and goodness, or for a conscience which by degrees grows practically sightless as a result of habitual sin (Gaudium et Spes, n.16).

Discernment in ‘Spirit’ and ‘Truth’

This discernment always happens in the context of a life journey; a journey that includes moments of union to God as well as moments of raptures due to sin. A journey intended to lead towards the eternal union with God in Christ. During any discernment intended to find God’s will, the Christian needs to let oneself be guided by the ‘Holy Spirit’ and by the ‘Catholic Truths’ revealed by the same Spirit. 

Such a process thenleads the Christian towards a lifelong conversion in Christ during which one “fight[s] the good fight of the faith” (1 Timothy 6:12), and “train[s oneself] in godliness” (1 Timothy 4:7) in order to “Let the same mind be in [oneself] that was in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). This happens with the aid of the Holy Spirit, since “no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3; cf. Romans 8:9, Veritatis Splendor, n. 22).

As this Spirit guided Jesus throughout his life—through him was conceived (cf. Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:35), started his public ministry (cf. Matthew 3:16), acted, spoke, rejoiced (cf. Luke 10:21) and offered himself up (cf. Hebrews 9:14)—this same Spirit continues to guide the Christian today. 

This is possible because the Father through Christ (cf. John 14:26) poured the Spirit on his disciples (cf. John 20:22).  Now, this Spirit, who dwells in the heart of the Christian (1 Corinthians 6:19), and is the spirit of Christ, leads us back to the Father, since “God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ ” (Galatians 4:6).

Moreover, this Holy Spirit is also the Spirit of Truth (cf. John 15:26) who guides the disciples into all the truth (cf. John 16:13).  And since this truth can never contradict the teachings of the Church (cf. 1 Timothy 3:15), the Christian can secure the authenticity of one’s discernment by confronting it to the teachings of the Church.

The purer and refined knowledge of revelation a person can possess, the more one can be sure of the authenticity of one’s guidance of the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, the actual living of these Truths does not depend on the effort of the individual to obtain such knowledge, but “it is the Holy Spirit that works from within that brings change” (Catechesi Tradendae,  n.72).