Vocational Discernment

Day 5: Homily: VOCATIONAL DISCERNMENT. Retreat to the FMAs, Bellefonte Outreach, Shillong. 

Samuel – Eli. Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.

Jesus call his first disciples. Immediately they left. Risk takers, not security freaks. Mark 1:14-20. 

Who you are in God is who you are. Your identity.

Eli is not able to discern God's voice calling Samuel. He thought of himself, not God. That's why visions were rare those days, as the passage of the call of Samuel says.

We need to accompany the young not only to finish their schooling, but help them arrive where God wants them to be. This is vocational discernment. It is about guiding the youngsters to where God wants them to be at the moment, and move towards in accomplishing God’s will in their lives.

Discernment is a special process. We can talk of a discerning buyer, who can distinguish the best, or the better ones in a group. In life too we face many situations, even dilemmas, what to choose, what to leave. 

Discernment is not a choice between good and bad, it is not merely about using our freedom to decide and choose good over evil. That should be clear: as religious men and women there is no choice or option for evil. Choosing evil as evil is out of our books. God has created me to do good always, and avoid evil at all costs and thus do good. Interestingly, and unfortunately, we have misunderstood this. Jesus’ definition of an evil person is one who does not do good. But we (or the world) has twisted this definition to talk about a good person. We say that a good person is one who does not do evil. Oh, this is what we have done to Jesus’ words very many times. Merely avoiding evil is not enough, we human beings are created to do good, and do good always. 

Discernment, therefore, is a choice between two (or more) goods. When there are two good things, what to choose: that is the question. It is a process of coming to understand what is better; which is better of the two or more things. Which is more valuable? 

Nouwen: Christian discernment is not the same as decision making. Reaching a decision can be straightforward: we consider our goals and options; maybe we list the pros and cons of each possible choice; and then we choose the action that meets our goal most effectively. Discernment, on the other hand, is about listening and responding to that place within us where our deepest desires align with God’s desire. As discerning people, we sift through our impulses, motives, and options to discover which ones lead us closer to divine love and compassion for ourselves and other people and which ones lead us further away. 

Discernment reveals new priorities, directions, and gifts from God. We come to realize that what previously seemed so important for our lives loses its power over us. Our desire to be successful, well liked and influential becomes increasingly less important as we move closer to God’s heart. To our surprise, we even may experience a strange inner freedom to follow a new call or direction as previous concerns move into the background of our consciousness. We begin to see the beauty of the small and hidden life that Jesus lived in Nazareth. Most rewarding of all is the discovery that as we pray more each day, God’s will—that is, God’s concrete ways of loving us and our world—gradually is made known to us. 

Discernment = paying attention to what is deepest and best within us, and acting faithfully in accordance with what is deepest and best. 

Paul to the Corinthians. Whether to eat meat or not. Two values involved here. Value of knowledge vs value of love. St Paul. 1 Cor 8. 

When there is a choice between the value of knowledge and the value of love, discernment tells us that we choose love over knowledge. 

He says think what is beneficial (greater good) for the other. 1 Cor 10:23; 6:12. 

For example, the beef problem in India. (Not so much here in Meghalaya, but in Maharashtra or other places where beef is banned.) The value of knowledge instructs us that it is nothing wrong with eating beef, as you would mutton or any other meat. But the value of love instructs us to think of Hindus as our brothers and sisters. For the sake of love (though I know it is no wrong in eating beef or asking others to do the same) I decide not to eat beef. I’m thus one with them as a brother or sister. 

Similarly, when there is a conflict between the diocese and the religious (sisters or fathers or brothers), I can choose the virtue of love/charity over the virtue of knowledge/truth itself. In fact, by insisting on my right I can sin. I can become a cause of sin itself. 

Too much prominence to ourselves? 

During our moments of examen of conscience what do I focus on? Is the focus on evil? But the focus should be: Have I missed doing any good? 

Move out for the greater need. Jesus: other villages too need me.