March 06, 2009
Discernment: Integrating God-gifted Desire with Everyday Life
“I’m coming to a place in my life where things are no longer happening to me. I’m part of making them happen.” This was an insight that a senior came to in my office. I responded to the caution in her voice as she recognized the impact of the choices and decisions in her life but, inwardly, I smiled because I knew that she was wonderfully close to developing discernment as a spiritual practice.
When I served as a lay Catholic minister at Boston College, I was privileged frequently with hearing the students’ experiences of relationships and transitions that engaged the central questions of their lives. In this role, my essential ministry was the practice of introducing, coaching and affirming a practice of discernment with them.