Discernment
"I have learned nothing except from prayer...
We should give great attention to the movement of our heart."
Jeanne de Matel
Recalling the mission of Jeanne de Matel, our foundress, to continue to make the Word flesh, we are grateful for our own call to the Congregation of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament to make this charism known today. We desire to walk with other women as they discern their call to a vowed life of poverty, celibacy and obedience in this Community.
What is Discernment?
Discernment is rooted in the understanding that God is ever at work in our lives - inviting, directing, guiding, drawing us into the fullness of life. It's central action is reflection on the ordinary events of our lives. It seeks to discover God's presence in these moments and to follow the direction and guidance God gives us through grace. It is not the events themselves that are of interest, but rather the affective responses they evoke in us - feelings of joy, sorrow, peace, anxiety and all the indefinable 'somethings' that arise and stir within us. It is precisely here that through faith we can discover God's direction and guidance in our lives.
The process of discernment presupposes several things - that you: can reflect on the ordinary events of your life; can describe what you experience; have a habit of personal prayer; know yourself; know your deepest desires; and are open to God and God's direction.
Excerpt from "Responding to God's Love: understanding the discernment process"
by Charles J. Jackson, SJ
Prayer for Discernment
from the writings of Jeanne de Matel
Jesus... be my unfailing light! May I always follow You.
My Divine Savior, never allow me to walk in darkness.
Be with me, show me Your paths.
May I do Your will in everything...
My crucified Savior, be the center
in which all my desires and efforts converge. AMEN.
E-MAIL US to register for a Discernment Retreat
or to "come & see" !
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