Recap Session 8: March 8th, 2009

Welcome!

Thank you for taking time to review the recap of Session 8- Discerning God's Call in your life: Profile of a Discerning Life: The Moment of Communion. If this is your first time viewing the blog- Welcome- we're so glad you're here. Please take note of previous sessions as they lay the foundation for the topics discussed in the recap of session 8. Note also the updates on certain sections of the blog- specifically the "Spotlight on Ministry" and "Culminating Service Project". We're down to the home-stretch here, so please be sure to pick up your travel-sized donations for our hygiene kits.

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For the remainder of Lent we will be examining the Practice of Discernment as it applies to our daily lives. The next three sessions focusing on the Moments of Communion, Commitment, and Mission will help you to develop your own "profile" of a discerning life. While there is no one way of living a discerning life, there are people whose life stories reveal what might be called a 'profile of a discerning life'. For Christians, Jesus Christ's life is the ideal example of discernment. Using discernment as a lens through which to view the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus will always add to one's understanding of response to the Spirit's presence and action (Smith and Merz, 2006). As Ignatius has taught us- "Your personal relationship with God must be lived in the world and derived through a process of continual prayer, reflection, and action." The relationships that God has placed in our lives are the experiential context through which we see God. By examining other peoples "stories", listening and observing where they have encountered Christ, we can be more alert to the action of God in our own lives.

It must be noted that sometimes such discernment is a great personal cost. Whether discernment leads to you tension within a relationship or martyrdom as has been the tragic result for so many of our brothers and sisters throughout history; discernment can be a costly enterprise. But, as we learned in the Moment of Struggle, choosing to find interior freedom by cooperating with the action of the Spirit, engaging in the struggle and trusting that God will be in the midst, will lead to conversion and consolation.

Your growing sense of consciousness of discernment can guide you as you more through the Moment of Communion, Commitment, and Mission. Congruence with the qualities found in those moment confirm the authenticity of your discerning ways and refine your appreciation of discernment. Discovering and choosing God's will occasions within you the gifts of compassion, charity, freedom, generosity, peace, joy, hope, decisiveness, and faith. The ways and values of Jesus will become apparent as you lead a life of discernment. (Smith and Merz, 2006).

Let's examine the Moment of Communion-

The Ways and Values of Jesus
As the ways and values of Jesus shape decisions, they also become normative for our decisions. One test of the rightness of a decision is its harmony with gospel values. Loving communion with Jesus is critical at every step in the discernment process.

Ignatian Insight

"Those who desire to show greater devotion and to distinguish themselves in total service to their eternal king and universal Lord, will not only offer their persons for the labor, but go further still. They will work against their human sensitivities and against their carnal and worldly love, and they will make offerings of greater worth and moment...." (Spiritual Exercises, 97).

Scriptural Insight

"You did not choose me but i chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name." (John 15:16)

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth...For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also...I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing...And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?...Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow....Do not judge, so that you may not be judged..." (Matthew 6:19, 21,25,27,33-34; 7:1).

"Then he said to them all, 'If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves?'" (Luke 9:23-25).

Reflection Questions

• What gospel story of Jesus captures for me the invitation to live as Jesus did?
• Which values of Jesus are especially important to me?
• Am I willing to abandon a path or line of action that reveals itself to be opposed to the values of Jesus?
• Consider a relationship- Have I found myself marginalized by others because of my commitment to the person and values of Jesus?
• Which of the values of Jesus are especially important for me to have as part of my relationships?
• Which of Jesus' values do I draw upon most in my relationships?
• What does Jesus' commitment to his disciples say to us about being a group that values collaboration and community?
• In our group interactions as a church family, do we act according to the values of Jesus?
• How do I feel about the growing religious diversity in our nation?
• Which of the values of Jesus do I most want to share with people of other religious traditions?
• What steps am I taking to become more articulate about Christian values so that I can explain them to others who may inquire about my religious tradition?
• How do issues of prejudice and injustice command my attention and move me to action?

Compassion

The more that we identify with Jesus, the more we find our heart moved with compassion toward those who struggle in any way. compassion needs to characterize the consideration of the persons and situations in which we are discerning (Smith and Merz, 2006).

Ignatian Insight

"If the giver of the Exercises sees that the one making them is experiencing desolation and temptation, he or she should not treat that person severely or harshly, but gently and kindly. The director should encourage and strengthen the person for the future, unmask the deceptive tactics of the enemy of our human nature, and help the person to prepare and dispose himself or herself for the consolation which will come" (Spiritual Exercises, 7).

"Similarly, this consolation is experienced when the soul sheds tears which move it to love for its Lord- whether they are tears of grief for its own sins, or about the Passion of Christ our Lord, or about other matters directly ordered to his service and praise" (Spiritual Exercises, 316).

Scriptural Insight

"And I will pour out a spirit of compassion and supplication on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that, when they look on the one whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him as one weeps over a firstborn" (Zechariah 12:10).

"A Samaritan while traveling came near [the man who was robbed, stripped, beaten and abandoned half dead]; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, 'Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend'" (Luke 10:33-35).

"If the there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete' be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind" (Phililppians 2:1-2)

Reflection Questions

• How do I respond when I become aware of another's struggle?
• What has helped me to notice God's presence and action in situations of struggle or suffering?
• What helps me to remember that God works through suffering to bring new life?
• How does compassion free me to make new choices?
• Consider a relationship- What effect has receiving another person's compassion had on me?
• Have we learned to be compassionate toward, but not caretakers of, each other?
• Have we developed a compassionate attitude toward people in situations and institutions whose limits and sinfulness affect us?
• Can we bring compassion to bear in those situations when our decisions are the occasion of pain to others?
• How do I resist being unduly influenced by the harshness which is characteristic of much public debate?
• What has my experience of travel contributed to my compassionate and just attitudes toward other people?

Charity

A life of charity is the ultimate test of discernment. It will be manifested as we become more and more selfless, faithful, other0directed, respectful, forgiving, patient, just, and caring (Smith and Merz, 2006).

Ignatian Insight

"In this hospice (in Spain in 1535), he began to speak with many who came to visit him, of the things of God, by whose grace much fruit was derived. As soon as he arrived, he decided to teach Christian doctrine every day to children...He also preached...with profit and help to the souls who cam many miles to hear him. He also made an attempt to eliminate some abuses, and with God's help some were set right, e.g., to have gambling banned under sanction. There was also another abuse there: namely, the girls in that region...have become concubines of priests and other men...Much evil results from this custom. The pilgrim persuaded the governor to make a law...so this abuse began to be corrected. He got an order to be given that the poor should be provided for officially and regularly" (Autobiography, 88-89).

"Contemplation to Attain Love, Note: Two preliminary observations should be made. First- Love ought to manifest itself more by deeds than by words. Second- Love consists in a mutual communication...The one who loves gives and communicates to the beloved what he or she has, or a part of what one has or can have and the beloved in return does the same to the lover" (Spiritual Exercises, 230-231).

Scriptural Insight

"Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice fro our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us" (1 John 4:7-12).

"Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection" (Romans 12:9-10).

"If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant. Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease, as for knowledge, it will come to an end. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:1-4, 8,13).

Reflection Questions

• When have I had an experience of God's love moving within me?
• Do I recognize my experience of "any increase of love' as consolations?
• What have I noticed about how my love for god has been purified?
• Consider a relationship- which relationships in my life have been most shaped by an awareness of god's love for us?
• Has my experience of being loved by others helped me to become more generous in loving others?
• In which relationships am I most challenged to love as Christ did?
• If there is a legitimate reason for our group to discuss others, is our conversation marked by charity?
• Are we charitable to each other even when we are in conflict?
• What are the signs of growth in charity in our group?
• What changes in my way of loving the world result from a consideration of the profound interconnectedness of all things in creation?
• What are my responses when I learn about people entering danger to help another?

Freedom

A faith-filled discernment leads to ever-deepening interior freedom. New areas of "unfreedom" will continually come to our attention. Each awareness will draw us into the life0giving dynamic of Jesus' death resurrection which truly frees us (Smith and Merz, 2006).

Ignatian Insight

"For this purpose- namely, that the Creator and Lord may with greater certainty by the one working in his creature- if by chance the [person] feels an affection or inclination to something in a disordered way, it is profitable for that person to strive with all possible effort to come over to the opposite of that to which he or she is wrongly attached. Thus, if someone is inclined to pursue and hold on to an office...not for the honor and glory of God our Lord or for the spiritual welfare of souls, but rather for one's own temporal advantages and interests, one should try to bring oneself to desire the opposite. One should make earnest prayers and other Spiritual Exercises, and ask God our Lord for the contrary; that is, to have no desire for this...or anything else unless the Divine Majesty has put proper order into those desires, and has by this means so changed one's earlier attachment that one's motive in desiring or holding on to one thing rather than another will now be only the service, honor, and glory of the Divine Majesty" (Spiritual Exercises, 16).

Scriptural Insight

"Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, 'If you continue in my work, you are truly my disciples' and you will know the truth,and the truth will make you free...So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed'" (John 8:31-32,36).

"For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery...For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence..." (Galatians 5:1,13).

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Corinthians 3:17).

Reflection Questions

• What are signs to me that I am acting with interior freedom?
• What are signs that I am not interiorly free?
• In what areas of my life do I need to become more free and trusting of God?
• What is my experience of using the power I have, whether because of my education, age, income, or networking?
• Can I remember and draw on memories of times when I was free enough to open myself completely to God's presence and action?
• What scripture figures give me hope of becoming more free?
• Consider a relationship- What happens in my relationships when I bring interior freedom to the interactions?
• What are the signs to me that my lack of freedom is "hooked' to another's lack of freedom? Am I free enough to address this with the other person?
• How have I learned not to be controlled by others' expectations of me?
• Are we using our power in healthy ways with each other?
• Is a spirit of trusting freedom permeating our interactions at Good Shepherd?
• Are we using power in ways that free and enhance rather than bind or exclude?
• What situations make me aware of the difference between true freedom and selfish license?
• What freedom does my economic situation give me? what are the corresponding responsibilities I have?

Generosity

God's grace may empower us to act with more generosity than we ever dreamed would be possible when responding alone (Smith and Merz, 2006).

Ignatian Insight
"I will call back into my memory the gifts I have received- my creation, redemption, and other gifts particular to myself. I will ponder with deep affection how much God our Lord has done for me, and how much he has given me of what he possesses....even his very self..." (Spiritual Exercises, 234).

"One day....a beggar asked him for alms and he gave him a marchetto, which is a coin of five or six quatrini. After that another came, and he gave him another small coin that he had, somewhat larger; and to a third he gave a giulio, having nothing but guilii. The beggars, seeing that he was giving alms, kept coming and so all he had was finished. Finally, many beggars came together seeking alms. His response was to ask pardon, as he had nothing left" (Autobiography, 50).

"Colloquy. Imagine Christ our Lord suspended on the cross before you, and converse with him in a colloquy: 'How is it that he, although he is the Creator, has come to make himself a human being? How is it that he has passed from eternal life to death here in time, and to die in this way for my sins?' In a similar way, reflect on yourself and ask: 'What have I done for Christ? What am I doing for Christ? What ought I to do for Christ?' In this way, too, gazing on him in so pitiful a state as he hangs on the cross, speak out whatever comes to your mind" (Spiritual Exercises, 53).

Scriptural Insight
"For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9).

"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went. He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?' 'Because no one has hired us,' they answered. "He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.'

"When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.'

"The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.'
"But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' "So the last shall be first, and the first will be last." (Matthew 20:1-17).

Reflection Questions

• What experiences have formed a generous spirit in me?
• Who are the people who have modeled generosity for me?
• In what concrete ways do I practice generosity with my time, my presence, my expertise?
• In what way have I learned to counter the individualistic spirit that can surround me?
• What do I do with the fear that can get in the way of a generous response?
• Consider a relationship- What are the ways I bring generosity to our relationship?
• Am I willing to be generous when another cannot respond with generosity or appreciation?
• Have we a church family learned the difference between being generous and responding to manipulation or unreasonable expectation from within or from outside the group?
• Are we generous with our time, expertise, and attitudes?
• What are my honest thoughts and feelings about programs that call for generosity?
• What is my motivation for being generous in giving to those in need?

To Sum Up

The Moment of Communion finds us at a deeper level of faith, of interior freedom and of desire to be available for God's plans in our life and relationships. Discernment points our attention toward the qualities of mind, heart and action that reveal the presence and action of God's Spirit within us. Living with the ways and values of Jesus as guide, our choices and decisions must be grounded in compassion, freedom, and generosity, and sustained by hope in God's promises to us (Smith and Merz, 2006).

Let us Pray

Lord, grant that in the moment of communion we may deepen our commitment to live faithfully according to the gospel values of Jesus. Help us to grow in our ability to bring the compassionate ways of Jesus to our judgments about ourselves, others and the world. Grant that we may grow in a mature and steady practice of charity that is selfless, forgiving, and empowering. Provide us with the strength to choose those options that will help us to grow in greater freedom from the attachments, biases, and preferences that block our availability for God's action in our lives. And lastly, help us to be generous in our response to God's invitations whether they come in prayer, relationship, groups, or in the needs of the world. All this we ask in Jesus name. Amen.