DWG12 - The Peace of Discernment - The Discernment of God’s Will in Everyday Decisions with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

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The Peace of Discernment – “What am I to do?” The Discernment of God’s Will in Everyday Decisions with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

Fr. Timothy Gallagher and Kris McGregor delve into the third mode of discernment proposed by St. Ignatius of Loyola. They explore how to prayerfully discern between significant life choices when clarity isn’t achieved through the first or second modes of discernment. Fr. Gallagher explains the method of evaluating options based on their advantages and disadvantages from the perspective of God’s greater glory.

He discusses a second approach within the third mode involving three simple tests: advising another in the same situation, reflecting from the perspective of life’s end, and considering the decision in light of eternity. Fr. Gallagher shares a personal example of using this method during his tenure as provincial to decide whether to continue or step down, illustrating the process and its efficacy, as well as the importance of not rushing the discernment process, maintaining a peaceful heart, and seeking guidance from a spiritual director.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions:

Researching Options: Have I researched well the different options before making a decision?
Tranquil Time: Am I in a tranquil time where my heart is at peace and free from emotional pressure?
God’s Greater Glory: Is my primary consideration which option will promote God’s greater glory?
Spiritual Freedom: Am I spiritually free to choose either option, with no other motivations at play?
Seeking God’s Help: Have I sought God’s help in prayer before considering the advantages and disadvantages?
Listing Reasons: Have I listed the advantages and disadvantages in a clear and organized manner?
Faith-Based Reasons: Are the reasons I listed based on faith and God’s greater glory?
Preponderance of Reasons: Do I see clearly towards which option the preponderance of reasons leans?
Second Way of Third Mode: If I lack clarity, have I employed the second way of third mode discernment with the three simple tests?
Spiritual Guide Consultation: Have I discussed my discernment process with a spiritual guide?
Seeking Confirmation: Once I feel clarity, have I brought my discerned decision to God in prayer for His confirmation?

From The Discernment of God’s Will in Everyday Decisions:

“Three Times in which a Sound and Good Choice May Be Made

The first time is when God Our Lord so moves and attracts the will that, without doubting or being able to doubt, the devout soul follows what is shown to it, as St. Paul and St. Matthew did in following Christ our Lord.

The second time is when sufficient clarity and understanding is received through experience of consolations and desolations, and through experience of discernment of different spirits.

The third time is one of tranquility, when one considers first for what purpose man is born, that is, to praise God our Lord and save his soul, and, desiring this, chooses as a means to this end some life or state within the bounds of the Church, so that he may be helped in the service of his Lord and the salvation of his soul. I said a tranquil time, that is, when the soul is not agitated by different spirits, and uses its natural powers freely and tranquilly.

If the choice is not made in the first or second time, two ways of making it in this third time are given below.”

Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series “Living the Discerning Life: The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola”. For more information on how to obtain copies of Fr. Gallaghers’s various books and audio which are available for purchase, please visit his website: frtimothygallagher.org