Being Witnesses of Mercy: Discerning

One chapter at a time from the book by Nino Savarino, Governor of the Misericordia of Rosolini, friend of spazio + spadoni, and collaborator on several projects and the blog.

From Psalm 119 (118):

“Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments”.

What a great gift good judgment and wisdom are

Pope Francis said:

“Discerning is an important act that concerns everyone, because choices are an essential part of life. Discerning choices. One chooses food, clothing, a course of study, a job, a relationship. In all of this, a life project is realized, and our relationship with God is also realized.

Discernment—as I said—involves effort. According to the Bible, we do not find life already packaged for us: no! We must decide it continuously, according to the realities that come. God invites us to evaluate and choose: He created us free and wants us to exercise our freedom. For this reason, discerning is demanding.

Discernment is tiring but indispensable for living. It requires that I know myself, that I know what is good for me here and now.

Above all, it requires a filial relationship with God. God is Father and does not leave us alone; He is always willing to counsel us, encourage us, welcome us. But He never imposes His will.

Why? Because He wants to be loved and not feared. And God wants us as children, not slaves: free children.

And love can only be lived in freedom. To learn how to live, one must learn how to love, and for this reason, discernment is necessary”.

How many times have we found ourselves faced with choices. From the most mundane to the most demanding. Every choice is important.

Sometimes we make choices reluctantly, and often we make mistakes. It frequently happens that someone asks us for advice. Before choosing, they rely on another. Or we ourselves have asked our parents, spouse, friends, or a priest for counsel. Discerning for ourselves is already a difficult task; discerning for others is a task that loads us with great responsibility. Woe to doing it lightly.

Let us ask Jesus for the gift of discernment. Let us ask the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord.

My parish priest, Msgr. Corrado Contarina, always used to tell me when I asked how to behave on certain occasions: “Ask yourself what Jesus would do in your place”.

Our journey will be beautiful and secure if, at the crossroads of life, we ask God for the gift of discernment.

What can we do in practice?

Counsel the doubtful

The more education grows, the more people acquire certainties and awareness, which we all need in life. A good education teaches us the critical method, which also includes a certain type of doubt, useful for asking questions and verifying results achieved with a view to greater knowledge. But the work of mercy of counseling the doubtful does not concern this type of doubt. Expressing mercy toward the doubtful means, instead, soothing the pain and suffering that come from fear and anguish, which are consequences of doubt. It is therefore an act of true love intended to support a person in the weakness caused by uncertainty.

(Pope Francis at the General Audience of November 23, 2016)

Points for reflection

Thomas said to him: «Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?». Jesus said to him: «I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me» (John 14:5-6).

Source and image: Nino Savarino, Witnesses of Mercy, pp. 51-54.