Discernment

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND MAY THE JOYS OF THE CHILD JESUS FILL YOUR HEARTS. After my greeting of joy I would like to tackle a beautiful but sometimes complicated topic. But recently someone simplified it by saying that all it says is the practice of love of God, or rather the search for God. To discern is to ask several times during the day: Is what I am doing, right with the will of God. Is it something that is pleasing to Him or at least not displeasing? The saints always wanted to check if the thing they were doing whether it is saving the nation or washing clothes, is right with the love of God. However momentous or ordinary the moment is, we want it to be right with God.

As we approach the celebrations of Christmas the practice of discernment may help to make the celebrations more meaningful. Discernment moments are short copies of the regular examen after the day. In the practice of examen at the end of the day we examine the day. Then we express love and gratitude for the day, that just passed and check on a particular fault to avoid or a virtue to practice. Divide and conquer. Then ask the Lord for help to carry resolutions and love through the next day.

The practices of discernment can be done in a few seconds. We check for a moment whether what we are doing is right with God. It is just checking the love we have to practice through the day: both the love of God and the love of neighbor.

During the Advent season, we recall St. John the Baptist and how he symbolically washed sins on the Jordan River. He kept saying that there was one among the crowd that they did not recognize who was greater than he and that he would actually forgive sins by baptizing them with the Holy Spirit. He meant to point to Jesus who would forgive us our sins by bestowing on us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit not only forgives us our sins but stays with us during the day.

How does the Holy Spirit cleanse us of our sins? It is like a burning through our bodies and spirit. In doing the moments of discernment we are checking the presence of the Holy Spirit in us. After burning our sins away He dwells within us. This is our faith that the Holy Spirit dwells within us.

Rejoice, said the angel to Mary, because you were chosen. We must rejoice for we were chosen. How can I be chosen? We are chosen. Nothing is impossible with God. He chose us to love Him and obey with love the Father in heaven. We like Mary were chosen. We did not do the choosing. So we rejoice that we were chosen to be in love with Him. Nothing is impossible with God. Rejoice, because, like Mary, we have been chosen to love and serve the Lord.

Merry Christmas and rejoice because we have been chosen. And do the practice of discernment or checking whether what we are doing is right with God several times during the day. And we are rejoicing because we were chosen. <emeterio_barcelon@Yahoo. com>