Life of the Congregation (1)

At the heart of Formation discernment is something which is fundamental for the Formators. To accompany a young man in discerning his vocation represents a heavy responsibility. Fr Daniel Gonzalez scj, novice master in the Fr Auguste Etchecopar Region, is witness to the reality of such a mission, as he suggests a few pointers which are useful for everyone since discernment is everyone’s responsibility, in every stage of a vocation.

What experience do you have of discernment? I understand that this question put to me, does not ask what discernment is or its various stages, but asks rather what experience I have of it. It is a difficult question, which I am not sure how to answer, especially in writing.

Accompanying a young person on his path of discernment, in his quest for the very purpose of their existence, is quite an adventure. Like any adventure it generates expectations, emotions, enthusiasm; it poses challenges, questions, it forces confrontation with choices made in the past with the way those choices are being lived now. It is a real journey of formation and growth, even for the guide of the person in formation.

We sometimes want to take off our sandals and kneel before the sacred land that each person represents, just as we feel the desire to contemplate, praise God and exult in His creation and work in the life of the person. It is sometimes tempting, admittedly, to “manipulate” the burning bush in the life of a young person, or on the contrary, to give up on the burden of supporting the person.

For each of these journeys, I carry in my backpack some beliefs that encourage and guide me:

1. God wants to reveal Himself, and He is the first to wish for our development. Therefore, if the young person is honest in his quest, he can not fail to meet Him.
2. God, who created us, continues his work in His creatures. It is therefore a question of knowing how to discover Him.
3. This journey can only be done if the young person feels a real desire for God, if his heart is generous, his will is strong and if the clay from which he is made is still flexible enough to be modeled.
4. The young person is the lead character in his journey; my role is limited to accompanying him and to proposing elements that allow him to achieve his course.
5. For there to be discernment, it is necessary that the young person is animated by an inner spiritual life, that he lives a personal encounter with the Lord, manifested in daily life, in the Word, in the Eucharist ...

If all this is present, the path is joyful, even if difficulties arise and the challenges are stretching. For my part, I try to welcome the young person, to listen and to provide the necessary elements, drawn from the method of St Michael to find the will of God, in the Ignatian rules of discernment, in the Word... in the knowledge gained from the development of the person ... in what others have done with me... If I do not see these beliefs in the young person, but rather a lack of uprightness, of honesty, or if I notice that the youngster has already made his decision and does not lend himself to this task of searching, or that the clay has hardened ... I have to say that it is difficult, if not impossible, to achieve a genuine process of discernment; because idoneus (the humanity of the young) is in some ways “damaged”, which does not allow expeditus (being freed), to choose what leads to the purpose for which he was created, expositus.

In this case, it is necessary firstly to try to understand and help bring the problem to light, then to provide all the elements to solve it and develop a personalized itinerary. In some cases it will be necessary to resort to a professional in psychology and / or psychiatry. If necessary, this process can take place simultaneously with vocational discernment, but you must then be very careful at the moment of making choices, especially definitive choices that, for my part, I will have some qualms in accepting.

Some signs of a good discernment process:

1. A young person who is self-aware, who knows his talents and weaknesses; with a healthy autonomy; with an open mind and the desire to grow.
2. A young person who has discovered his personal call, his identity and mission. A young person who knows how to take charge of his life, from his specific vocation and his own character.
3. A young man who makes his inner spiritual life the centre of his life.
4. An open young person who is able to respond to God and to the reality he is called to live.
5. A young person who loves Bétharram in all its respects and identifies with his charism and mission.
6. A young person trained in the art of discernment; and as a good Betharramite, able to accompany others.

Daniel González scj
Novice Master