Discernment and Formation Explained

Discernment

“What is God asking of me?” “What is God’s will for me?” “How do I live out a life of holiness in service of God and the Church?” “How do I follow the Lord?” “Where is God leading me?” “What is my calling in life?” Answering these questions and many like them is the process of discernment.

Discernment involves listening to an inner voice. We can call this inner voice the “soul” or the “desire of the heart.” From a religious standpoint, we understand this inner voice as the wise and inner presence of God. In the quiet of prayer, over time, in a life nurtured by word, sacrament, and life in the Church, we begin to experience the stirrings of the Spirit that invite us to a particular lifestyle in the service of the Church.

A first indication of this call is a desire to serve in this way. For example, I begin to discern a call to be a Friar because I feel a desire to live the life of a Friar. In my prayer, I have a sense that this is the will of God for me. Sensing this call, feeling this desire to serve in this way, I discern further by sharing my experience with friends and family members. We can ask simple questions like: “This is what I am thinking about doing with my life. What do you think?” “I feel called to Franciscan religious life. Can you see me being a Friar?” The input of those who know us best is always important.

We can further test this call by discussing our experiences with a spiritual director who can help us see more clearly the promptings of the Holy Spirit in our lives. I need to look at my abilities and talents, my health and well-being, my life of prayer and faith in order to see if they are consistent with what the life of a Friar entails. A spiritual director can help do this.

The next part of discernment is to visit with the Friars and get to know them. Discernment is never simply an individual task. What we discern on our own must always be confirmed and supported by those around us. Discernment is always a mutual relationship between an individual and a community. It is not something that we do alone. If I am discerning a call to a particular community, I need to have a sense of feeling comfortable with that community and they need to feel comfortable with me. In the end, a deep sense of peace or joy related to this vocational choice is going to be the fruit of my discernment process. If I am called to be a Friar, a sense of enthusiasm, joy and peace around this decision is going to confirm this call.

Formation

As Christians, we believe that each and every person is created in the image and likeness of God. In the journey of life, we strive to become the people God wants us to be as disciples of the Lord Jesus. Formation is the process of becoming the person God want us to be.

Franciscan formation is the process of becoming the person God wants us to be as sons of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi. If I play a sport, I am always going to try to improve my game. If I play a musical instrument, I want to practice again and again in order to improve my talent. In formation, I want to become a better Friar and ultimately a better Christian. This involves learning more about me, more about God and more about the life of the Church.

In our life as Friars, we talk about “initial formation” which is the first several years when a person enters the Order, i.e. pre-novitiate, novitiate, post-novitiate. We also talk about “continuing formation” which is a life-long process of becoming a better Friar and, in turn, a better disciple of the Lord Jesus. We never stop growing in our relationship with the Lord. We never stop learning. Formation gives us the tools to deepen our relationship with the Lord as we recognize him in the poor and the needy and as we come to know ourselves. The process of formation involves prayer, study, reflection, dialogue and life in community. We grow from the wisdom of the Scriptures, our tradition, the example of Francis of Assisi and the insights of our brothers in community. We never want to underestimate all that we learn in the practice of silence prayer as God continues to call us into a deeper relationship with Him. With each day, we are formed more and more into the person God is calling us to be.

To learn more about vocations and discernment, please listen to Friar Michael Lorentsen's Oct. 21, 2007 homily.