How Can I Know God's Will? #discernment

Summary

In this video, Father March from the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal discusses discerning God's will in life. He emphasizes the importance of responding to personal inspirations from prayer, obeying rightful authority, and acknowledging reality. He shares insights on how to navigate uncertainties when inspirations don't materialize, suggesting that God guides us through closed doors and that obedience to God's voice, authority, and reality can help confirm His will. The video offers a Catholic perspective on trusting in God's plan, even when it's not clear or leads to disappointments.

Takeaways

• 🔍 Knowing God's will involves a combination of personal inspiration, communal discernment, and obedience to authority and reality.
• 🙏 Personal inspiration can be strong, but it is not the sole determinant of God's will; it must align with communal discernment and authority.
• 🤔 Discernment is a process that includes prayer, communal input, and the consideration of one's feelings and callings.
• 🏛️ Obedience to rightful authority is crucial; this includes the Church's confirmation for certain vocations like priesthood or religious life.
• 🚪 Reality plays a significant role in discernment; if a calling does not materialize (e.g., not getting a job or not being accepted into a religious order), it is essential to trust that God is guiding the process.
• 🔗 There is a three-fold obedience involved in discerning God's will: obedience to personal inspiration, obedience to authority, and obedience to reality.
• 🤝 The communal dimension is vital; one's calling often involves others, such as a spouse in marriage or a religious order confirming a vocation.
• 💔 It's possible to feel a deep calling that does not come to fruition, leading to confusion and a need for trust in God's plan.
• 🌟 Mother Teresa's example illustrates the importance of responding to inspiration and waiting for confirmation from rightful authority.
• 🌈 The process of discernment can be frustrating and unclear, but it is a part of the journey of trust and surrender to God's will.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the discussion in the transcript?

The main topic of the discussion is discerning and understanding God's will in one's life, particularly in the context of Catholicism and the process of obedience to God's calling.

Why might someone feel called to a particular path, such as priesthood or marriage, and then find that it doesn't happen?

Someone might feel called to a path because of a profound inspiration or conviction, but it may not happen due to various reasons, including lack of acceptance by the Church or other parties involved, or simply because it was not part of God's plan for them.

What is the role of 'discernment' in the Catholic worldview as discussed in the transcript?

Discernment in the Catholic worldview is a process that involves not just personal feelings but also a communal dimension, obedience to God's personal calling in prayer, obedience to rightful authority, and obedience to reality.

How does the concept of 'obedience' relate to following God's will as described in the transcript?

Obedience to God's will involves responding to the inspiration felt in prayer, respecting rightful authority, and acknowledging the reality of the situation. It is a three-fold obedience that requires trust in God's guidance even when faced with closed doors or rejections.

What does the speaker mean by 'holding things with a slightly loose grip' when following a calling?

The speaker suggests that while one should pursue a calling with conviction, they should also be open to the possibility that the calling might not come to fruition, and thus not be too rigidly attached to the outcome.

How does the Church or a religious order confirm a calling to priesthood or religious life?

The Church or a religious order confirms a calling through a process that involves acceptance into seminary or religious life, and ultimately, through ordination or acceptance into the religious order.

What is the significance of 'closed doors' in the context of discerning God's will?

In the context of discerning God's will, 'closed doors' often represent God's guidance and direction. They are seen as a way in which God leads individuals, sometimes more clearly than through open opportunities.

Why is it important to have a 'trust and surrender' attitude when following God's will?

Having a trust and surrender attitude is important because it acknowledges that God is at work in the details of life, and it allows individuals to be open to God's plan, even when it differs from their own expectations.

What does the speaker suggest about the experience of facing a 'no' or rejection in the pursuit of a calling?

The speaker suggests that facing a 'no' or rejection can be painful, but it is also an opportunity to trust in God's plan and to recognize that there is still richness and fullness in God's will for one's life.

How does the speaker relate the concept of being a 'pilgrim' to the journey of discerning God's will?

The speaker relates being a 'pilgrim' to the journey of discerning God's will by emphasizing the gradual and often challenging nature of the process, where one must take small steps and trust in God's guidance along the way.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Understanding God's Will in Your Life

In this segment, Father March Mary introduces the topic of discerning God's will in one’s life. He emphasizes that while it may be true that individuals can deeply feel a calling, there is no guarantee that these feelings will lead to actual outcomes. He discusses the confusion that arises when such strong convictions do not materialize and suggests that discernment, from a Catholic perspective, is not just personal or subjective. It requires a communal aspect, including obedience to God’s guidance in prayer, rightful authority, and the reality of the situation. Trusting God even when things don’t go as planned is essential in this process.

05:02

🛤️ Obedience in Following God’s Calling

This section elaborates on the threefold obedience in the Catholic worldview: obedience to personal prayer, rightful authority, and reality. Father Mary explains that when people feel God is calling them to a specific path, they should respond but also maintain flexibility. He provides examples, such as those called to religious life, where acceptance by the church or the religious order is necessary to confirm the calling. Similarly, those called to marriage or a specific job must receive affirmation through reciprocal commitment or job acceptance. Ultimately, God uses closed doors to guide individuals, and it's important to trust Him even when things don’t unfold as expected.

🎯 Aligning Convictions with Reality

Father Mary stresses the importance of aligning personal convictions with reality. While someone may feel called to become a Catholic musician or an NBA player, there are limitations based on one’s talents and circumstances. Obedience to reality means acknowledging what is possible in light of one’s current abilities and life situation. This approach requires trust in God’s guidance and the belief that God is working through all details, even closed doors or unfulfilled dreams. By surrendering control and remaining open to God’s plan, individuals can experience peace and clarity in their spiritual journey.

🙏 Trust and Surrender in God's Plan

In the final part, Father Mary speaks about the ultimate necessity of trusting God and surrendering to His plan, even when things are frustrating or unclear. He reflects on the journey of Mother Teresa, who felt called to start a religious order but waited for proper authority before acting. Similarly, Catholics are encouraged to trust God’s process and the outcomes of rightful authority and reality. While discerning God’s will may be frustrating or unclear, when the desired result comes to pass, such as marriage or career success, it confirms the authenticity of the calling. Until then, one must remain patient and trusting, knowing that God works through all details, including closed doors.

Keywords

💡Discernment

Discernment refers to the process of seeking to understand and make decisions in accordance with what one believes to be God's will. In the video, discernment is described as not purely subjective but involving a communal dimension. It is a process of listening to God's inspiration in prayer and then seeking confirmation through rightful authority and the reality of the situation. For example, if someone feels called to the priesthood, they would need to follow the steps towards seminary, but they must also wait for the Church's confirmation.

💡Inspiration

Inspiration in the context of the video is a feeling or sense of being called by God to a particular path or action. It is a subjective experience that individuals believe comes from divine guidance. The video emphasizes that while inspiration is a starting point, it must be confirmed through obedience to authority and reality. An example given is feeling called to marriage, which requires the mutual consent of both parties and the reality of the relationship.

💡Obedience

Obedience in the video is portrayed as a multifaceted concept, involving obedience to personal inspiration, rightful authority, and reality. It is not blind obedience but rather a response to God's call that is also open to the guidance of the Church and the practical outcomes of one's actions. The video mentions a 'three-fold obedience' which includes responding to personal inspiration in prayer, heeding the decisions of rightful authority, and accepting the reality of situations.

💡Vocation

A vocation in the video is understood as a calling from God to a particular state of life, such as priesthood, religious life, or marriage. It is a central theme as the video discusses how one can know if they are following God's will for their vocation. The video suggests that a vocation is confirmed when it aligns with personal inspiration, authority's approval, and the reality of the situation.

💡Authentic Human Obedience

Authentic human obedience is a term used in the video to describe a balanced and realistic approach to obedience that takes into account personal inspiration, communal discernment, and the reality of the situation. It is contrasted with blind obedience and emphasizes the importance of trusting in God's guidance while also being open to the signs and confirmations from the Church and life's circumstances.

💡Confirmation

Confirmation in the video is the process of seeking and receiving validation for one's inspiration from God. It is seen as a necessary step in discerning God's will, where personal inspiration is confirmed by the Church's authority or the reality of the situation. For instance, a person might feel called to be a priest, but this calling is confirmed when the Church ordains them.

💡Reality

Reality, as discussed in the video, refers to the actual circumstances and outcomes of one's life. It is one of the dimensions of discernment, where personal inspiration must align with what is realistically possible and achievable. The video gives the example of feeling called to be a professional athlete or a musician, but the reality of one's abilities and opportunities may confirm or contradict this inspiration.

💡Trust

Trust in the video is about having confidence in God's guidance and will for one's life. It involves trusting that God will lead one in the right direction, even when the path is not clear or when doors seem to be closed. The video suggests that trust is essential in discerning God's will and in accepting the outcomes of one's discernment process.

💡Surrender

Surrender in the context of the video is the act of giving oneself over to God's plan and will, even when it does not align with one's personal desires or expectations. It is about letting go of one's own plans and being open to the direction that God is leading, as illustrated by the video's discussion on how God often speaks most clearly through closed doors.

💡Pilgrims

Pilgrims in the video symbolize the journey of life as a spiritual quest where individuals are on a path of discovery and growth in their relationship with God. The term is used to encourage viewers to see themselves as travelers on a spiritual journey, learning and growing through experiences, including the process of discernment and obedience.

Highlights

Understanding God's will involves discernment and obedience.

Discernment is not purely subjective; it includes communal and authoritative dimensions.

Obedience to God's personal calling in prayer is essential.

Rightful authority plays a role in confirming one's calling.

Obedience to reality is necessary, even when it involves closed doors.

God's will is confirmed when one's actions align with reality and authority.

Trust in God's guidance is crucial, even when outcomes are not as expected.

The experience of 'no' or closed doors can still lead to God's intended direction.

Mother Teresa's example of waiting for rightful authority's confirmation.

The importance of having a loose grip on one's plans while trusting in God's will.

The journey of discernment is often marked by frustration but also truth.

Even in the face of 'no,' there is still richness and fullness in God's plan.

The process of discernment involves a balance of personal conviction and external confirmation.

The role of communal discernment in the Catholic worldview.

The concept of three-fold obedience: to prayer, authority, and reality.

The practical steps one might take in response to a felt calling.

The necessity of a disposition of trust and surrender to God's unfolding plan.

The reassurance that God is at work in the details, even when they are not clear.

Transcripts

we're going to talk about really knowing

God's will in your life and I think the

answer is going to be both

true but maybe really

annoying father March Mary with the

Franciscan friers of the renewal and

this is Ascension present how do you

know at the end of the day how do you

have fullprof total

confirmation that the inspiration you're

feeling is God's will the answer is

because it actually happens you might

feel so profoundly like called

to become a priest or to become a

religious or you might be called to a

certain type of business or company or

nonprofit or you might feel so called to

maybe move somewhere or to marry a

particular person or to be married and I

and I come across people who feel this

so deeply this is the number one thing

that they are sure of in their life and

then it doesn't

happen and then the experience is one of

like really profound confusion I I this

was what God was saying like did it and

it didn't happen like where how did was

he fooling me was he tricking me did I

not hear him can I not hear God at all

and it can just really be disorienting

in a Catholic worldview and perspective

um discernment is never purely

subjective especially the big type of

stuff like there's there's love discern

which is not just subjective it's not

just what I feel in I am convinced of

there's a communal Dimension to that and

this is again this is a Catholic

worldview with this inspiration we're

going to be in called to a three-fold

obedience okay there's an obedience to

what God is personally asking us in

prayer like if we feel God is calling us

to something there's an obedience to

that there's an obedience to rightful

Authority and then

thirdly God's going to speak to us and

therefore there's going to be obedience

simply to reality so the first one is

this like yeah if you feel God calling

you to something we're called to respond

to it if you feel like there's an

inspiration in prayer to acts of Charity

to a greater conversion to leaving

things behind to reaching out to

somebody to to a deeper prayer life to

particular maybe sharing a word of

encouragement to somebody you you you

meet if you're feeling called to

marriage if you're feeling called to a

particular Mission or min

if you're feeling called to a particular

vocation like we want to respond to it

we can through sin or through

Disobedience just like say no to God

God's going to adjust he's going to

respond to it but but there is a real

Dimension to that but if God's calling

us to it like yeah we want to respond

but we also respond and we hold these

things with a slightly loose grip

there's a sense like I I kind of would

have this like I feel strongly like that

God is calling me to this and so I'm

going to make the right action steps but

at times these invitation or these

action steps are going to involve other

parties you might feel called to

Seminary and by that you feel a certain

desire to it or to religious life and so

you're going to make the

steps that call we hold lightly like I'm

following this I think this is it like

and we can't really go much deeper than

that until like the church confirms it

there's a part for those who are going

to be ordained where like church calls

in they receive the call and like we you

are chosen you will be ordained

similarly the call to like a religious

Institute is confirmed when that

religious order says yes so there is

this this rightful Authority part to it

also you might be called feel called to

marry a particular man or

woman they have to say yes you know you

know you know that this is God's call in

your life when you exchange marriage

vows and you get married you might feel

called to a particular job or something

like that but again

like you have to get hired

and so the thing is like if we don't get

accepted the Seminary or we don't get

ordained or we don't marry the person we

want to or we don't get get the job we

want like we actually have to trust that

God is working in those details we have

confidence that we can hear God's voice

but there is a part as well where it's

like I'm pretty confident this is what

God is saying so we follow as best we

can but then we also have to trust that

God's going to Shepherd us through the

details and often he Shepherds us like

most directly through closed doors

that's my experience at least is often

like it's through the closed doors that

God is most concretely and clearly

taking us to a particular direction and

so we have to trust God with those

details and this this last level of

obedience is just to reality I could

potentially feel a deep conviction that

I'm called to be you know the next

brother Isaiah the next Matt marah the

next big Catholic

musician I can't sing I might feel

called to be in the NBA but like that's

just not going to happen at this point

in my life there's a part there isn't

this obedience to reality in all of this

like obedience is ultimately possible

when we have the confidence that God

speaks that God is at work and also God

is trustworthy that God is trustworthy

in these details and I I echoed it and

you can go back to it again uh with that

that uh the quote from Mother Teresa

like Mother Teresa felt so deeply called

to start religious order and so she

responded she was obedient to if you

will the um the inspiration then as well

like she was obedient and she waited for

rightful authority to say yes and then

she went forward so friends again this

might feel um a little bit frustrating

or annoying but also maybe sometimes the

fullness of the truth is frustrating and

annoying and I get because it's not

maybe as clear cut cut or black and

white as you might want it to be but

this is really this is really ultimately

how we know what God wants in our life

um because when we follow through it it

actually happens and so as God speaks to

us and he inspires us we want to be

obedient we want to say yes but then

also there's the The Obedience this

Catholic authentic human obedience to

rightful Authority and to reality and so

when rightful Authority and reality both

also say yes and the thing actually

happens you get you get the you enter

into the vocation you have the the the

wedding you get the job Etc um then we

can have confidence then we know that

this was ultimately God's will we TR

confidence in him but with a loose grip

and sort of a a disposition of trust and

surrender to the Lord as the details

unfold hopefully this is helpful and can

help make sense of some things that

you're experien or have experienced and

um yeah it's not to be dismissive of the

pain of of the no but also to have this

authentic Catholic trust and confidence

that God is at work and the details and

that in the closed door in the no

there's still fullness and richness for

what God wants to do in your life it's

just not maybe where you thought all

right thanks so much for watching and uh

we'll see you again next week remember

we are pilgrims on the Serv so p po po

little by little B say you are we're

going to make it

bye I want that phone to not be ringing

but it is ringing so it's God's will for

me to be in here with it ringing

sh go

away good