With each passing week, as we read St. John’s thoughts on discernment, we begin to see how it touches every aspect of our life. So often we confuse this gift with intellectually analyzing the circumstances around us or internal experiences and feelings or our perception of others’ actions.
Yet discernment is not rooted in our private judgment. Rather, it arises out of union and communion with He who is Truth and Love. We engage in the ascetic life and seek purity of heart in order that we comprehend the truth unimpeded, to see things as God sees them and to see and respond to what he wants us to perceive.
Anything less than this leaves us completely vulnerable. St. John says, “let us watch and see which demon uplift us, which cast us down, which harden, which comfort, which darken, which pretend to communicate enlightenment to us, which make us slothful, which make us cunning, which make us sad, and which cheerful.” It is only in Christ that we have the capacity to see these things. Strength and virtue of any kind comes not from climbing up a ladder of virtue on our own, but rather having Christ live within us. His virtue must become our virtue and his strength must becomes our strength. This is a difficult thing because it means letting go completely of the illusion that we can see the truth of the spiritual realities outside of our relationship with Him. It means being humble.
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Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Eight, Part I
The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis XIII, Part I
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Seven, Part II
The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis XII, Part IV
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Seven, Part I
The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis XII, Part III
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Six, Part II
The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis XII, Part II
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Five, Part III and Letter Sixty-Six, Part I
The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis XI, Part II and Hypothesis XII, Part I
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Five, Part II
The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis X, Part II and Hypothesis XI, Part I
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Four and Letter Sixty-Five, Part I
The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis IX, Part III and Hypothesis X, Part I
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Three Part II
The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis IX, Part II
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Three Part I
The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis IX, Part I
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Two Part II
The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis VIII Part III
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