Angelus

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Angelus

• Be solicitous to make your call and election
  permanent, brothers surely those who do so will
  never be lost. On the contrary, your entry into
  the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior
  Jesus Christ will be richly provided for.
• II Peter 1 10

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Announcements

• Attendance sheet
• The paper What ideas are germinating?
• Course evaluations next week
• Contact information rouch001_at_gannon.edu
• Feedback about yesterdays discussion groups
• Reading over the weekend
• Aschenbrenner, Minister of forgiveness (ch. 10)
• Archbishop Dolan, Preaching (handout)

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Weeks review

• What is spirituality?
• Experience of being in relationship with God
• Relationship Identity - Mission
• What are the foundations of a diocesan priests
  spirituality?
• Active vs. Monastic
• The heart of Christ
• Love of the Father
• Mission to humanity
• Monasticism of the heart
• Seminary formation
• 18 charisms of diocesan priestly spirituality

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TodayPriest radiates a discerning presence

• I. A helpful understanding of the human person
• Hidden Self Grown Strong
• II. Discernment (ch. 9)
• III. Discerning ones vocation (ch. 8)

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A helpful understanding of the human person

• External, observable behavior
• Skin of the soul
• Core of the soul

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Marys fiat

• External behavior
• Gabriel came to a virgin
• betrothed to a man named Joseph
• Skin of the soul
• She was deeply troubled and
• wondered what is greeting meant
• Core of the soul
• I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to
  me as you say.

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II. DiscernmentIntroduction

• This charism allows the priest to
• Discern his own experiences in the light of faith
  and his vocation
• Assist his people in their discernment of Gods
  presence and Gods will in their lives, so to
  help them grow in holiness
• This charism demands that the priest have a
  reflective understanding of discernment.

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Why do I discern?

• When I am awakened in faith, I want to know Gods
  will for me. I do not define myself. Gods will
  for me is my true self, my meaning, my purpose,
  my identity.
• In a complex and changing world, how do I find
  this meaning and remain loyal to Christ?
• Gods will can be hard to find because of the
  dark, messy spontaneous stuff found within. Not
  everything comes from God I need to sort things
  out.

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Process of Discernment

• 1. Recognize that my identity is in Christ
• Demands radical openness, surrender
• Such surrender only happens when I experience
  Gods love for me as greater than my self-love
• Duc in altum! Put out into the deep!

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Process of Discernment

• 2. Get in touch with the spontaneous inner
  experiences, the skin of the soul.
• Demands self-awareness and honesty
• Frequent obstacles
• over-intellectualizing
• hyper-affectivity
• fear of the mess of it all
• misjudging the source of thoughts, feelings,
  desires

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Process of Discernment

• 3. Interpret these inner experiences (movements)
  in the light of faith--
• Is this from God?
• Will it bring me closer to Him?
• Will it help me live the vocation He has given?
• Paschal wisdom is needed here not the
  pleasure/pain principle.

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Process of Discernment

• 4. Apply tactics based on faith-interpretation
  of experiences
• If its consolation- go with it
• If its desolation- go against it
• Remember how the enemy works
• Attacks at our weakest points
• Tries to keep things secret
• Can appear as an angel of light

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III. Discerning ones vocation

• At least two years before ordination to
  diaconate
• Make a presumption
• E.g. Lord, I will presume that you are calling
  me to diocesan priesthood and I want to say
  yes!
• Make this statement in prayer, in a deliberate,
  clear act, a private rite before God. (N.B.
  role of Sp. Dir.)
• Live the life as if the commitment was permanent.
• Remain interiorly aware, i.e. keep track of the
  skin of the soul, what supports the presumption
  and what does not. If it does not, go against
  it.
• Your core identity will either become clear and
  stronger, or it just wont work.

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Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Praise
Him all creatures here below! Praise Him above
ye heavenly hosts! Praise Father, Son and Holy
Ghost!Amen!