DISCERNING
Considering to become a Franciscan may have come about from an inner whisper from God or perhaps you felt a pull to pursue who the Franciscans are or maybe you were stirred by the life of a Franciscan saint or perhaps a Franciscan encouraged you to consider joining the Third Order or some other reason. What ever the reason, it has brought you to the point where you are addressing whether or not God is calling you to become a Franciscan. There might be a certain level of uncertainty, an apprehension to try something new or perhaps it is simply a matter of acquiring information to help you in your decision making process all of which should be driving you toward the goal of seeking clarity and understanding. This is the process of discernment.
Whatever the circumstances that have brought you to begin your process of discernment, our fraternity would like to offer the following guidelines to help you in this process.
Quiet Time With God
Quiet time with God is essential. With all the noise and distractions of this world, it can be challenging to find quiet time in our day or night to spend with the Lord, to speak with Him and even more importantly, to listen to Him.
As for where would that quiet place be? Consider a chapel of your preference. The more time that you can spend in the chapel, the better. Focus on God’s presence and enter into divine intimacy with the Lord, allowing Him to send you His blessings and grace. In addition to a chapel, you may want to consider a quiet place in nature. For Franciscans, nature has a special significance as like our Seraphic Father St. Francis, we see God's presence in all creation. God is the great Creator and therefore, everything in the created world has a little bit of God in it.
With all the noise in our world, we need quiet time with God and especially so when discerning a vocation. The truth is, in silence we hear best. God's Holy Spirit is inside each of us, speaking to us, just waiting for us to finally slow down and listen. It's a voice that speaks about love and about peace and it's a voice that is more than ready to teach us the ways that we can come to experience both. To do so, we must make a decision to listen. To listen, we must make the time and find the place necessary for our souls to be quieted down, away from the noise of the world, allowing us to hear the voice of love inside.
Prayer
What could be more obvious of a suggestion than prayer? The Rosary, if not already, should be included in your daily routine. The Rosary being the most powerful prayer next to the Mass, is an especially effective prayer as we place our trust in the Blessed Virgin Mary's maternal intercession. Make prayer your constant effort and inclusion in your daily schedule. Place no limits on when you pray. Do as Jesus instructed us, "You must pray at all times and not lose heart." (Lk 18:1) In addition to the Rosary and any other formal prayers of your choosing, include your own prayers where you allow the inspirations of the Holy Spirit to guide you together with the movements of your heart, prompting you to speak intimately with the Lord.
Spiritual Director
Do you currently have a spiritual director? If not, you would be wise to get one. A spiritual director will help you to not only verbalize and discuss your thoughts, but provide clarity, resources, and recommendations to help you in your discernment process.
Franciscan Way of Life
The Franciscan way of life is one that embraces the gospel, learns from it and puts those lessons into practice. In the Rule of the Franciscan Secular Order, Chapter II The Way of Life, it states “The rule and life of the Secular Franciscans is this: to observe the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by following the example of Saint Francis of Assisi, who made Christ the inspiration and the center of his life with God and people. Christ, the gift of the Father's love, is the way to him, the truth into which the Holy Spirit leads us, and the life which he has come to give abundantly. Secular Franciscans should devote themselves especially to careful reading of the gospel, going from gospel to life and life to the gospel.”
By embracing the Franciscan way of life, one embraces the charism of St. Francis of Assisi. For further consideration of other aspects of Franciscan life, please visit our Becoming A Franciscan page.
Human, Holy and Evil Spirits
Listening to your human spirit is an exercise in understanding your emotions, desires and intellectual thoughts, all of which need to be taken into account. Ask yourself, what is the reason I am trying to make a decision? Do I have the necessary information to make an informed decision? Am I at ease in making this decision? Have I shared my thoughts with competent individuals?
Movements from the Holy Spirit move one to a deeper love for Jesus. There is an increase in faith. There is an inner joy with your decision. The sense that the Holy Spirit is inviting you to a greater surrender to gospel living. Do you feel that inner pull to follow Christ more closely? Are you at peace with your decision, does it feel right in your heart?
The evil spirit on the other hand works differently. If things come much too easily with little or no preparation, then it is possible an evil spirit is at work manipulating you. Perhaps you do not sense and/or accept the commitment and responsibility that comes with the Franciscan way of life. Do you feel paralyzed in your decision making process? Is there a great amount of confusion? Is there a great sense of fear, causing you to put off this decision? Is there little hope for clarity and certainty?
It has been shared with many of us in our fraternity, “...now that you are following Christ more closely, you will encounter more obstacles and trouble on your path...” To follow Christ closely will attract the attention of the Evil One. A closer union with God, a strengthening of your faith, a deepening of your conversion, living the Gospel life and more is some thing evil spirits will try to deter you from pursuing and progressing in. In addition to the prayers mentioned above, some may want to consider specific prayers against evil spirits, such as Pope Leo XIII Minor Exorcism prayer (blessing for the home), the Kyrie Eleison (prayer against malefice) from the Greek Ritual, the Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the the prayer to St. Michael The Archangel. In all that you do, keep close to God, be vigilant in prayer, always on guard and trust in our Savior's guiding hand and our Blessed Mother's maternal intercession, to direct you on your path.