Tag: Discernment

My final post on Ignatian discernment summarizes everything I’ve covered in the past nine weeks. I’m listing all the topics and including links to each post so that everything is accessible in this one place for reference.

After following the discernment process and making a tentative decision, there’s still one more step before you commit to the decision. The final step is to look for confirmation of your choice.

A good place to start applying discernment is with significant decisions. This puts together all the foundation practices into one specific, practical process.

As we practice discernment in the second half of life, it’s important to develop a habit of applying discernment to our everyday choices. This requires making conscious, deliberate decisions on how we spend our time.

Another important foundational concept in discernment of spirits is what Ignatius calls “indifference.” This is a tricky, often misunderstood term that deserves a detailed explanation.

An advantage of undertaking a discernment process as an older adult is that we have had more time to develop our self-awareness! And self-awareness is an important component of the discernment process in several aspects.

The second foundation of Ignatian discernment is the ability to determine when God is communicating with us. This isn’t always easy, but St. Ignatius gives us guidelines to determine when we’re in “consolation” and “desolation.”

A key foundation in the discernment process is the beliefs we have about God. The process rests on St. Ignatius’ understanding that God loves us and wants what is best for us, and remains always active in the world, inviting us into a process of collaboration.

The second half of life is an ideal time to apply Ignatian discernment to our decisions. I outline five specific reasons why.

Ignatian Discernment of Spirits is a powerful process that helps us gain clarity in both our daily decisions and in life’s more significant choices.