Discerning

"The goal of discerning is to reach purity of heart." Sr. Meg Funk

This is the place of still waters for me, where the waters of our sometimes agitated minds are stilled and we can see clearly what is reflected there, or (for me) hear the still, soft voice of Love Who speaks to my heart when I'm quiet enough to hear Him/Her.

I often resist the good, the God of all creation, because the egoic self is full of itself and thinks it can do without God, rationalizing sometimes: I don't want to bother Him; I can handle this. I loved Sr. Meg's expression: "Our back is to the window of grace.” In our moments of humility (some given to us so that we can hear or see our need for God), that resistance is melted by God's warm grace.

We must follow the impulse of grace... yes! And out praxes (e.g. Centering Prayer, Welcoming Prayer, Jesus Prayer, Guard of the Heart) makes this easier to do.

In my office, we removed a window to create an entrance door in its place. There is only 9 inches of a glass window that runs alongside this door. There is no other way for the light to get in. On days when the weather is warm, we leave the door open to allow more light and air in. On colder or hot, humid days when the door needs to be closed, I immediately pull the thin curtain back to allow daylight to enter the otherwise dark room. Recently, after pulling back the curtain time after time to let the light in, I rolled up the curtain and tied it on top. It will come down now only when the hot summer's sun needs to be blocked for a few hours to prevent the room from overheating (just as we walk between centering prayer sits to prevent the energy from becoming too intense within us).

Stand long enough in the light, and our entire being soon hungers for it deeply, desiring to turn toward it more and more often until one day, the curtain is pulled away forever.