Discernment Part II –
Putting it all together (joy & need) for sense of mission

What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8

The first part of discernment focused more on the internal self. Part II takes that self, who now has a stronger personal relationship with God, and translates it into an external, missionary approach. This is where the rubber hits the road!

Opening Prayer

Come Holy Spirit, help me replace the busyness of my life with a simpler lifestyle, so I will focus on “the deeper things” in life and allow time for others. Nourish my yearning to understand and to appreciate myself as being made in your image and likeness; keep me from being too self-oriented and unmindful of others’ needs. Fill me with trust in your consoling presence. Calm me when I am anxious and troubled about many things. Open me to the wonder and awe that are your gifts to us, your people!

Amen.

Introduction

It may seem like you looked at discernment a long time ago. The theme was “Where my deepest joy meets the world’s deepest need.” This time we pick up on that theme and are encouraged to journey a bit further in discovering “vocation,” that call to mission given at Baptism, affirmed at Confirmation, lived each day!

Questions young people ask

Our baptism impels us to make the world a better place and we become co-creators by living in and using God’s love for each of us. As Teresa of Avila wrote, “Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ’s compassion looks out to the world.”  It is not an option but a requirement of a life of faith. Young adults may struggle to know how to do this.  “How do I know what God is calling me to?” “Will it be hard?” “Jesus died for my sins, what am I asked to do in return?”

Reflection, Questions, Understandings, Discussion

Answering these questions is never an easy thing to do but, as Jesus promised, we are not left alone. We have been sent the Holy Spirit to be with us, guide us and help us become the Body of Christ. There are feasts throughout the year that highlight this gift. Here are a few:

• Pentecost – the mystery and power of the Holy Spirit coming down upon the Apostles who were hiding in fear. However, the Spirit gave them the strength to go out and preach the Good News -- even though it would cost them their very lives. We can learn from this and translate it into our mission as members of the Church – the Body of Christ – by heeding the words of Pope John Paul II and his successor, Pope Benedict XVI:  “Be not afraid (to open wide the doors to Christ).”
• Trinity Sunday – As Christians we believe in the Triune God – one God in three distinct persons: Father, Son and Spirit. We cannot fully understand how this is possible, but we do understand that the Triune God works in us and through us by inviting us into relationship with God’s self. We are called to carry out God’s saving work throughout the world.
• CCC 850 “The Lord’s missionary mandate is ultimately grounded in the eternal love of the Most Holy Trinity...The ultimate purpose of mission is none other than to make (us) share in the communion between the Father and the Son in their Spirit of love.”
• Corpus Christi – the celebration of the Body and Blood of Christ brings us together as a community. The Church makes up what St. Paul called the Body of Christ, with Jesus as the head. As members of the Body of Christ, we are in a way “designed” to spread the love that God has shown to the rest of humanity.
• Transfiguration of Christ – the celebration of the manifestation of Jesus Christ’s glory. The story of Jesus going to a mountaintop with Peter, James and John is recounted in the Gospels (Mt. 17: 1-13; Mk 9:2-13; Lk 9:28-36). The disciples wanted to stay there with him. Jesus, however, ensures they come down off the mountain and continue with the mission that is given to all of them. So we, too, must come down off the ‘mountaintop’ and carry out the mission given to us.

(Split the group into four. Ask each group to briefly research one of the above feast days and create a poster (or write a poem, etc.) illustrating how the feast celebrates our missionary call to service. Ask the groups to present the results. Discuss.)

In Part I, the focus was on the first Commandment echoed by Jesus when he said the first and greatest commandment is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). The focus here is on the second commandment Jesus gave us: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Matthew 22:39).

Ask the group what this means to them.
Point to bring out: Ultimately love comes from God. Through discernment, in prayer, we grow as Spirit-filled persons. If we love ourselves, despite all our weaknesses, we can spread that love to all those around us.

Being a Catholic is much more than going to church on Sundays. God is not asking for just one hour a week from us. There are 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, 168 hours every week. We are called to worship God through our thoughts and actions for each and every one of those 168 hours, not just one.

• Does knowing this change the way you think of behave in any way?

Questions for private reflection and journaling:

Why are you doing missionary (service) works, i.e. why do you volunteer for things?

• Is it for yourself (such as padding the resume)?
• Are you doing it because you’re told to so by your parents or the group leaders?
• Or are we doing this genuinely by heeding the call to serve God by serving our neighbours?

What makes you happy in life?

• Is it success, wealthy, fame, power, etc...?
• What about God?  Does God make you happy?  How does God fill you with joy?

God is the only one who can bring us true and eternal happiness. In the words of St. Augustine, “My soul is restless until it rests in you, O God.” However, just by being baptized doesn’t give us a free ride. “Faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead” (James 2:17). This is not because there is a cosmic scorecard somewhere keeping track of points, but because a person filled with God’s Spirit, filled with love, cannot help reaching out to others with that same love.

There are many people in need – and we are all called by God to help them. When you go out into the world and serve others – ask yourself at the end of the day – are you happy with who you were today?

Appropriation/Application of Learning

Invite the young people of your group to design/create skits for a younger audience, skits that may even been performed during a Liturgy of the Word next fall. Choose a Scripture passage (maybe one where Jesus is teaching, healing, or sending others out to do the same). Make real the links between Scripture, and our baptism, confirmation, mission, life and vocation. Be creative, using popular music, movies and TV shows.

Closing Prayer

May the enthusiasm of the Spirit leap incessantly within you and help you to live a vibrant life.
May the warmth of the Spirit’s fire be extended through your concern and care for all those who need your love.
May the Spirit’s patient endurance be yours while you wait for what is unknown to be revealed.
May the joyful fire of Spirit dance within you and set happiness ablaze in your life.

Amen.

Faith on Film:  Romero

Discussion questions:
How did Archbishop Romero give witness to God through his vocation?
In what way does Romero’s witness inspire you to serve God in your life?
Are you willing to give up your life for the sake of the Gospel? Why or why not?

Personal reflection:
Evaluate your discernment process over the past few months. Have you begun your process of understanding and trusting God’s will?
Set new goals (or re-visit your previous goals) to help you discover what God is calling you to?
Consider as part of your discernment to work with the poor.

Quote:
I hope that many young men and women, inspired by sincere, apostolic zeal, will consecrate their own lives to Christ and the Church as priests and religious, or as lay people who are also ready to leave their own countries to rush to those places where workers in Christ’s vineyard are scarce.
Pope John Paul II, WYD VII