So we have ventured even farther into discernment and given much more evidence to support 1 John 4 and the development of the Church doctrine regarding such matters.
Here we go.
1) Discernment
a) Romans 12:2
i) Degrees of obedience
(1) What is good (first step)
(2) What is pleasing (second step)
(3) What is perfect (third step)
ii) Spiritual life should move forward in this matter, always trying to come to a more clear understanding and maturation.
b) 2 Peter 1: 3-9
i) Lays out how life should be lived.
ii) See really badly drawn pyramid to see the pyramid of religious life.
iii) Notice there are 8 steps. 8 is the number of perfection, the new beginning.
iv) Luther said “only faith” is needed.
(1) Stated that love is not needed to get into heaven.
v) Nearly all Protestants stop at “faith” and never truly progress into the upper echelons of religious life.
c) Submission to Magisterium
i) Requirement of discernment is submission of your faith to the Magisterium.
ii) Reflected in Bible.
(1) Lepers healed, Jesus says “Go see the priest”
(2) Etc
iii) Whenever Jesus is asked a question, He gives an action that is specific to the question.
(1) “How do we pray?” He gives the Lord’s Prayer, not a faith lecture or breathing exercise.
(2) Etc.
d) Criteria of Discernment.
i) Moral Living
(1) God-Directedness.
(a) A “pull” towards God
(b) Increase in moral life.
(2) New Love
(a) Visible sign of invisible presence of God in the person.
(b) Not cordiality but a genuine desire to do good and not for own sake.
(3) Cross Asceticism
(a) Willingness to suffer (active and passive) for Christ and Gospel.
(b) Practice of true self-denial.
(4) Frugality
(a) Commit to living more simple lifestyle.
(5) Holy Dissatisfaction
(a) Desire to do better in terms of spirituality.
(6) Uncluttered Freedom
(a) Not caught up in life or cares of the world.
(b) No spiritual growth without detachment and being open to God.
(7) Fruits of Holy Spirit
(a) Common means of seeing the joy, peace, patience, etc. in one’s life.
(8) Sound Speech
(a) One speaks more of God and the Church, not money or pleasure.
(9) Hatred for Sin
(a) Even venial sins are fought against.
(b) Small infidelities are looked at more harshly.
ii) Doctrinal Orthodoxy
(1) Sound Doctrine
(a) Anyone who waters down doctrine, discipline or morality from Scripture, Tradition or the Magisterium cannot have the Spirit for God.
(2) Watchfulness
(a) Alert to danger and ready to do Lord’s bidding.
(3) At Odds with the Spirit of the World.
(a) Real God is never very popular.
(b) Person moved by Him will live a life by the standards of the Gospel without diluting or compromising it.
(4) Love for Truth
(a) Will embrace teachings of God’s word as truths for their life, not pick and choose with their own preferences.
(5) Fidelity to Deep Prayer
(a) Movement towards higher types of meditation and contemplative prayer is essential to grow in the spiritual life.
iii) Communal Connection
(1) Unity
(a) True unity occurs in discernment when every single person in a group (if truly discerning) reaches the same understanding.
(2) Love for the Church
(a) Most tangible sign of holiness is the love for the Catholic Church that Jesus Christ laid down his life for.
(3) Absence of Egocentrism
(a) More centered on God, less emphasis on the self.
(4) Obedience Given Freely
(a) Spirit-filled person obeys his superiors in the Church.
(b) Only Magisterium and those clergy can speak for God.
(c) Rejection of the divinely appointed ministers of God means you are formulating your own opinions by imposition than corporate reflection and is not of the Spirit.
iv) Other principles not listed on the paper given out at Bible study
(1) Never do chosen and willed ebil to achieve good
(2) The Double Effect
(a) If an act is good but it carries with it an evil side effect that is not the intent of the person, it can be done if 4 conditions are fulfilled.
(i) Good is purposeful and evil is not willed but tolerated.
(ii) The good happening cannot be a result of the evil.
(iii) Good must outweigh unwanted evil effect
(iv) Proportionately serious reason to perform the act (life threatening, etc)
(3) Totality
(a) General principle of medicine.
(b) Always has been a matter of Church teaching but not articulated until as of late.
(c) We can modify/destroy/remove a body part for the sake of overall health.
(i) Plastic surgery=no-no, unless it is to rebuild what once was.
(d) This is an open-ended thing and is subject to ones conscience
(i) Conscience means “with knowledge” and does not reflect the Freudian concept of the superego in any capacity.
(e) Classic example: Termination of a pregnancy due to danger to the mother
(i) Based on discernment, the mother choosing her own life over that of the baby OR letting the baby live and her passing on are both acceptable and are subject to the circumstances surrounding the situation.
(ii) Either way is acceptable.
v) Luke 5:4
(1) A reflection of searching deeper and coming to a more mature understanding of the faith.
(2) Christianity is a journey… Paul, Peter and the Church have stated that.
(3) Christians cannot be worldly philosophers.
(a) You can never do evil so good can come of it.
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