What is discernment and how does it take place in seminary formation

In this article, the diocesan vocation director shares some of the misconceptions he had before entering the seminary, and then reveals various aspects of discernment, formation and prayer.

By Father Joseph S. Corel

When I first talked to a vocation director about "becoming a priest," he said I had to go to a seminary for formation and discernment. At that time, I had a vague though wrong understanding of what a seminary was and did not know what formation or discernment meant. In particular, I thought a seminary was a place men go to learn how to be a priest, since they had already figured out that they were supposed to be a priest. Wrong on two levels!

First, a seminary is a place for someone to go to find out if God is truly calling him to the Priesthood. One does not decide to become a priest and then enter the seminary. That would be like saying, "I am going to work the midnight shift on the weekends in the Emergency Room at University Hospital. How do I apply for pre-med at the undergraduate level?" Rather, one says to the Lord that he is open to God calling him to Priesthood; but more importantly, he is open to whatever God wants him to do with his life.

The second reason my assumption about the seminary was wrong was that a man can go to the seminary and discern that God is not calling him to the Priesthood. He can leave the seminary with full integrity, with his head held high. He was a success story. The seminary did what it was supposed to do; it helped this man discover that God was not calling him to be a priest. While in the seminary, I got to learn an incredible amount about myself, God, and my relationship with Him. Nothing in this life is more important than that. God said as much through Moses when He gave us the Ten Commandments: "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength." (Deuteronomy 6:5)

Formation

Seminary formation is set up so a seminarian can learn who God created when He created this person. God created man to be a spiritual being. So spiritual formation - How exactly did God make this person to grow in holiness through prayer and through his relationship with God? - is a foundational part of seminary life.

Although a plentitude of spiritual books, spiritual walks, and a host of ways to grow in relationship to God are readily available to anyone, one must actually start and learn the journey. Otherwise, he will not learn how God created him to pray and grow in holiness. Spiritual formation helps the person learn.

We are human beings. Man is not a soul trapped in an ugly sinful body. Quite the opposite! With all of the gifts, talents and abilities given to a man by God, he is good! Human formation helps a person recognize his individual gifts, talents and abilities. Then he must come to understand how he is to apply those gifts to living a holier life and helping others do the same. Wrapped up in this package of the human being is sinfulness - inordinate desires and vices. This also must be discovered so it can be worked on and gotten rid of - or at least the person must learn how to make these things have less of an impact on him and those he interacts with.

Pastoral formation is helping the individual learn how to use his gifts and his spirituality in the best way to bring the face of Christ to others: How does the person who is being the face of Christ get out of the way while using his own gifts and talents so that Christ can truly be present to the people?

Finally, academic formation is what most colleges are about: educating the person. However, it is called formation because the seminarian who becomes priest has to be able to teach with integrity; the information the man receives has to be integrated into who the person is. For example, it is easy to say there are three Persons in one God. It is also easy to say that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day. However, when a priest is preparing a couple for marriage, the priest really has to believe that cohabitating and contraception are unhealthy for a marriage and dangerous if the marriage is supposed to last a lifetime. It's not merely the motto of the company.

Prayer in action

Discernment is prayer put into action. That means one cannot pray and say he is discerning. He prays and then acts. If his actions are giving him consolation and peace, he continues in that direction. Only if he finds unrest and lack of peace in prayer about his decisions should he continue to pray before changing course. Discovering a vocation is not a navel-gazing psychological exercise, nor a puzzle to be worked out. It is about meeting and being in relationship with Christ. So, the first step is that one must encounter Christ.

In order to encounter Christ, go to reconciliation and Mass regularly. Begin a regular prayer life. Next, desire what God desires for you. It is not a matter of asking, "Do you want me to be a priest or not?" It is a matter of asking, "What do you want me to do? Give me the desire to do what it is You are calling me to do."

Jesus is always trying to convince His followers to trust in the goodness of the Lord. If there is peace in a future decision that needs to be made and that peace is there during days when prayer is happening, then that needs to be examined. When this same future decision gives fright and worry on days when we are not praying, because we are too busy or other things get in the way so we cannot pray, it needs to be noted that these feelings are given when we are not in prayer. These feelings are not from God, but are from the one who tempts us away from God.

The third step in discernment is to be able to trust God. In the story of Peter walking on the water, Jesus shows Peter that there is something Peter is about to do that is beyond his own capabilities. As long as Peter stays focused on trusting in the Lord, he is fine. As soon as Peter tries to figure it all out, treat it as a problem to be solved, a riddle to be undone or tries to control the situation in the least, he falls and begins to sink. Then, Jesus asks why Peter stopped trusting. Jesus will do the same with anyone. As long as a person keeps walking toward Jesus and not try to solve the puzzle, solve the mystery, control the relationship, he will be able to do more than he can ever imagine; when he tries to solve it, fear, doubt, confusion sink in and that is not from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Takes time

It takes time to develop a relationship with Jesus, just as it takes time to develop any relationship. This is the reason a person who enters the seminary is not ordained on his arrival date. The seminarian has to grow in relationship with Jesus Christ first. The family members, especially the parents of the seminarian, also often have to grow in their relationship to Jesus Christ. No seminarian on day one knows how to deliver a homily, how to visit a sick person who is dying or how to give a great penance to a penitent. That comes later; developing a deep relationship with Christ comes first.

In like manner, after the Apostles were drawn to follow Christ, they had to be with Him for three years before they were made leaders. For parents, it takes time to see their child happy serving the Lord as a seminarian. When they see he is happy, they realize that the Lord is making their child so happy and that biological grandchildren are not the way God is going to abundantly bless the parents through this amazing child God has given them.

Fear as temptation

People who walk with Jesus find exceptional peace when they pray about what Jesus is asking them to do. However, times will get busy, things will start to get difficult, and so the person may choose to sacrifice prayer for busy-ness and getting things done. At that time, the Tempter will enter and say how foolish that person is to think he can do this; foolish to think he is holy enough, smart enough, good enough. Fear enters, and fear is never from God when we are talking about what we are to do with our lives.

How many times does Jesus say, "Be not afraid?" God only calls us to what is good. Then, God starts to put the thoughts of Priesthood more centrally in our hearts and minds. Seminarians often ask, "How do I know God is really calling me to be a priest?" - a question that is wrapped in mystery. However, if God is really calling one to be a priest, God has to put that thought deep in the person's thoughts so he can begin to think with the mind and heart of Christ.

While a person is in prayer, God more and more deliberately puts the thoughts of that individual being a priest on his heart and in his mind. So, through the spiritual director of the potential seminarian, the two can begin to tell when in prayer things about the future are peaceful; outside of prayer - when he does not pray - these same things about the future are fearful, causing pressure, confusion. So, he needs to go with what is happening in prayer and remember to stay in prayer and stand firm in what he understands to be his direction while in prayer - to go for it and do not look back.

Not alone

Finally, along with the spiritual director, realize that the person is not making the decision (discerning) on his own. The Church - in this case, the bishop, vocation director, director of seminarians and the rector of the seminary - also have to discern that God is calling the man to the Priesthood. My hope as vocation director is that by this time next year, there will be at least three discernment groups happening in our diocese. The discernment group would use a book that illustrates much more completely how to discern God's will.