Lisa Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 What is the best advice you've received? Who did it come from? How are you living it out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aya Sophia Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Mega question . . . hard to say what piece of advice has been "best" but major and central has been (and continues to be) learning Ignatian-style discernment of spirits which means the ability to discern the source of my inner impulses - whether a good spirit (God, His angels, etc.), an evil spirit or self - and the appropriate or best response to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aya Sophia Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 p.s. not restricted to vocation discernment but also: never refrain from acting simply out of fear (let it not be fear alone that keeps you from acting) - don't remember who if anyone told me this - just remember starting to embrace this, choosing in a certain circumstance to risk "dying on the way" rather than staying home out of fear, because I was assured of being safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AccountDeleted Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 My first spiritual director changed my life when he told me that in order to succeed at religious life, I needed to develop a 'close, personal relationship with Jesus', in order words, he said, to 'fall in love with Jesus'. I didn't know how to do what he said so while driving home from our meeting, I pulled over and sat in the car and prayed to Jesus, 'Jesus, Father Paul said I had to fall in love with you, but I don't know how. Will you do it for me, please?' He did. That was the first time I ever experienced His presence, up close and personal (but definitely not the last). My life hasn't been the same since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissyP89 Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 My confessor told me I needed to be single by the end of the day. Of course, there's alot more to that, but he did help me to realize head-on that I wasn't making the right decisions. I was in a relationship that would have led to an invalid marriage had I stayed involved...needless to say I'm very glad he confronted me about that. I did find someone else after a few years and am extremely happy now. The lessons I learned from my past relationship, good and bad, are enriching my current one. If Father hadn't given me the tough love I needed at that time, I wouldn't be where I am today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG45 Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 (edited) Edit: n/m. Always good to learn stuff and know folks are happy. Edited October 11, 2011 by BG45 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlySunshine Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 I think the best discernment advice I heard was from posters on here, actually. It was about slowing down and taking time away to discern so that I could form a strong prayer life with God. I kept telling people I had that already, but I truly didn't and I was so thankful for the 7 months I took away from looking up communities so that I could focus on my ministries in the Church as an EMHC and attending Mass more often. I don't regret it for one minute. I also think that my former spiritual director told me something very valuable when I came home from my very short live-in with the Carmelite DCJ Sisters. He told me to stop relying on signs. I used to pray for signs all the time and would be so confused and I'd think I'd see one when I actually did not, but I wanted to so bad! I thought of something that I told my CRHP sisters tonight and that was that I prayed a novena to St. Therese and asked her for a rose during my vocation retreat with the Carmelites in Feb. 2009. I thought that the plastic roses at the base of the statue of St. Therese was the sign I was looking for. I was deluded. I really needed to grow up and stop being immature. My discernment has definitely matured over the years. I DO NOT pray for signs, but yet, I am still given signals at random by the Holy Spirit. One that keeps manifesting lately is the word "mercy." I don't want to read too much into it, but it's so strange! It really is incredible how many times that word has appeared in the last month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
she_who_is_not Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 "Pray and don't worry." Padre Pio I struggle with both, but God has given so many graces to this sinner that I'm absolutely confident that he'll steer me through this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InPersonaChriste Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 Not worrying, and just being. Living in the present moment.. Definitely the hardest and the truest advice I have ever recieved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa Posted October 12, 2011 Author Share Posted October 12, 2011 Some of the best advice I've received is to just keep trying. Even if it seems like my prayer life isn't going anywhere, I can still "put in the time" so to speak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FutureSister2009 Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 Spend alot of time in Adoration and prayer. And remember to leave it all in God's hands. He knows your future and it will all work out in His time, not yours Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaPetiteSoeur Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 RELAX: God's in Charge. We had this sign in the choir loft of my home church. It was a wonderful reminder to us--especially as Christmas approached and we still hadn't gotten through our music. I appreciated it even more when I started to cantor. And now, in discernment, it's a wonderful, wonderful phrase to remember! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeresaBenedicta Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 Focus on your prayer life, on growing closer and closer to Jesus. If you do this, everything else will fall into place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheresaThoma Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 Not sure who told me this but "God will never ask the impossible of you". It reminds me that even if I can't figure out how it will work out as long as I am following God's will I don't have to worry about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessed&Grateful Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 I think the "Fall in love with Jesus" is so true. When you deeply love someone all you want is for that person to be happy. So if your true love is Jesus, well it all just falls into place. Even as a single person I find this to be very meaningful. I fall in love with Jesus more and more and more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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