Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts DWG11 – Three Modes of Discernment – The Discernment of God’s Will in Everyday Decisions with Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Three Modes of Discernment – “What am I to do?” The Discernment of God’s Will in Everyday Decisions with Fr. Timothy Gallagher
Father Timothy Gallagher continues his explanation of St. Ignatius of Loyola’s three modes of discernment by focusing on the third mode, used when neither immediate certainty nor a clear pattern of spiritual attraction has emerged. This approach relies on a calm, prayerful use of reason to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each good option from the standpoint of God’s greater glory. The person discerning must first understand the decision clearly, gather all relevant information, and cultivate interior freedom so the heart is not already fixed on an outcome. Prayer for light and guidance prepares the mind to evaluate the options honestly, often using a structured comparison that looks not only at the number of reasons but also their depth and significance.
The process is illustrated through extended examples, showing how discernment unfolds over time with patience, prayer, and spiritual direction. In the story of Patrick, a man invited into full-time prison ministry, the third mode gradually leads to interior clarity while also reshaping his motivations and desires. As Patrick reflects, prays with Scripture, and reviews his reasons, resistance gives way to readiness, culminating in a moment of unmistakable insight confirmed through prayer and peace. All three modes of discernment lead to the same end: a firm clarity that allows a person to move forward with confidence and trust in God’s guidance, supported by ongoing spiritual accompaniment.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions:
- In what current decision do I find myself lacking clear certainty or a strong interior attraction, inviting a more reflective approach to discernment?
- Have I taken time to understand each option concretely, including its real impact on my family, work, and service to others?
- Is my heart truly free and open before God, or am I quietly attached to one outcome that shapes how I evaluate my reasons?
- Do I set aside peaceful, prayerful time to reflect, or do I attempt to discern while distracted, anxious, or emotionally unsettled?
- When I consider the advantages and disadvantages of each option, am I viewing them in light of God’s greater glory rather than personal comfort?
- How does prayer, especially with Scripture and the Eucharist, shape my clarity and interior disposition during discernment?
- After reaching a tentative conclusion, do I seek confirmation through prayer, peace of heart, and wise spiritual counsel?
- In what ways might God be transforming my desires and motivations through the very process of discernment itself?
From The Discernment of God’s Will in Everyday Decisions:
“Three Times in which a Sound and Good Choice May Be Made
The first time is when God Our Lord so moves and attracts the will that, without doubting or being able to doubt, the devout soul follows what is shown to it, as St. Paul and St. Matthew did in following Christ our Lord.
The second time is when sufficient clarity and understanding is received through experience of consolations and desolations, and through experience of discernment of different spirits.
The third time is one of tranquility, when one considers first for what purpose man is born, that is, to praise God our Lord and save his soul, and, desiring this, chooses as a means to this end some life or state within the bounds of the Church, so that he may be helped in the service of his Lord and the salvation of his soul. I said a tranquil time, that is, when the soul is not agitated by different spirits, and uses its natural powers freely and tranquilly.
If the choice is not made in the first or second time, two ways of making it in this third time are given below.”
Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series “Living the Discerning Life: The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola”. For more information on how to obtain copies of Fr. Gallaghers’s various books and audio which are available for purchase, please visit his website: frtimothygallagher.org
For the other episodes in this series check out Fr. Timothy Gallagher’s “Discerning Hearts” page
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