Discernment: The Church's Ancient Call to Vigilance

Discernment has deep roots in Church tradition. Jesus reproaches people of his time for not being able to recognize the signs of the times (Lk. 12:56), namely their inability to detect those signs that speak of God's presence in their midst.

The Church, from its very beginning, especially on the occasion of the crucial moment of admission of non-Jews into the community, summoned a meeting to discern what was necessary to do (Acts 15:1-11; 22-29). Paul will repeatedly insist on this need: "Put all things to the test, keep what is good" (Thes. 5:21). At a time nearer to us, Vatican Council ll said: "With the help of the Holy Spirit, it is the task of the entire People of God, especially pastors and theologians, to hear, distinguish and interpret the many voices of our age, and to judge them in the light of the divine word, so that revealed truth can always be more deeply penetrated, better understood and set forth to greater advantage" (GS 44).

Discernment is not the absence of error, but the courage to seek truth in every age.