1. The document discusses Vincent de Paul's method of discernment which had three parts: openness to God's will, evaluation of reasons for and against a decision, and consultation with wise individuals. 2. It also examines Vincent de Paul's spiritual way which involved experience, faith, and practical action guided by wisdom and embracing extremes. 3. Key aspects of Vincent's discernment discussed include indifference to outcomes, weighing pros and cons, and seeking counsel from others.

1. St. Vincent’s Spiritual Way:
Discernment
based on the article “Vincentian Discernment”
by Fr. Hugh O’Donnell, C.M.

2. Fr. Hugh O’Donnell, C.M. defines
discernment as a process by
which the Spirit calls us to use
our freedom to act in a certain
way. He defines it as “a choice,
not between good and evil, but
between two or more goods.”
Vincent de Paul with Ladies of Charity,
women with orphans; dove of Holy Spirit above

3. Vincent de Paul’s method of
discernment had three parts:
1. an openness to God’s will
2. an evaluation of reasons for or
against an action
3. a consultation with wise
persons

4. 1
Openness to God’s will
The cornerstone of Vincent's
discernment is precisely
“holy indifference”, or to put it
another way, the willingness to
do whatever God wants.
This can also be called
“unrestricted readiness”.

5. 2
Evaluation of reasons for or
against an action
After “indifference” or
“unrestricted readiness,” the
second step is to weigh the
evidence, the pros and cons,
with a listening heart.

6. 3
Consultation with wise
persons
The third step is to seek counsel
from a wise woman or a wise
man, often a superior or director.

7. Vincent’s Spiritual Way
1. Experience
2. Faith
3. Action
Vincent de Paul with galley convicts

8. 1
Experience
The cornerstone for Vincent is
experience. Mother Suzanne
Guillemin, DC said it more
powerfully perhaps than Vincent
when she said, "Les événements,
c'est Dieu,” which can be translated
as "Circumstances, that's God!"
God is here! The God whom we
worship is present in history and in
relationships. That is why the
poor are our masters— God is here.

9. 2
Faith
Step two in Vincent’s Way of
discernment is a dialogue
between experienced events
and the gospel.

10. 3
Action
For Vincent, a practical action is one
that flows from God's wisdom and love.
We must act with prudence, which
means to act from wisdom. Secondly,
an action is good when it embraces the
extremes. “And” is the great life-giving
word for Vincent as he embraces the
extremes. Be wise as serpents and
simple as doves. Finally, Vincent in his
practical wisdom taught that we must
always be firm regarding the goal but
gentle and flexible
regarding the means.

11. Closing thoughts:
• Isn’t “unrestricted readiness"
depersonalizing? Are we just robots?
No– we are uniquely made… we have
an aptitude for particular skills and
abilities, and an inclination toward
particular interests. And we must be
unrestrictedly ready in the face of our
God of Divine Goodness. We must
believe that God loves all people
more than we do. If that is true, it is
not a big sacrifice to be unrestrictedly
ready, to be most willing instruments
and channels of his love.

12. Further thoughts:
• Concretely we need to believe that
God can get us to where there is life
for ourselves and for others better
than we can.
• Consultation and dialogue are good
and necessary BUT even as we
participate in a discernment process,
the most important things are still
hidden from us—the persons and the
events. The most unexpected people
come into our lives and they turn out
often to be the best blessings.

13. Further thoughts:
• Discernment involves a
purification of spirit, love, and
“a shift to presence.” Activity
remains important, but a shift
to presence means that we are
fully sensitive to the needs and
feelings of others.

14. Further thoughts:
• Sometimes we get stuck, because
the problems are so great. One
tendency consequently is to say
to ourselves, "Whatever I can do
is only a drop in the ocean," and
then decide to mind our own
business and go our own way.
Another temptation is to take
upon ourselves the entire social
agenda and burn out in a year or
two or three. How do we live
between those two options?

15. • …The Quakers, and especially
Thomas Kelly who wrote a
book called A Testament of
Devotion, are very helpful in
this question. The Quakers
have a thing called "concerns."
God is concerned with all of
creation, God is concerned
with all our brothers and
sisters, God is concerned with
all those who are in need, but
God knows that you and I
cannot do it all.

16. • …So, in the midst of His concern for
all of us, He gives each of us a
concern— a specific concern— like
children or the homeless. Maybe God
gives a person two or three
"concerns." Anyway in the midst of
this very large agenda, God speaks a
personal word to each of us calling us
to respond to some brothers and
sisters here and now in this place and
in this time. The insight that within the
universal concern that God has for all
creation, he addresses a specific
concern to you and me, is helpful and
freeing.

17. • …This allows us not to cop out
and not to burn out, but to live
in the peace of God as we give
ourselves wholeheartedly in
communion with God's concern
for all. It calls us to listen to
what God is calling us to in the
midst of this large social
agenda. Among the many
concerns of the kingdom and of
humanity, we are called to
attend to what one, two or three
concerns God gives to me, to
us, to live now!

18. Source:
O'Donnell, Hugh C.M. (1994) "Vincentian Discernment," Vincentian
Heritage Journal: Vol. 15: Iss. 1, Article 2.
Available at: http://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol15/iss1/2
Images:
Depaul Image Archive, pixabay.com