We begin with Pope Francis’ catechesis 1 on discernment which will help us prepare for the feast of St. Candida that we will celebrate on August 9. A summary is published here. You can access the complete catechesis on the Holy See’s website or at the bottom of this page.
Summary of the catechesis
Dear brothers and sisters:
Today we begin a new cycle of catechesis on the theme of discernment. Jesus presents it to us with images of ordinary life: the man who works in the field, the fishermen who select the fish. These parables present discernment as an exercise of intelligence and the will, in which the affections are also involved. The man, having found the treasure, is filled with joy and, for this reason, having weighed the situation well, sells all he has and buys the field.
It is very important to learn to discern, because every action we take, especially in the crucial moments of our lives, has transcendent consequences for ourselves, for others, and for the world. In this way, we learn to know ourselves and to know and love what is good in each moment. God wants us to exercise the freedom that He Himself has given us, building our life with each decision, which becomes a demanding task. He sustains us on this path and wants to be loved from freedom, and not by imposing his will.
In the life of Mother Candida
This is how Saint Candida lived it throughout her life. For example, when she wrote the Constitutions of the Congregation:
At recreation time, I was forced to withdraw to be alone with God, as so often happened to me when He made me feel that He wanted to communicate with me. A difficult work awaited me at that time, that of the Constitutions, and I had to discuss them with the Lord in prayer.
From the book “Donde Dios te llame”, by María del Carmen de Frías, FI p. 200.
And you, do you talk to the Lord about the things you do and when you have to choose?
