As we prepare for tomorrow and the conclusion of the 2020 election season, we thought this was an important time to reflect on discernment in the Ignatian tradition. Grounded in St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises the process of discernment is about paying attention to one’s inner movements and emotions to be drawn closer to feelings of consolation.

As Fr. Andrew Rodriquez discusses in this week’s video, the process of discernment is about finding a greater freedom in our lives. A freedom that allows us to liberate ourselves from attachments and to choose the path that best aligns with a call to kindness, mercy, compassion, and generosity. For Christians, this is a call to align oneself with the example of Jesus’ life and message, but regardless of your spiritual or intellectual tradition it is a call to make choices, big and small, that serve the common good. 

When we understand ourselves to be part of something greater than our own individual concerns and attachments, then we can begin to think about the way our choices connect to the wider community. In the reading for this week from Conversations Magazine, Stephanie Ann Y. Puen, examines the importance of looking outside of ourselves. In doing so, one might ask, “Is the community moving toward peace or toward disquiet? And what do these movements reveal about the situation of the community and its urgent needs? Communal discernment thus entails being able to have an honest conversation about how these movements are affecting both individuals and the community, probing their deeper meaning, whether positive or negative.”

Contemplation & Political Action: An Ignatian Guide to Civic Engagement
- The Jesuits reflect on our Gospel call to promote the common good in the public square

Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education's Election 2020 Coverage
- Conversations Magazine 

Voting is an Act of Love
- Ignatian Solidarity Network

Election 2020: Jesuit Schools Get Out the Vote
- Connections Magazine, Association of Jesuit Colleges & Universities