# Discernment **Hub.** The prayerful judgment by which the soul distinguishes the spirits and inspirations that come from God from those of nature or the enemy — the gift of *discernment of spirits* ([[1-corinthians-12#^1-corinthians-12-10|1 Cor 12:10]]) — and by which it seeks and confirms God's will in vocation and choices. It matures through prayer, self-knowledge, and docility to the Holy Spirit. --- ## St. Teresa of Ávila ### Collected Works, Volume I ![[tj-cw-1-index-wn#^tj-cw-ics-discernment]] ### The Way of Perfection ![[tj-way-ics-08-index-wn#^tj-way-ics-discernment]] --- ## St. John of the Cross ### Collected Works ![[jc-cw-v1-index-wn#^jc-cw-ics-discernment]] --- ## Doctrinal note St Thomas classes the *discerning of spirits* among the gratuitous graces (*gratiae gratis datae*) listed at 1 Cor 12 — the grace of manifesting "what God alone can know… the secrets of hearts" (*Summa Theologiae* I-II, q. 111, a. 4). It bears on **created spirits**, distinct from wisdom and faith (which regard divine things) and from knowledge (which regards human things) (*ST* II-II, q. 171, a. 2). This is the Thomistic root beneath the Ignatian *rules for discernment* and the Carmelite reading of interior movements. --- ## See Also [[discernment-of-spirits|Discernment of Spirits]] · [[will-of-god|Will of God]] · [[prudence|Prudence]] · [[counsel-gift-of|Gift of Counsel]] --- ## Tags #term/discernment