A Note from Our Creative Director | Exercising Discernment Through Seasons of Life

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JIZA ZITO

 

“All the things in this world are gifts of God, created for us, to be the means by which we can come to know him better, love him more surely, and serve him more faithfully.” - St. Ignatius of Loyola

Does discernment end after you have “found” your vocation? Perhaps this is not a common question that comes to mind for the days after you say I do.

However, with today’s dating culture and its overemphasis of “finding the one” or the pressure that can be found among some social circles to “figure out” one’s vocation, it could almost seem like once you have made the choice to commit to your future spouse it is the end of discernment. The reality could not be more opposite. 

The exercising of proper discernment is essential in our life as Christians. Discernment helps us be aware of ourselves as we progress in our relationship with God, to better understand the promptings of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and to take action in order to grow in holiness and to serve others and Christ.

St. Paul often mentions the necessity of discernment throughout the New Testament (see 1 Thessalonians 5:21, 1 Corinthians 12, Hebrews 4-5, Romans 12:2). St. John touches on discernment in the Gospel (see 1 John 4), and the topic was important enough for St. Ignatius of Loyola to include Rules of Discernment within his Spiritual Exercises. Discernment gives the Christian life proper, right, and fruitful order.

At the start of my photography business in 2014, my prayer at the time was to serve married couples, initially assuming that this was exclusively meant for my small business.

However, I recognized a need for community and support among Catholic creatives within the wedding industry, and I realized an even greater need to share the beauty, truth and goodness of the sacrament of matrimony to a world starting to severely undervalue the sanctity of marriage.

What started as a seed grew into something much bigger than myself. By the grace of God, Spoken Bride came into fruition. 

Over the years, Spoken Bride has flourished through the sharing of hundreds of beautiful stories and articles from couples, the showcasing of exquisite work by an abundance of talented vendors, and the many connections created with ministries and organizations serving the Body of Christ. My time building Spoken Bride has been sustained and edified by the brilliant and dedicated women who have served as team members and have become friends throughout the years, as well as by the many steadfast prayers offered for us on our behalf.

We have received countless notes of encouragement, sharing with us how Spoken Bride has touched or helped brides, which is always a welcomed gift of affirmation in the midst of the hustle and bustle of our work. Reflecting back on the years and on the work the Holy Spirit has done through us, I feel nothing but humbled, grateful, and at peace. 

Discerning the will of God has now brought this beautiful season of my time with Spoken Bride to a close as he is moving me on to serve on other paths. It is with sweet surrender that I look with excitement, hope and thanksgiving to my own future as well as the future of Spoken Bride.

Entrusted to Our Lady and the patronage of Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, I have no doubt that the work of Spoken Bride will continue to be a light in the darkness. Please keep myself and the team of Spoken Bride in your prayers as we embark on to new chapters. 

God is always good and faithful, and by prayer, he grants “peace that is beyond all understanding” (Phil 4:7). To re-emphasize St. Ignatius of Loyola, one of the greatest consolations from discernment and our greatest earthly reward is this: Coming to know that “all the things in this world are gifts of God, created for us, to be the means by which we can come to know him better, love him more surely, and serve him more faithfully.” 

Jiza’s Suggested Reading:

Discernment of Spirits in Marriage: Ignatian Wisdom for Husbands and Wives by Fr. Timothy Gallagher

Spiritual Warfare and The Discernment of Spirits by Dan Burke

The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius

Conversation with Christ: The Teaching of Saint Teresa of Avila About Personal Prayer by Peter Thomas Rohrbach