What Scripture Says of Discernment

Such is discernment. It is not only the “light of the body”; the apostle also calls it the sun, when he says: “Do not let the sun go down on your anger.” It is also called the guidance of our life, as it is said: “Those who have no guidance fall like leaves.” It is most truly named counsel, without which the authority of Scripture lets us do nothing, so that we are not even allowed to take that spiritual “wine that gladdens the heart of man” without its regulating control. As it is said: “Do everything with counsel; drink your wine with counsel.” And again: “Like a city whose walls are destroyed and that is not fenced in, so is a man who does anything without counsel.” How harmful its absence is to a monk, the illustration and figure in the passage quoted shows, by comparing it to a city that is destroyed and without walls. [a]

In it lies wisdom; in it lie intelligence and understanding, without which our inner house cannot be built, nor can spiritual riches be gathered, as it is said: “A house is built with wisdom, and again it is set up with intelligence. With understanding the storehouses are filled with all precious riches and good things.” This, I say, is the “solid food” that only those who are full-grown and strong can take, as it is said: “But solid food is for the full-grown, who by practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.” And it is shown to be useful and necessary for us only insofar as it agrees with the word of God and its powers, as it is said: “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, reaching even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” By this it is clearly shown that no virtue can possibly be perfectly gained, or last, without the grace of discernment.

And so, by the judgment of the blessed Antony as well as of all the others, it has been laid down that it is discernment which leads a fearless monk by fixed stages to God, and keeps the virtues mentioned above always intact. By its means one may climb with less weariness to the highest summit of perfection, and without it even those who toil most willingly cannot reach the heights of perfection. For discernment is the mother of all virtues, as well as their guardian and regulator.