|
|
|
Have
you read anything on Saint Ignatius and the Spiritual
Exercises—especially discernment of spirits? I just can’t imagine
a Catholic psychologist who hasn’t heard of him.
 haven’t written about Saint
Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises anywhere else on this website because,
in their own way, the exercises speak about some of the same matters I explain
here in psychological terms.
|
Note, however,
that some parts of the exercises that consist in using the imagination (and
even the five senses) to contemplate the Divinity, angels, or demons can lead
to spiritual pride, which is why the Church Fathers have warned about improper
use of the imagination. |
|
If you
can’t imagine a Catholic psychologist who hasn’t heard of the exercises,
it’s even more astonishing to consider that those today who claim to revere Saint
Ignatius and yet remain entrenched in liberal heresies
have only toyed intellectually with his Spiritual Exercises and have fallen into
the very self-deception the exercises warn about.
Rules for the
Discernment of Spirits
 Saint Ignatius presents two
groups of rules for the discernment of spirits.
The first group (314–327)
of rules is more suitable for the first week of the exercises, and points
to two facts: (a) that, in persons actively in a state of mortal sin,
the influence of demons can maintain sin through
desire for sensory pleasures, whereas the
inspiration of good spirits can discourage sin through feelings of remorse;
and (b) that, in persons earnestly purging away their sins,
the influence of demons can, through feelings of
anxiety, obstruct spiritual progress, whereas the inspiration of good spirits
can bring about spiritual
fruits.
The second group (329–336)
of rules is more suitable for the second week of the exercises. In these
rules, Saint Ignatius addresses the circumstances in which distractions such
as false reasonings, casuistry, and self-deceptions inhibit our spiritual
progress.
The First Group
of Rules:
Consolation and Desolation
The first group of rules deals
essentially with the difference between two psycho-spiritual concepts:
consolation and desolation.
Consolations
Now, in plain English, a
consolation refers to those experiences
that substantiate the belief that God cares for us and protects
us.
|
For example,
if you’re troubled about some course of action to take, and then, at
Mass, one of the readings provides insight into the matter, that is a
consolation. Or, again, if you have an important appointment and everything
seems to be going wrong as you struggle to get there, but you still manage
to get there on time, that is a consolation. A consolation, therefore, points
to the fact that God cares for you and wants to
protect you. |
|
Desolations
In plain English, a
desolation refers to those experiences
that obstruct or inhibit us in our objectives. Psychologically speaking,
desolations can take either of two forms.
1. |
Desolations can occur
because of circumstances. A traffic jam can obstruct you as you drive
somewhere, a machine can break down when you feel pressed for time, an illness
can deplete your energy, and so on. |
2. |
Desolations can occur
because of other persons. Someone might refuse to do what you want,
someone might insult you, someone might do something that you know is wrong, and
so on. |
The fundamental danger of a
desolation is that, in consequence of the emotional pain you feel because
of it, you can fall under the influence of demons
and thereby lose confidence in God’s providence (i.e., that He
will protect you) or His justice (i.e., that all
sin will be brought to
judgment in the
end).
Coping with
Desolations
Because there are two kinds of
desolations, there are two different ways to cope with them.
1. |
When desolations
of circumstance torment you, the demonic temptation will be to get upset,
lose your patience, and, through your own frantic efforts, reject God’s
will and try to make things go according to your will. To cope with
these sorts of desolations, renounce the temptation to succumb to
evil and then seek to accept the desolations with
calmness and prayer.
Turn your thoughts to God’s protection, and the
fruits of the Holy Spirit will
be your consolation. |
2. |
When desolations
from others torment you, the demonic temptation will be to get
angry
and take revenge with your own hands, thereby
committing sins against others or committing sins of self-satisfaction (e.g.,
erotic pleasures, using drugs, drinking, smoking, abusing food, etc.) or
self-sabotage. To cope with these sorts of
desolations, renounce the temptation to succumb to evil
and then seek to reject thoughts of revenge, to trust in divine justice,
and to pray for your enemies that they might
repent their
sins. Here again, turn your thoughts to God’s
protection, and the fruits of the Holy
Spirit will be your consolation. |
The Second Group
of Rules:
Distractions
The second group of rules deals
essentially with spiritual distractions which I have described in
detail elsewhere on this website.
Two Final Points
One critical prerequisite for discerning
spirits is a life of constant prayer from the heart. Dutiful vocal prayer has its value,
but only constant heartfelt prayer can help with discernment of spirits. If your life
isn’t constantly attuned to the presence of God, you will be so caught up in worldly
distractions that you won’t be able to recognize divine guidance when it is given to
you.
A second critical prerequisite for discerning
spirits is a life free from anger and
lust. This goes psychologically deeper than Saint
Ignatius’ requirement for not being actively in a state of mortal sin. If any
desire for anger and lust lurks in your heart, then demons
(who feed on anger and lust) will have constant openings to deceive you into believing that
you are making right decisions when you are really being led astray.
|
