This is the last in a series of talks on St. Ignatius of Loyola’s “Rules for discernment of spirits” that I gave. Rule #14 – St. Ignatius gives us an example of what the enemy is like and applies it to the spiritual life: in this case, an astute military captain who studies the walled […]

Rule #13 – St. Ignatius gives us an example of what the enemy is like and applies it to the spiritual life: in this case, a false lover who wants the young girl or married woman to keep his seductions secret. St. Ignatius counsels how important it is to bring our doubts, temptations and struggles to […]

“…the enemy characteristically weakens, loses courage, and flees with his temptations when the person engaged in spiritual endeavors stands bold and unyielding against the enemy’s temptations and goes exactly opposite them. But if, in contrast, that person begins to fear and lose courage in the face of the temptations, there is no beast on the […]

“Let him who is consoled see to humbling himself and lowering himself as much as he can, thinking how little he is able for in the time of desolation without such grace or consolation. On the contrary, let him who is in desolation think that he can do much with the grace sufficient to […]

“When one enjoys consolation, let him consider how he will conduct himself during the time of ensuing desolation, and store up a supply of strength as defense against that day.” St. Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises #323 [This is a reposting of the talks I gave on  St. Ignatius of Loyola’s rules for discernment of […]

“For we can do this with God’s help, which always remains available, even if we do not clearly perceive it.” St. Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises #320 [This is a reposting of the talks I gave on  St. Ignatius of Loyola’s rules for discernment of spirits, drawing on Fr. Timothy Gallagher’s material as well as […]

“During a time of desolation one should never make a change. Instead, one should remain firm and constant in the proposals and in the decision which one had on the day before the desolation…” St. Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises Part 5 of a series of talks on St. Ignatius of Loyola’s rules for discernment […]

“I call desolation all the contrary of the third rule, such as darkness of soul, disturbance in it, movement to low and earthly things, disquiet from various agitations and temptations, moving to lack of confidence, without hope, without love, finding oneself totally slothful, tepid, sad and as if separated from one’s Creator and Lord.”  Spiritual […]

I call it consolation when some interior movement is caused in the soul, through which the soul comes to be inflamed with love of its Creator and Lord… Likewise when it sheds tears that move to love of its Lord, whether out of sorrow for one’s sins or for the passion of Christ our Lord, […]

“Rules to aid us toward perceiving and then understanding… the various movements in the soul: the good movements that they may be received, and the bad that they may be rejected.” Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, #313 [This is a reposting of the talks I gave on  St. Ignatius of Loyola’s rules for […]