Will of God: Through the Discernment of Spirits [W1]

theologysg
5 days ago
29 min read

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St. Ignatius teaches that there are three “times” in which a sound and good choice may be made. The second “time” or mode involves the discernment of spirits, while the third mode’s last stage also implicates this process.

What is discernment of spirits? What are spiritual “consolations” and “desolations”? And how can we be more aware of and to understand them, and to act, accepting what is of God and firmly rejecting what is not?

Being familiar with such principles is essential not only for discerning the will of God in making a major life choice, but also for daily Christian living.

St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises, one of the greatest works of Christian spirituality, will be our guide for this crucial episode [1].

Let us begin with prayer.

Opening Prayer – the Suscipe by St. Ignatius of Loyola

Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding and my whole will.

All that I am and all that I possess, Thou hast given me.

I surrender it all to Thee to be disposed of according to Thy will.

Give me only Thy love and Thy grace; with these I will be rich enough and will desire nothing more.

Amen.

Opening Song

“These Alone Are Enough” by Dan Schutte (acoustic cover by Chris Brunelle).

Part 1: Discerning the Will of God

1.1 Three “Times”

St. Ignatius teaches that there are three “times” in which a sound and good choice may be made:

First “time” or mode [2]:“[W]hen God Our Lord so moves and attracts the will that, without doubting or being able to doubt, the devout soul follows what is shown to it, as St. Paul and St. Matthew did in following Christ our Lord” [3].

This has been described as “clarity beyond doubting” or “revelation” time” - this mode is ideal but “fairly rare”, and practically speaking, leaves nothing further to be discerned [4].

Second “time” or mode: “[W]hen sufficient clarity and understanding is received through experience of consolations and desolations, and through experience of discernment of different spirits” [5].

This has been described as “an attraction of the heart”, or the “neglected middle way” between the first and third “time” [6].

Third “time” or mode [7]: Fr. Thomas Green S.J. calls this “reasoning time”, while Fr. Timothy Gallagher OMV describes this as “a preponderance of reasons” [8].

Assuming certain essential dispositions and conditions are met [9], this mode employs our natural powers of reasoning and imagination at a time of tranquility, to freely and calmly consider and weigh spiritual and faith-based advantages and disadvantages of each option for God’s greater glory and praise and the salvation of the person’s soul, to reach a tentative decision [10].
At the final stage, to bring the tentative decision to the Lord in diligent prayer for His acceptance and confirmation, which in turn leads us back to the second mode, i.e. the discernment of spirits [11].

Critically, “… second-mode discernment is discernment of God’s will through discernment of spirits — ‘through experience of consolations and desolations.’ [12]”

Given that both the second and third modes require familiarity with consolations, desolations and the discernment of spirits, it is crucial that we learn more about this [13].

This is not only for discerning the will of God in making a major life choice, but also, as will be evident below, for daily Christian living.

St. Ignatius’s Spiritual Exercises has 14 Rules for Week 1, which are more suitable for beginners, and 8 Rules in Week 2. For the rest of this article, we will focus on the introductory statement read with Rules 2-4 in Week 1.

1.2 Necessary Preparation

Those who discern well have the following necessary preparation and dispositions [14]:

The Question (Which Choice Does God Want?): When people who love God and want to do God’s will face choices between options all of which are good and that they are free to choose, how can they discern God’s will [15]?

The Foundation (God’s Infinite Love and our Response): They have experienced God’s love and desire to respond in communion of will with God – seeking, above all, to do God’s will. “All discernment must be built upon this foundation” [16].

The Disposition (Openness to Whatever God Wills): A heart that seeks to respond to God’s infinite love, and says, “Whatever you want, Lord” [17].

The Means: Includes the Eucharist, praying Sacred Scripture (especially ongoing contemplation of Christ in the Gospels), silence (ideally, in a retreat), spiritual direction, and review of spiritual experiences (journalling) [18].

Part 2: What is Discernment of Spirits?

2.1 “His Eyes were Opened a Little”

After St. Ignatius was injured in battle, he had two operations on his leg, and spent a long time in Loyola recovering, confined to bed.

During this time, he was given two books to read: one on the life of Christ and the other on the lives of the saints.

His preferred reading, based on feats of arms and chivalry, could not be found in his house.

Reluctantly, he began to read these devout books – as his long recovery went on.

His thoughts began to dwell on and alternate between, on one hand, the things of this world [19], and on the other hand, the things of Christ.

Each produced different feelings or emotions in his heart (or more accurately, affectivity) [20].

When Ignatius was thinking about the things of the world:

“He took much delight in them, but afterwards, when he was tired and put them aside, he found that he was dry and discontented” [21].

"Ignatius Convalesces at Loyola" (1904), by Albert Chevallier-Tayler

This contrasted with when he read the life of Jesus and of the saints. He thought about what St. Francis and St. Dominic did and what he ought to do.

“But when he thought of going to Jerusalem, barefoot and eating nothing but herbs and undergoing all the other rigors that he saw the saints had endured, not only was he consoled when he had these thoughts, but even after putting them aside, he remained content and happy” [22].

What is the difference between St. Ignatius’s thoughts (and his resulting affectivity in his heart) about the worldly project and the sacred project, and why?

The answer is found in the Autobiography of St. Ignatius, at 24:

“He did not wonder, however, at this; nor did he stop to ponder the difference until one time his eyes were opened a little, and he began to marvel at the difference and to reflect upon it, realizing from experience that some thoughts left him sad and others happy. Little by little he came to recognize the difference between the spirits that agitated him, one from the demon, the other from God” [23].

2.2 Three Key Steps - to become Aware, to Understand, and to take Action

Ignatius’s teaching on the discernment of spirits was birthed from his own personal experiences, and he eventually composed the Spiritual Exercises.

To learn and apply the rules of spiritual discernment in our own lives is like having our spiritual eyes “opened a little”.

The introductory statement of St. Ignatius’s Spiritual Exercises sets out the three key steps in spiritual discernment:

“Rules for becoming aware and understanding to some extent the different movements which are caused in the soul, the good, to receive them, and the bad to reject them. And these rules are more proper for the first week” [24].

Fr. Timothy Gallagher, in his excellent and must-read commentary on the Spiritual Exercises, explicates this three-fold paradigm [25]:

BE AWARE: this is the effort to notice what is happening in our inner spiritual experience, what is spiritually stirring in our hearts and thoughts [26];

UNDERSTAND: the reflection on the stirrings we have now noticed that allows us to recognize what in them is of God and what is not [27];

TAKE ACTION, that is, to accept and live according to what we have recognized as of God, and to reject and remove from our lives what we have recognized as not of God [28].

Part 3: Moving Towards God

3.1 The “Good Spirit” and the “Enemy”

When we seek to embrace God’s love and follow God’s will, we will encounter and be faced with an “enemy” which will attempt to dissuade and discourage us – we need to be prepared for this [29].

The “enemy” includes the devil, the flesh and the world, and seen in a global sense, these are the “enemy” of our spiritual progress [30].

In direct and stark contrast, the “good spirit” encourages and uplifts us, to move forward towards God.

The “good spirit” includes and expresses the following: God, the angels, God’s various graces, virtues, gifts and charisms working in us, and manifold influences for good that surround us in the world and in the communion of saints. Collectively, “all those persons and influences that move us toward the will of God are comprised in the term ‘good spirit’” [31].

3.2 Rule 2: When a Person Moves toward God

Rule 2 of the Spiritual Exercises refers to persons moving towards God:

“The second: in persons who are going on intensely purifying their sins and rising from good to better in the service of God our Lord, the method is contrary to that in the first rule. For then it is proper to the evil spirit to bite, sadden, and place obstacles, disquieting with false reasons, so that the person may not go forward.

And it is proper to the good spirit to give courage and strength, consolations, tears, inspirations, and quiet, easing and taking away all obstacles, so that the person may go forward in doing good” [32].

Consider the following key points:

Rule 2 refers to persons sincerely striving to overcome sin and grow closer to God, and to grow in the service of God, as a fundamental direction in life – this is the reverse of the persons in Rule 1 [33].
To the person moving away from God [34], the enemy gave encouragement and the good spirit trouble of heart (Rule 1) [35].
In contrast, to the person moving toward God, the enemy now will give trouble of heart, and the good spirit encouragement (Rule 2) [36].

The action of the good spirit here is to strengthen the movement toward God, whereas the enemy seeks to weaken this [37].

It is absolutely imperative that for persons who have undergone a recent conversion experience, thus moving from a person described in Rule 1 to that described in Rule 2, that they are prepared for and trained to deal with the inevitable attempts of the enemy to procure that “the person may not go forward” towards God.

As Fr. Gallagher lovingly encourages us, these are the:

“… ordinary, habitual ways the enemy acts in those who are moving toward God. Again, the effort to learn these patterns well will render discernment all the more possible; we will become increasingly ready to be aware of, understand, and reject such action of the enemy” [38].

"Saint Mary of Egypt (1641) by Jusepe de Ribera. After spending 17 years of her life in lust and prostitution, she was brought to awareness of her sin after being blocked by God from entering a church in Jerusalem, shedding tears in the process. Moved towards God, she subsequently spent 47 years in the wilderness, purifying herself of her passions, before meeting Fr. Zosima and being given her final communion.

And at the very same time, can we recognise the characteristically loving and generous way in which the good spirit operates, so that we may “go forward in doing good”? These include giving us:

Courage and strength: For example, the words of Psalm 23 gently lifting a disheartened disciple’s heart, telling him that God’s love and grace will always be enough for him to grow in prayer and love for his family.
Consolations: These are “heartfelt experiences of God’s love that energize and uplift the person, giving new ease in loving and serving the Lord”. See also Rule 3 below.
Tears: These are “healing, strengthening, blessed tears that physically express the consolation of the heart in God.” See also Rule 3 below.
Inspirations: A gift of spiritual clarity, for example, obtained through a conversation with a spiritual director or the words of a classic spiritual book, which assist a person on how to “go forward in doing good”.
Quiet of heart: A peaceful and strengthening quiet of heart in the Lord.
Easing and taking away all obstacles: A new or increased hope that in the power of the good spirit’s action in us, there is no obstacle that cannot be eased and overcome [39].

Recognition and deep gratitude for these greatly increases our love for and commitment to God.

Indeed, the “discerning person who is aware of, understands, and accepts this action [of the good spirit] will ‘go forward in doing good’ securely and fruitfully” [40].

Part 4: Spiritual Consolation and Desolation (Rules 3 & 4)

Let us now very briefly discuss Rules 3 and 4.

4.1 Rule 3: Spiritual Consolation

This is Rule 3 of the Spiritual Exercises:

“Third Rule. The third is of spiritual consolation. 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, and, consequently when it can love no created thing on the face of the earth in itself, but only in the Creator of them all. 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, or because of other things directly ordered to his service and praise. Finally, I call consolation every increase of hope, faith, and charity, and all interior joy that calls and attracts to heavenly things and to the salvation of one’s soul, quieting it and giving it peace in its Creator and Lord” [41].

Here are some key points:

Spiritual consolations are “happy, uplifting movements of the heart” with “direct and immediate reference to our life of faith and our pursuit of God’s will” [42].

Nonspiritual consolations (for example, the elevation of heart we experience in contact with nature when we are moved and reenergized by its beauty and peace, or the stirrings we feel at the sound of beautiful music or at the sight of great works of art) “may readily serve as a springboard for specifically spiritual consolations” [43].

It is important to recognise the difference between spiritual and nonspiritual consolation, in order to avoid drawing spiritual conclusions from the latter, while gaining strength as God desires from genuinely spiritual consolation [44].

Ignatius is speaking here of the “ordinary spiritual experience of any person sincerely seeking God”, and is not a description of “remote mystical phenomena beyond the comprehensive of all but a few”. This is the way a loving God ordinarily works in the hearts of his children [45].

Let us pause here to prayerfully consider:

What will happen in our spiritual lives if we become aware of God’s “ordinary” presence to us in the spiritual consolations He pours upon us and stirs in our hearts as a loving God, day by day? Will we, like Ignatius, increasingly “find God” during the hours of the day, and know that God is ever for and with us, and always walks by our side, leading us along the way [46]?

4.2 Rule 4: Spiritual Desolation

This is Rule 4 of the Spiritual Exercises:

“Fourth Rule. The fourth is of spiritual desolation. 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. For just as consolation is contrary to desolation, in the same way the thoughts that come from consolation are contrary to the thoughts that come from desolation” [47].

Several key points to consider:

Spiritual desolations are a condition of affective heaviness that instills sadness and depletes energy for living, and which are directly and immediately referred to faith and the pursuit of God’s will [48].

It is important to distinguish spiritual desolations from nonspiritual desolations (which are either physically-based (e.g. tiredness) and psychologically-based (e.g. depression)), and the latter are frequently a springboard for the former [49].

God gives spiritual consolation; God never gives spiritual desolation. God, however, permits the enemy to give us spiritual desolation at times for reasons that lie within His loving providence [50].

It is “when we are unaware of and do not understand the nature of spiritual desolation, that we are most susceptible to its harmful deception” [51].

However, once “we comprehend clearly, in practical and useful terms, the nature of spiritual desolation, we are on the road toward freedom from its tyranny” [51].

See also Chapters 5-9 of An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living for an excellent commentary on Rules 5 to 9 on spiritual desolation (respectively, a time for fidelity, a time for initiative, a time for resistance, a time for patience, and why God allows spiritual desolation) [52].

Part 5: Second Mode of Discernment

Now that we have a working understanding of key principles in the discernment of spirits, let us see how to apply them to the second mode of discernment.

First, if the gift of clarity beyond doubting is not given by God in the first mode, then the ones discerning (and their spiritual guides) should turn to the second [53].

Second, be attentive to, recognise, record in a journal, and review and discuss with the spiritual guide (with whom one is to maintain regular contact throughout the discernment, as part of the crucial importance of spiritual accompaniment) [54], one’s experiences of spiritual consolations and desolations – whilst praying regularly and meditating on the life of Jesus in the Gospels [55].

Third, in their personal review and in conversation with their spiritual guides, they are to explore the following:

In times of spiritual consolation, to which option have I felt inclined?
Has this inclination recurred?
Enough so that a clear pattern of inclination to one option when in spiritual consolation has emerged?
Enough so that, since “in consolation the good spirit guides and counsels us more,” I may confidently judge, with the aid of my spiritual guide, that God is calling me to this option?
Is this judgment further confirmed by the opposite inclination in time of spiritual desolation – the time when the bad spirit guides and counsels [56]?

Applied to St. Ignatius’s experience when he was discerning whether the Society of Jesus should adopt radical or complete poverty versus mitigated poverty, his consistent inclination towards complete poverty in time of spiritual consolation, and the attack on this inclination in time of spiritual desolation, strongly suggest that God wills Ignatius to choose complete poverty [57].

In fact, after further discernment, Ignatius concludes that such is God’s will [58].

Fourth, this is a process which unfolds gradually and over time, with doubt being part of the process, until sufficient clarity and understanding is given (and if not, one may move to the third mode) [59].

In summary, the second mode is “when sufficient clarity and understanding is received through experience of consolations and desolations, and through experience of discernment of different spirits” [60].

“Dream of St. Joseph” (ca. 1696), by Luca Giordano. St Joseph received clarity from God in his dream in the midst of considering divorce from Mary.

Conclusion

Everything in discernment of spirits is “directed toward action: toward firmly accepting what is of God and equally firmly rejecting what is not” [61].

May the Lord Jesus Christ give us both the knowledge to be aware and to understand the diverse spirits, and the grace to act – to follow the will of Christ, wherever He leads us, whether in discerning major life choices or in our everyday Christian life!

Closing Prayer (Anima Christi)

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.

Body of Christ, save me.

Blood of Christ, inebriate me.

Water from the side of Christ, wash me.

Passion of Christ, strengthen me.

O Good Jesus, hear me.

Within your wounds hide me.

Permit me not to be separated from you.

From the wicked foe, defend me.

At the hour of my death, call me and bid me come to you.

That with your saints I may praise you.

For ever and ever.

Amen.

* Is there anything in this session which struck you or any thoughts, experiences or ideas which come to your mind? Please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you.

** Thank you for joining us on the A-Z of DiscipleSHIP. We look forward to having you with us again next month, as we study the letter “X”, on Carrying Our Crosses.

Recommended Closing Songs

“Anima Christi” – Marco Frisina. See also this beautiful vocal rendition of the same song sung by Katia del Cid ft. Mercy Divine.

“Your Will Be Done” by CityAlight.

“My Lighthouse” by Rend Collective.

“One Clear Voice” by Peter Cetera.

Reflection and Sharing Questions

This month’s podcast discusses how being familiar with discernment of spirits, and the nature of spiritual consolations and desolations, are essential not only for discerning the will of God in making a major life choice, but also for daily Christian living. The key points may be summarized as follows:

There are three modes or “times” of making a sound and good choice: (a) clarity beyond doubting; (b) an attraction of the heart (involving discernment of spirits); and (c) a preponderance of reasons (using natural powers of reason and imagination) – but which also involves discernment of spirits at the final stage of diligent and prayerful confirmation of the tentative decision before God.

Necessary preparation for fruitful discernment includes asking the right question, building upon the right foundation, having the proper disposition, and employing the spiritual means.

The three key steps to discernment of spirits is to become aware (of what is happening in our inner spiritual experience, what is spiritually stirring in our hearts and thoughts), to understand and to take action (firmly accepting what is of God and equally firmly rejecting what is not).

When we seek to embrace God’s love and follow God’s will, we will encounter and be faced with an “enemy” (which includes the devil, the flesh and the world – collectively, these are the “enemy” of our spiritual progress).

The “good spirit” includes and expresses the following: God, the angels, God’s various graces, virtues, gifts and charisms working in us, and manifold influences for good that surround us in the world and in the communion of saints. Collectively, “all those persons and influences that move us toward the will of God are comprised in the term ‘good spirit’”.

Rule 1 deals with the persons moving away from God. For such persons, the good spirit acts on their conscience to weaken their pull away from God, and to inspire them to change their present spiritual situation and to turn to God. In direct contrast, the enemy works on their imagination to conserve or even strengthen them in their current condition. Here, the enemy gives encouragement, while the good spirit gives trouble of heart.

Rule 2 deals with persons moving toward God (intensely purifying their sins, and steadily growing in service of God). The enemy now will give trouble of heart, and the good spirit encouragement. The former seeks to weaken the movement towards God, while the good spirit acts to strengthen it.

Spiritual consolations (Rule 3) are “happy, uplifting movements of the heart” with “direct and immediate reference to our life of faith and our pursuit of God’s will”. They should be distinguished from nonspiritual consolations (which can nevertheless readily serve as a springboard for specifically spiritual consolations).

Spiritual consolations are the ordinary spiritual experience of any person sincerely seeking God, and is the way a loving God ordinarily works in the hearts of his children.

Spiritual desolations (Rule 4) are a condition of affective heaviness that instills sadness and depletes energy for living, and which are directly and immediately referred to faith and the pursuit of God’s will. It is important to distinguish spiritual desolations from nonspiritual desolations (which are either physically-based (e.g. tiredness) and psychologically-based (e.g. depression)). The latter are frequently a springboard for the former.

God gives spiritual consolation; God never gives spiritual desolation, but sometimes permit the enemy to give it, for reasons that lie within His loving providence. We are most susceptible to the harmful deception of spiritual desolation when we are unaware of its nature – but once we comprehend it clearly, we are on the road to freedom from its tyranny.

In summary, the second mode of discernment is “when sufficient clarity and understanding is received through experience of consolations and desolations, and through experience of discernment of different spirits”.

Q1: How have you prepared yourself to be ready (i.e. asking the right question, building upon the right foundation, having the proper disposition, and employing the spiritual means) to discern the will of God in making a sound and good choice using one or more of the three modes or “times” of discernment?

Q2: How are you training yourself and others under your pastoral care, especially those who are moving toward God, to be ready for spiritual discernment and battle, and to recognise and be grateful for the loving and generous ways in which the good spirit acts in us so that we may “go forward in doing good”?

Q3: Have you experienced God’s “ordinary” presence to you in the spiritual consolations He pours upon us and stirs in our hearts as a loving God, day by day – if so, which type(s) as described in Rule 3? How can you, like St. Ignatius, increasingly “find God” during the hours of the day, and know that God is ever for and with us, and always walks by our side, leading us along the way?

Q4: Have you fallen to the harmful deception of the enemy’s spiritual desolation before – if so, which type(s) as described in Rule 4? How will you avoid falling into the same deception now that you better comprehend the nature of spiritual desolation?

Q5: How may you now apply the discernment of spirits to the second mode of discernment, and to the final confirmatory stage of the third mode?

© Presented by the Catholic Theology Network (writers / contributors / sound): Dominic Chan (M.A., Theology, Augustine Institute), Nick Chui (MTS, JPII Institute for Marriage and Family, AU), Keenan Tan (M.A., Theology, Augustine Institute), Debra Dass (Diploma in Theology, CTIS), Marcia Vanderstraaten (STB, The Angelicum)

Footnotes

1. Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture references are taken from the RSV 2^nd CE.pic.

2. See generally the following for an excellent commentary on the first mode or “time” of making a sound and good choice or decision: (1) Thomas H. Green, S.J., Weeds Among the Wheat: Discernment, Where Prayer and Action Meet (St. Pauls; 2003 reprint) (“Weeds Among the Wheat”) at pp.84-85; (2) Timothy M. Gallagher, OMV, Discerning the Will of God: The Ignatian Guide to Christian Decision Making (Kindle Edition) (“Discerning the Will of God”) at chapter 5 (which illustrates, with several striking and moving testimonies and examples, of how the first “time” or mode of discernment operated in the lived experience of various clergy, religious and lay people when they made very important decisions in their lives).

3. Discerning the Will of God at p.141. Fr. Gallagher’s translation of St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises (“SpirEx”), 175, following the original Spanish.

4. Fr. Thomas Green, S.J. calls this “revelation time” and considers it “ideal but fairly rare” (Weeds Among the Wheat at p.83), while Fr. Timothy Gallagher, O.M.V. describes this as “clarity beyond doubt” (Discerning the Will of God at chapter 5). When God gives this gift of clarity beyond doubt, “no further discernment is necessary” (Discerning the Will of God at p.82). Fr. Green opines that in such “revelation” cases, “there is no ambiguity, no uncertainty about God’s will, and thus there is nothing to discern” (Weeds Among the Wheat at p.84).

5. Discerning the Will of God at p.141. Fr. Gallagher’s translation of SpirEx, 176. Emphasis in italics added.

6. Discerning the Will of God at Chapter 6; Weeds Among the Wheat at p.87.

7. “The third time is one of tranquility, when one considers first for what purpose man is born, that is, to praise God our Lord and save his soul, and, desiring this, chooses as a means to this end some life or state within the bounds of the Church, so that he may be helped in the service of his Lord and the salvation of his soul. I said a tranquil time, that is, when the soul is not agitated by different spirits, and uses its natural powers freely and tranquilly.” Fr. Gallagher’s translation of SpirEx, 177, found at Discerning the Will of God at p.141. There are, in turn, two ways of making the choice in this third “time”, which involves the use of our natural powers of reason and imagination. See Fr. Gallagher’s translation of SpirEx, 178-188, found at Discerning the Will of God at pp.141-145.

8. Weeds Among the Wheat at p.84; Discerning the Will of God at chapter 7.

9. Which includes: (1) a heart in a tranquil time, and which is not agitated by different spirits, i.e. peace of heart; and (2) freedom from (or at least freedom sought from) any passion or attachment which might obscure or confuse judgment. See generally, Discerning the Will of God at pp.104-106.

10. See generally: (1) Discerning the Will of God at chapter 7, where Fr. Gallagher cites several examples and testimonies of the third mode of discernment, as well as emphasizing the various essential dispositions and conditions to be met in order to engage in this mode of discernment; (2) Weeds Among the Wheat at pp.85-87 on how to carry out the third or “reasoning” time for making a good choice. We hope to be able to elaborate more on the third mode in a future article.

11. As Fr. Green points out at p.91 of Weeds Among the Wheat, at the final stage of the third “time”, having come to a tentative decision, we must then bring our decision to the Lord and ask Him to “accept and confirm it if it is for his great service and praise” (SpirEx, 183). “This can only mean… returning to the “second time,” to discernment proper”. At p.88, Fr. Green asks rhetorically how the soul who has come to a tentative choice during the third “time” would confirm it before the Lord – “By the “consolations and desolations” of the second time, by discernment proper; unless, that is, we are blessed with the unusual “revelation time” experience of a Paul or a Matthew”.

12. Discerning the Will of God at p.100. Fr. Gallagher continues, “… Ignatius offers his Rules for the discernment of spirits (SpirEx, 313–36) precisely to assist in such discernment… the greater our knowledge of these Rules, the better prepared we will be to discern. Growth in our capacity for second-mode discernment occurs through growth in understanding discernment of spirits.”

13. See also p.91 of Weeds Among the Wheat, “To understand, then, what discernment is it would seem we need a clear grasp of the meaning of “desolations and consolations” and of what these “diverse spirits” are”.

14. See generally, Discerning the Will of God at chapters 1 to 4.

15. Discerning the Will of God at p.17.

16. Discerning the Will of God at p.28.

17. See Discerning the Will of God at p.64.

18. See generally, Discerning the Will of God at chapter 4.

19. Including grandiose fantasies to win the heart of a certain lady of much higher nobility and station.

20. The word “spirits”, as Ignatius uses it in this context, indicates those “affective stirrings in the heart - joy, sadness, hope, fear, peace, anxiety, and similar feelings—with their related thoughts, that influence our life of faith and our progress toward God.” See pp.2-3 of Timothy M. Gallagher, OMV, The Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living (pp. 12-13). A Crossroad Book Crossroad Publishing Company. Kindle Edition. (“An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living”).

21. From Joseph O’Callaghan, trans., The Autobiography of St. Ignatius of Loyola with Related Documents (New York, Hagerstown, San Francisco, London: Harper Torchbooks, 1974), 23-24. Henceforth quoted as “Autobiography of St. Ignatius”. As cited by Fr. Gallagher at pp. 12-13 of An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living.

22. Autobiography of St. Ignatius at 24 as cited at p.13 of An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living.

23. Autobiography of St. Ignatius at 24 as cited at p.14 of An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living.

24. Fr. Timothy Gallagher’s translation – see p.7 of An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living, read with p.15 (where Fr. Gallagher italicizes the keywords).

25. An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at p.17. It is important that we be deeply familiar with these three steps – see An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at p.17. We strongly recommend reading pp.17-26 of Fr. Gallagher’s An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living for this purpose.

26. Aware (applied to St. Ignatius): “[H]is eyes were opened a little”. This incredible moment of grace led Ignatius to become aware of the differing patterns within his heart of contrasting affective spiritual experience. See generally An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at p.14.

27. Understand (applied to St. Ignatius): “Little by little he came to recognize the difference between the spirits”. In other words, he began to understand the difference between the spirits that agitated him, whether from the bad spirit or from God. See generally An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at p.14.

28. Action (applied to St. Ignatius): Finally, Ignatius faithfully takes action – his new awareness and understanding led him to accept the sacred project as of God, and to reject the worldly one as of the bad spirit. He travels to Manresa, begins to imitate the saints, undertakes the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and his life finds its new direction. An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at p.15.

29. When we seek to embrace God’s love and follow God’s will according to the full truth of our human nature, we will encounter something inimical to this seeking; we will be faced with an “enemy”. To be unaware, to not expect or to be unprepared for this “greatly increases the likelihood of encountering unexpected spiritual struggles” or “can easily lead to discouragement”. See An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at pp.33-34.

30. '“Enemy” includes and is understood in three ways: (1) the devil (biblically named as the “adversary”, the “tempter” and the “liar and the father of lies”) (See An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at p.33 (citing Toner, and 1 Peter 5:8, Matt 4:3 and John 8:44)); (2) the weakness of our humanity, “the desires of the flesh” which are “against the Spirit” (Gal 5:17), or also “concupiscence” (see An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at p.33); (3) the world around us, the society and culture in which we live and which affect us daily in significant ways (see An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at p.34). Seen in a global sense, the above are the “enemy” of our spiritual progress (see An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at p.34. See also 1 John 2:12-17 where John refers to the “Evil One”, the world or things in the world, and the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life).

31. The “good spirit” includes and expresses the following: (1) God, in his direct action in the human heart; (2) the angels, who serve as instruments of God’s love for His children; (3) God’s working in us through the gift of grace implanted in us at baptism: sanctifying grace, the theological, cardinal and moral virtues, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and individual charisms; (4) the manifold influences for good that surround us in the world and in the communion of saints (for example, Ignatius’s family members who gave him spiritual books to read, and the books themselves, are instruments of the good spirit for him) (). Collectively, “all those persons and influences that move us toward the will of God are comprised in the term ‘good spirit’”. See An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at p.35.

32. Fr. Timothy Gallagher’s translation of Rule 2 – see p.7 of An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living. We strongly recommend reading Chapter 2 of An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living for an excellent commentary on Rule 2.

33. See generally An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at p.33 read with p.38. See Fr. Timothy Gallagher’s translation of Rule 1 at p.7 of An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living, “The first rule: in persons who are going from mortal sin to mortal sin, the enemy is ordinarily accustomed to propose apparent pleasures to them, leading them to imagine sensual delights and pleasures in order to hold them more and make them grow in their vices and sins. In these persons the good spirit uses a contrary method, stinging and biting their consciences through their rational power of moral judgment.” This is evidently unlikely to include those who are engaged in the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises or those seriously pursuing the discernment of spirits. An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at p.33. We strongly recommend reading Chapter 1 of An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living for an excellent commentary on Rule 1.

34. Good spirit’s action in persons moving away from God – works in the conscience of such persons to weaken the pull away from God: (1) Stirs up a sense of distress in order to move the person to change the present spiritual situation, turning in a new way toward God. See generally An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at pp.35-37; (2) St. Augustine experienced this when he was still far away from God, as he laments in the Confessions, “In your stern mercy you lashed me with the twin scourge of fear and shame”. An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at p.36, citing the Confessions (Pine-Coffin translation, Penguin Books, 1961) at p.175. Enemy’s action in persons moving away from God – works in the imagination of such persons to confirm or strengthen the pull away from God. The enemy awakens images of further delight and pleasure, in order to conserve the person’s present spiritual situation. See generally An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at pp.35-37.

35. See An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at p.39. As pointed out by Fr. Gallagher in An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at p.31, St. Ignatius highlights this all-important fact, “… to discern correctly which spirit is working in a person’s heart (and so to know what we should accept or reject), we must first identify the fundamental direction of that person’s spiritual life. This is the indispensable condition for correctly discerning which spirit is operative in the movement the person is experiencing.” Critically, “the spirits we discern act in our hearts in contrasting ways depending upon the fundamental direction of our spiritual lives, away from or toward God.” An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at p.31. See also Weeds Among the Wheat at pp.100-102 on the fundamental option of souls (whether for God, or against God and for self).

36. See An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at p.39.

37. See generally An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at Chapter 2.

38. An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at p.39.

39. See An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at pp.44-46.

40. An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at p.46.

41. Fr. Timothy Gallagher’s translation of Rule 3 – see p.7 of An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living. We strongly recommend reading Chapter 3 of An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living for an excellent commentary on Rule 3.

42. See An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at p.47.

43. An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at p.51.

44. See An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at p.51.

45. An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at p.57.

46. See generally An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at p.57.

47. Fr. Timothy Gallagher’s translation of Rule 4 – see p.8 of An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living. We strongly recommend reading Chapter 4 of An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living for an excellent commentary on Rule 4.

48. See An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at p.60.

49. See An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at p.61.

50. See An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at p.67. See also Weeds Among the Wheat at p.112.

51. An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at p.71.

52. See also Weeds Among the Wheat at Chapter 6 on beginners and desolation.

53. Discerning the Will of God at p.86.

54. Their spiritual guides are to explain well the nature of spiritual consolation and spiritual desolation, such that these persons discerning will recognize these experiences when they occur. See Discerning the Will of God at pp.87-88, and 94.

55. Discerning the Will of God at pp.85-88.

56. Discerning the Will of God at p.88. See also p.8 of An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living for Fr. Gallagher’s translation of Rule 5: “The fifth: in time of desolation never make a change, but be firm and constant in the proposals and determination in which one was the day preceding such desolation, or in the determination in which one was in the preceding consolation. Because, as in consolation the good spirit guides and counsels us more, so in desolation the bad spirit, with whose counsels we cannot find the way to a right decision.” Emphasis in italics added.

57. Discerning the Will of God at p.88, and see also at pp.83-86 (for St. Ignatius’s journal entries on his contrasting experiences of spiritual consolation and desolation when he was discerning this choice for several days). Other examples / testimonies cited by Fr. Gallagher where the second mode was applied include: (1) Richard discerning between marriage and Jesuit religious life; (2) Robert discerning between marriage and diocesan priesthood; (3) Laura discerning a call to marriage with Steven. See generally Discerning the Will of God at Chapter 6.

58. Discerning the Will of God at p.88 read together with Chapter 7 of Discerning the Will of God, where Ignatius also simultaneously and prayerfully applied the third mode of discernment, before he receives confirmation of his choice of radical poverty through spiritual consolation and a sense of completion in the process (at p.123). See also Section 1.1 above where it was highlighted that the final stage of the third mode (i.e. diligent and prayerful confirmation of the tentative decision) leads us back to the second mode, i.e. the discernment of spirits. We hope to be able to elaborate on the third mode in a future article.

59. Discerning the Will of God at p.90. Or, like St. Ignatius did when he was discerning between radical or mitigated poverty for the Society of Jesus, to simultaneously and prayerfully apply the third mode of discernment.

60. Discerning the Will of God at p.141. Fr. Gallagher’s translation of SpirEx, 176. Emphasis in italics added. See also Weeds Among the Wheat at Chapter 7 on the central purpose of the rules of the second week, i.e., to distinguish between true and false consolation.

61. An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at p.24. Indeed, Fr. Gallagher advises that, “As the example of Ignatius himself indicates, the life of discernment calls for a person willing to act. Insightful understanding of spiritual realities alone is not enough; the discerning person must be ready to act in accordance with what has been understood.” An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living at p.25.