The journey is thorny and sometimes dark. I read this as part of a spiritual direction training program at St. John's University and would recommend that it be read in conjunction with a class, retreat, or spiritual director. In the book Discernment of Spirits in Marriage, Father Timothy Gallagher entwines St. Ignatius of Loyola's 14 Rules for Discernment with ordinary life. A psychodynamic interpretation of the processes that often occur in individuals during the Ignatian retreat is presented using texts which primarily offer a post-Freudian perspective. I focus on the first and second weeks because I want to draw out how individuals' experiences in this period of the exercises can be paralleled to stages of psychological development. At the end of the process, there was a clear direction that the group sensed. "Ignatius' first rule also indicates that if any family members are far from God, God will never stop stinging and biting, never stop calling them back to himself. I give this 5 burritos! A person like this in effect puts God into second place, only wanting God to come into their lives after first choosing what they want. Then gradually, over weeks or months, you regress in your conversion. In fact, St. Ignatius in the rules for discernment lays out an important premise: "In the persons who go from mortal sin to mortal sin, the enemy is commonly used to propose to them apparent pleasures, making them imagine sensual delights and pleasures in order to hold them more and make them grow in their vices and sins. The man subsequently recognizes it as the windfall of his life and acts accordingly, selling everything and buying the field. On the other hand, fully devoting your life to God and completely dedicating yourself to the service of others is very beautiful, more than you may imagine: get ready to enjoy your new life and be happy. Bad spirits lead the soul to desolation - to distance from God.
I'm tired of waiting for you to get that right! Having discovered what God wants from you, make up your mind to carry it out. Speaking just for myself I knew 'spiritual desolation' as well as 'spiritual consolation' for many years before having labels to affix to what was happening inside me. Using the story of Mark and Anne, an amalgam of spiritual experiences he has seen in marriages over the past 40 years, each chapter covers one of the 14 rules alongside a story that acts out spiritual struggles reflecting that rule. Gallagher updates and expands them for us in a way I believe would please the soldier-saint. Think about whether you will be able to live the demands that your vocation implies - counting, of course, on the grace of the Holy Spirit. Entering the seminary or postulancy is the beginning of a journey. You have only one life, how would you like to spend it? I know this is abook that I will read again and again and treasure as one of my most prized companions on my spiritual journey. The Daily Examen Prayer 5. Gallagher's other books.
St. Ignatius of Loyola attributes the latter propensities to the "evil one. However, it seems fitting for the content. Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? Although here we are dealing with consecrated vocations, to religious life, priesthood, etc., the process described can be useful for making decisions regarding any state of life or profession. I am far from an expert, and I do not think of them as the 'be all, end all' of discernment. Particular attention is given to Jung's interest in the Exercises, which opens the possibilities of elucidating a Jungian perspective. At the time of the decision, your director will leave you alone, so that you, before Jesus, can respond freely to His call. Spiritual desolation is then followed by spiritual consolation, and then spiritual consolation is followed yet again by spiritual desolation, which is again followed by spiritual consolation. Rules 3 and 4: Ignatius sketches the two types of spiritual movements: spiritual consolation and spiritual desolation. Consolation and confusion come from both places, which is why discernment of spirits is so important. Rule 1: Be attentive to false consolations.
The first rule states that someone in mortal sin is easily led deeper into sin, but at this stage, the "good spirit uses a contrary method, stinging and biting their consciences through their rational power of moral judgement. " Me: I was thinking Father, when you become canonized, I will have a third class relic from you. Following the case studies, we apply our findings to the outline of a short-term study abroad program in France designed to maximize linguistic and spiritual development. Avoiding this decision would mean wasting your life. Striking resemblances between the cosmology of Whitehead and the spirituality of St. Ignatius, founder of the Jesuits.
It is the stinging and biting that nudges a person back to God, Father Gallagher explains. Inspired by the Holy Spirit's light, you will be able to understand what God the Father wants from you. Finding your vocation is a real challenge; it is difficult, but by no means impossible. Since "spiritual consolation and spiritual desolation are common experiences for all persons who seek God" such a book is helpful to all of us as "Ignatius spiritually explains us to ourselves". However, Ignatius would not have assumed straight-line growth (in other words, once you are in the second week, you will not always be in the second week. Finally, both rely on the affective as a genuine source of knowledge in discerning spirits. What shall I do, Lord? To find out more about finding God's will for your life by viewing: - "Making the right choices" from the Jesuits in Britain website.
I did highlight a lot of passages and will return to those, but I will not be able to recommend this, I'm afraid.