The Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living

303 Pages·2005·1.4 MB·English

by  Timothy M. Gallagher

Advance Praise for Timothy Gallagher’s
The Discernment of Spirits
“In Gallagher’s faith-filled presentation of the rules for discernment, the bare and laconic quality of
Ignatius’s language disappears. In its place there emerges the life-giving character of the rules which enable
individuals to have a deeper understanding of their spiritual experience and to respond more wisely to it.”
—Gill K. Goulding, I.B.V.M., Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology and Spirituality,
Regis College, Jesuit Graduate School of Theology, University of Toronto
“I recommend Discernment of Spirits. It is a thorough, solid contribution to the literature on discernment of
spirits. The author shows a profound understanding of Ignatius’s rules for discernment and uses good
examples to illustrate them.”
—William A. Barry, S.J.
Renewed interest in Ignatian spirituality and mysticism—especially his focus on the discernment of spirits
—awakened around the time of the Second Vatican Council. One can find detailed and ponderous studies
on these rules—of great aid to scholars but not to the average person. One also finds popular, superficial
studies that do justice neither to Ignatius, nor to his rules, nor to those reading such studies. Father Timothy
Gallagher’s pellucid prose, meticulous reading of the rules, skillful exposition of the material, helpful
illustrative quotations, and apposite use of examples has gone a long way to remedy this situation. His book
presents the “First Week” rules for the discernment of spirit in a relatively complete way, yet simply
enough in terms of style and content so that Christians with little background in this area will be able to
absorb the material…. By providing a sound understanding of Ignatian principles and applying them in a
skillful way to daily life, Father Gallagher meets the pressing needs of retreat directors, retreatants, students
of spiritual theology, and others interested in deepening their spiritual lives. I know of no comparable
volume that proves so helpful.
—Harvey D. Egan, S.J., Professor of Systematic and Mystical Theology, Boston College
(from the book’s foreword)

The Crossroad Publishing Company
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Copyright © 2005 by Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of The
Crossroad Publishing Company.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by
the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of
Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Permissions continued on p. ix.
This book is set in 10/12 Sabon.
The display type is Tiepolo Book.
Printed in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-
Publication Data Gallagher, Timothy M.
The discernment of spirits : an Ignatian guide for everyday living / Timothy
M. Gallagher.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8245-2291-5 (alk. paper) 1. Spiritual life—Catholic Church. 2.
Ignatius, of Loyola, Saint, 1491-1556. I. Title.
BX2350.G35 2005
248.4’82—dc22
2005018976
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 09 08 07 06 05
Contents
Acknowledgments
Foreword
Introduction
At the Heart of the Spiritual Life
Ignatius of Loyola
A Personal Word
The Purpose of This Book
The Text of the Rules
Prologue: What Is Discernment of Spirits?
“Until One Time His Eyes Were Opened a Little”
The Title of the Rules
A Threefold Paradigm
“Be Aware”
The Courage to Be Spiritually Aware
A Specifically Spiritual Awareness
“Understand”
“Take Action (Accept/Reject)”
The Movements of the Heart
1 When a Person Moves Away from God (Rule 1)
An Experience of Spiritual Liberation
Two Fundamental Directions of Life
The Person Moving Away from God
The “Enemy” of Our Spiritual Progress
The Action of the Enemy: Strengthening the Pull Away from God
The Good Spirit
The Action of the Good Spirit:
Weakening the Pull Away from God
2 When a Person Moves toward God (Rule 2)
“Rising from Good to Better”
The Action of the Enemy:
Weakening the Movement toward God
A “Biting” That Unsettles
Sadness
Obstacles
“False Reasons” That Disquiet
The Action of the Good Spirit: Strengthening the Movement toward God
Courage and Strength
Consolations and Tears
Inspirations
A Strengthening “Quiet” of Heart
“Taking Away All Obstacles”
3 Spiritual Consolation (rule 3)
A Perceptible Experience of God’s Love
A Specifically Spiritual Consolation
Forms of Spiritual Consolation
“When 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”
“When It Sheds Tears That Move to Love of Its Lord”
“Finally, I Call Consolation Every Increase of Hope, Faith, and Charity”
“And All Interior Joy That Calls and Attracts to Heavenly Things”
4 Spiritual Desolation (Rule 4)
The Time of Trial
A Specifically Spiritual Desolation
Forms of Spiritual Desolation
“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”
The “Thoughts That Come from” Consolation and Desolation
5 Spiritual Desolation: A Time for Fidelity (Rule 5)
Guidelines for Action
In Time of Desolation Make No Changes
“Never”: A Categorical Norm
Ignatius in Desolation
The Reason for the Norm
6 Spiritual Desolation: A Time for Initiative (Rule 6)
The Changes That We Should Make
Spiritual Means for a Spiritual Struggle
Prayer
Meditation
Much Examination
“Extending Ourselves in Some Suitable Way of Doing Penance”
The Fruit of Spiritual Initiative
7 Spiritual Desolation: A Time for Resistance (Rule 7)
The Thinking That Strengthens Our Resolve
A Trial
The Nature of the Trial
The Purpose of the Trial
When “You Can’t” Becomes “I Can”
“Remembering” and “Forgetting”
8 Spiritual Desolation: A Time for Patience (Rule 8)
Endurance in Time of Trial
Patience: The Key Virtue in Spiritual Desolation
The Thought That Builds Patience
Spiritual Consolation and Desolation: A Normal Alternation
9 Why Does God Allow Spiritual Desolation? (Rule 9)
“It Is Better for You That I Go” (John 16:7)
“There Are Three Principal Causes”
Our Faults and the Gift of Conversion
A Trial and the Gift of Learning
Poverty and the Gift of a Humble Heart
An Implicit Norm
10 Spiritual Consolation: A Time to Prepare (Rule 10)
Before the Trial Begins
“The Two Hours So Enjoyed”
The Thinking That Prepares
If We Are Not Prepared
If We Are Prepared
“Taking New Strength for That Time”
Prayer of Petition for Strength in Future Spiritual Desolation
Meditation on Truths That Will Sustain in Spiritual Desolation
Consideration of the Value of Spiritual Desolation for Growth
Reflection on Past Personal Growth through Spiritual Desolation
Resolution to Make No Changes in Time of Spiritual Desolation
Review of These Ignatian Rules
Planning for Specific Situations of Spiritual Desolation
A Portrait of the Tenth Rule
11 Spiritual Consolation and Spiritual Desolation: Finding Our Balance (Rule 11)
Both Spiritual Movements in a Single Rule
In Spiritual Consolation: A Humble Heart
In Spiritual Desolation: A Trusting Heart
Neither Naively “High” Nor Despairingly “Low”
Maintaining Spiritual Balance: An Experience
12 Standing Firm in the Beginnings (Rule 12)
A New Stage in the Rules
The Metaphor of Rule Twelve
The Application of the Metaphor
The Essential Weakness of the Enemy
“He Overcame the Temptation and Remained at Peace”
13 Breaking the Spiritual Silence (Rule 13)
Communication and Spiritual Freedom
A Crucially Important Guideline
“My Doubts Left Me Completely as Soon as I Finished Speaking”
“That Was the End of All My Anxiety, All My Hesitation”
“With New Hope in Her Heart”
14 Strengthening the Weak Point (Rule 14)
An Astutely Directed Attack
A Response: Prepare Beforehand
An Individual Point of Need
Know Thyself!
The Fourteenth Rule and the Preceding Rules
Conclusion: Setting Captives Free
Notes
Select Bibliography
Index of Names
Acknowledgments
I am deeply grateful to the many people whose assistance and support have
made this book possible. I express my thanks to Fr. William Brown, O.M.V.,
provincial, for the encouragement that led me to undertake this project and for
providing the concrete circumstances that allowed me to write. I am also
profoundly grateful to David Beauregard, O.M.V., for his ongoing assistance
throughout the writing of this book, to Harvey Egan, S.J., for his reading of the
manuscript and for writing the foreword to this book, and to Claire-Marie Hart
for her reading, her generous assistance in the writing itself, and for her help in
the final preparation of the manuscript.
My heartfelt thanks go also to those whose accompanied me in the writing
process through their reading, their comments on the manuscript, and their
personal support: Rose Blake, Claire Callahan, S.N.D., Susan Dumas, James
Gallagher, Gill Goulding, I.B.V.M., Elizabeth Koessler, Ed O’Flaherty, S.J.,
Gertrude Mahoney, S.N.D., Germana Santos, F.S.P., Ernest Sherstone, O.M.V.,
and Mary Rose Sullivan.
I express my sincere gratitude also to Bernadette Reis, F.S.P., for her highly
competent help with technical issues regarding publication, and to Carol
McGinness for her invaluable aid with computer skills and in preparing the
manuscript for publication.
Finally, I am deeply grateful to the many persons from whose teaching,
writing, and experience I have learned about Ignatian discernment of spirits over
the past thirty years. In particular, I am indebted to Miguel Angel Fiorito, S.J.,
Daniel Gil, S.J., and Jules Toner, S.J., without whose profound systematic study
of the Ignatian rules for discernment this book would not have been possible.
Thanks also are expressed to the following publishers for permission to reprint
copyrighted material.
Excerpts from Angela of Foligno: Complete Works, translated with an
introduction by Paul Lachance, O.F.M., from The Classics of Western