How to make good decisions according to St. Ignatius of Loyola

Summary

In this 'biblical Bookworm' episode, Elizabeth introduces the Ignatian rules for spiritual discernment, offering guidance on decision-making, especially in religious contexts. She explains how Saint Ignatius of Loyola's principles can distinguish divine inspiration from negative influences. Elizabeth clarifies the difference between spiritual consolation and desolation, emphasizing the importance of self-assessment and the need for caution during times of doubt. The video also touches on the contrasting impacts of God's and the devil's thoughts on the soul, advocating for careful examination of resolutions before acting upon them.

Takeaways

• 📚 The video discusses the Ignatian Rules for Spiritual Discernment, offering guidance on making decisions, especially in religious matters.
• 💡 Saint Ignatius of Loyola's rules help distinguish good ideas from bad, recognizing divine inspiration versus thoughts that may lead away from God's glory.
• 🧘 The Ignatian Rules are part of the Spiritual Exercises, which aim to help individuals make decisions, including vocational choices.
• 🤔 The video mentions the challenge of self-assessment in discerning one's spiritual state, as humans may not be adept at objective self-evaluation.
• 🔑 Saint Ignatius defines 'consolation' as spiritual peace and joy that draws the soul to heavenly things, and 'desolation' as the opposite feeling of abandonment by God.
• 🚫 One of Ignatius's key rules is not to make changes during times of desolation, to avoid acting on doubts and negative emotions.
• 💭 The thoughts that arise from consolation and desolation are opposites, with the former leading to good and the latter potentially leading to sin.
• 👼 Ignatius explains that God and angels bring true spiritual joy, while the devil may offer false consolations with ulterior motives.
• 🤝 The way thoughts enter the soul can indicate their source, with good angels touching the soul gently for those progressing in faith, and vice versa for those regressing.
• ⏳ Saint Ignatius advises using times of consolation to prepare for future times of desolation, and patience during desolation with the belief that better times will come.
• 📝 The video suggests that even when ideas seem to come from God, they should be examined for morality and practicality before being acted upon.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video by Elizabeth from the Biblical Bookworm?

The main topic of the video is the Ignatian rules for spiritual discernment, which provides guidelines on making good decisions, especially in religious matters.

Who are the Ignatian rules of discernment attributed to?

The Ignatian rules of discernment are attributed to Saint Ignatius of Loyola.

What is the purpose of the Ignatian rules for discernment?

The purpose of the Ignatian rules for discernment is to help distinguish good ideas from bad ideas and to recognize thoughts that come from God versus those that come from the devil.

What is the significance of the spiritual exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola?

The spiritual exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola are significant as they are a set of practices designed to help individuals discern God's will in their lives, often in relation to making important decisions such as one's vocation.

Why did Elizabeth decide not to focus on 'The Discernment of Spirits' by Father Gallagher?

Elizabeth decided not to focus on 'The Discernment of Spirits' by Father Gallagher because she found it to be an extensive explanation of the original text by Saint Ignatius, which she did not find beneficial since she was already familiar with the rules.

What is the first step Saint Ignatius suggests in discerning spirits according to the video?

The first step Saint Ignatius suggests in discerning spirits is to assess whether one is a person who goes for moral sin or a person who is intensely cleansing their sins and rising from good to better in the service of God.

What is the difference between spiritual consolation and desolation according to Saint Ignatius?

According to Saint Ignatius, spiritual consolation is when the soul is inflamed with love for its creator, increasing in hope, faith, and charity, while desolation is the opposite, often characterized by feelings of abandonment by God or a lack of love for Him.

Why does Saint Ignatius advise not to make changes during times of desolation?

Saint Ignatius advises not to make changes during times of desolation because it is a time of spiritual trial and potential deception; one should not act on doubts that arise during this time but rather wait for clarity.

What are the three main reasons for desolation according to Saint Ignatius?

The three main reasons for desolation according to Saint Ignatius are one's own fault due to neglecting prayer life, a test of whether one loves God for Himself or for the consolation He provides, and as a lesson in humility, teaching that it is not in our power to experience spiritual consolation.

How does Saint Ignatius differentiate between thoughts from God and the devil?

Saint Ignatius differentiates between thoughts from God and the devil by examining the course, goals, and effects of the thoughts. Thoughts from God lead to true spiritual gladness and joy, while those from the devil bring sadness and disturbance, often with the goal of causing pride or distraction from God's service.

What advice does Saint Ignatius give for dealing with desolation?

Saint Ignatius advises to use times of consolation as a source of strength for upcoming times of desolation, and during desolation, to remember that these times are temporary and will be followed by periods of consolation.

What additional rules does Saint Ignatius provide for further discernment of spirits?

Saint Ignatius provides additional rules that explain how God and the devil operate in the soul, including how they enter the soul, the nature of their thoughts, and the importance of examining the course of thoughts to discern their origin.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Ignatian Discernment

Elizabeth introduces the topic of Ignatian rules for spiritual discernment, aiming to guide viewers on making good decisions, especially in religious contexts. She explains the purpose of the rules—to distinguish between good and bad ideas and to recognize divine inspiration from negative influences. Elizabeth mentions her prior experience with the spiritual exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and her intention to provide an overview for those unfamiliar with them. She also discusses her initial plan to cover 'The Discernment of Spirits' by Father Gallagher but decides against it after finding it redundant for those already acquainted with the original text.

05:01

🔍 Understanding Saint Ignatius and Discernment of Spirits

This section delves into the background of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, highlighting his transformation from a life of transgression to becoming a Catholic priest and the founder of the Jesuits. The focus then shifts to the process of discerning spirits, where Saint Ignatius advises assessing one's moral standing to identify signs of spiritual progress or regression. He outlines the experiences of those moving towards moral sin versus those striving for spiritual growth, noting the contrasting methods used by the evil spirit to deter or the good spirit to encourage them. The paragraph also touches on the self-assessment challenge and the importance of recognizing the difference between spiritual states and psychological emotions.

10:01

🌟 Defining Consolation and Desolation

Elizabeth clarifies the concepts of spiritual consolation and desolation as distinct from mere happiness and sadness. She details Saint Ignatius's definitions, explaining that consolation is an increase in love, hope, faith, and charity, leading to a desire for heavenly things, while desolation is the opposite, causing feelings of abandonment or a lack of love for God. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of not making changes during times of desolation and discusses the reasons behind desolation, including personal neglect, testing of love for God, and as a lesson in humility. Saint Ignatius's advice for dealing with desolation and the significance of using consolation as strength for future trials is also highlighted.

🤔 Advanced Discernment Techniques

The final paragraph presents additional discernment rules by Saint Ignatius, focusing on understanding how God and the devil operate within the soul. It discusses the characteristics of spiritual consolation from God, which is inexplicable by natural causes and brings true joy, versus the tactics of the devil, which may initially seem holy but lead to pride or distraction. The paragraph advises observing the progression of thoughts to discern their source, noting the gentle entry of good thoughts and the disruptive arrival of bad ones. It also addresses the different ways thoughts enter the soul based on the soul's disposition and ends with a caution to examine resolutions carefully, even when they seem divinely inspired.

Keywords

💡Ignatian Rules

The 'Ignatian Rules' refer to the guidelines for spiritual discernment established by Saint Ignatius of Loyola. They are designed to help individuals distinguish between good and bad ideas, particularly in the context of religious decision-making. In the video, these rules are the central theme, providing a framework for understanding how to recognize thoughts that align with God's will versus those that do not.

💡Spiritual Discernment

Spiritual discernment is the process of making decisions based on spiritual insights and values. It is a key concept in the video, as it is the overarching goal of the Ignatian Rules. The script discusses how these rules can be applied to discern whether a thought or idea comes from God or from a less divine source, which is crucial for making spiritually informed decisions.

💡Saint Ignatius of Loyola

Saint Ignatius of Loyola is the founder of the Jesuits and the author of the Spiritual Exercises, which includes the Ignatian Rules for Discernment. The video script provides a brief background on his life, emphasizing his transformation from a life of transgression to becoming a Catholic priest and theologian. His teachings form the foundation of the video's message on discernment.

💡Spiritual Exercises

The 'Spiritual Exercises' is a compilation of meditations, prayers, and mental exercises developed by Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Mentioned in the script, these exercises are intended to help individuals deepen their relationship with God and make decisions that lead to spiritual growth. The Ignatian Rules for Discernment are a part of these exercises.

💡Desolation

In the context of the video, 'desolation' is a state of spiritual dryness or emptiness, often characterized by feelings of abandonment by God. It is one of the key concepts in the Ignatian Rules, where Saint Ignatius advises against making significant changes during times of desolation, as these feelings may not accurately reflect God's will.

💡Consolation

Spiritual 'consolation' is the opposite of desolation and is described in the script as an increase in love for God, hope, faith, and charity. It is a state that draws the soul towards heavenly things and is considered a positive sign in the process of discernment, indicating alignment with God's will.

💡Moral Sin

The term 'moral sin' is used in the script to describe actions that go against God's laws and moral principles. Saint Ignatius advises that discernment should begin with an assessment of one's moral standing, as this influences the signs one should look for in discerning spirits.

💡Humility

Humility is a virtue emphasized in the video, particularly in the context of understanding desolation as a lesson in recognizing one's limitations in spiritual experiences. Saint Ignatius suggests that desolation can lead to greater humility by teaching individuals that they do not have control over spiritual consolation.

💡Angels and Demons

The script discusses how 'angels' and 'demons' operate within the soul during the process of discernment. Angels are associated with true spiritual gladness and joy, while demons bring sadness and disturbance. Understanding the influence of these spiritual beings is crucial for making discerning decisions.

💡Scruples

The term 'scruples' refers to excessive doubts or anxieties about moral issues, often leading to an overconscientiousness that can hinder spiritual progress. While not the main focus of the video, the script mentions that Saint Ignatius provides guidelines for understanding and dealing with scruples in the original text.

💡Almsgiving

Almsgiving is the act of giving alms, or charity, to the poor. In the script, Saint Ignatius includes rules for almsgiving as part of his spiritual discernment teachings. It is suggested as a practice that can help in the discernment process, although the video does not delve deeply into this aspect.

Highlights

Elizabeth introduces the Ignatian rules for spiritual discernment as a guide for making good decisions, especially in religious matters.

The rules help distinguish good ideas from bad, and recognize thoughts from God or the devil.

Elizabeth mentions a video explaining the spiritual exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola.

The Ignatian rules are part of the spiritual exercises, aiming to guide decisions on vocation or other significant life choices.

Elizabeth shares her perspective on the book 'The Discernment of Spirits' by Father Gallagher, finding it unnecessary for those familiar with the original text.

A brief overview of Saint Ignatius's life, his conversion at 31, and his founding of the Society of Jesus.

The importance of self-assessment to determine if one is going from bad to worse or improving in their spiritual journey.

Saint Ignatius's definition of spiritual consolation and desolation, and their difference from psychological states of happiness and sadness.

The advice against making changes during times of desolation, to avoid acting on doubt and confusion.

Three main reasons for desolation according to Saint Ignatius: personal neglect, a test of love for God, and a lesson in humility.

Saint Ignatius's advice on using times of consolation to prepare for future times of desolation.

An explanation of how God and the devil can console the soul but with contrary goals.

The importance of observing the course of thoughts to discern their spiritual origin, good or evil.

The manner in which thoughts from good and evil spirits enter the soul, differing based on the soul's disposition.

A warning from Saint Ignatius to examine resolutions carefully, even if they seem to come from God, to avoid self-deception.

Additional rules for almsgiving and understanding scruples by Saint Ignatius, mentioned as potential content for future videos.

Transcripts

hello everyone and welcome to the

biblical Bookworm my name is Elizabeth

and today I'd like to summarize the

ignatian rules for spiritual discernment

in order to give you some guidelines on

how to make good decisions especially

regarding religious matters but without

being limited to that

so oftentimes decisions start with an

idea you have an idea regarding what

you'd like to do but you're not sure if

it's a good idea that's where the

ignatian rules for discernment come in

handy because in those rules Saint

Ignatius of Loyola explains how we can

distinguish good ideas from bad ideas so

how we can recognize that a particular

thought comes from God and leads to his

greater glory or that it comes from the

devil and we shouldn't act on it if

you've ever done the spiritual exercises

of Saint Ignatius of Loyola you're

already familiar with these rules but

for those of you who have never heard of

them I decided to make this video

by the way I made a video where I'll

explain what the spiritual exercises are

so check that one out if that sounds

like something you'd be interested in

the ignatian rules for discernment are a

part of the spiritual exercises and so

one of the goals when you do the

spiritual exercises is to make a

decision which oftentimes regards one's

vocation but the decision doesn't have

to be limited to that because people who

have already made that decision might

have other questions they'd like to

think about for example what profession

to choose whether to make a certain

investment whether to buy a car or what

school is the best for their children

initially I wanted to make this video

about the book The discernment of

Spirits by father Gallagher because I've

read very many positive reviews about it

on the internet the thing is that when I

started to read the book I realized that

it's just an extensive explanation of

the original text by Saint Ignatius and

I personally didn't derive any

additional benefit from reading for the

Gallagher's book because I was already

familiar with the rules as I have done

the spiritual exercises three times so

far so I did finish this book and I'm

not saying that it's bad I just found it

to be unnecessary as you could just read

the original text which is like three

pages but if you feel like you need some

additional explanation maybe that book

would be useful for you

so let's start with a brief explanation

of who Saint Ignatius was and the cool

thing about him is that he is one of

those Saints at least in my opinion

where if you learn about his story you

think to yourself if he managed to

become a saint I can do that too now why

am I saying this Saint Ignatius

converted at the age of 31 if I'm not

mistaken and before his conversion he

had been committing serious

transgressions in basically all Ten

Commandments if you're interested to

learn more about his life before and

after the conversion I highly recommend

the movie Ignatius of Loyola and I'll

link the trailer to that movie in the

description

after his conversion he became a

Catholic priest and theologian who

founded the Society of Jesus which is a

religious order of the Catholic Church

also known as the Jesuits in the 16th

century

the first thing you need to do according

to Saint Ignatius of Loyola when

Discerning Spirits is to assess whether

you are a person who goes for moral sin

to moral sin or a person who is going on

intensely cleansing their sins and

rising from good to better in the

service of God our Lord because

depending on which of those two

categories you fall into there are

different signs you have to look for

because the first group of people so

people who go from bad to worse quote

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 in these

persons the good spirit uses the

opposite method pricking them and biting

their conscience through the process of

Reason while people who go from good to

better experience contrary phenomena

namely quote it is the way of the evil

spirit to bite sad and put obstacles

despite with false reasons that one may

not go on and it is proper to the good

to give courage and strength

consolations tears Inspirations and

quiet easing and putting away all

obstacles that one may go on in well

doing so you see when it's important to

assess which group you belong to and

unfortunately Saint Ignatius doesn't

offer any guidance on how to do that and

while it might seem obvious who is going

from bad to worse and who is working on

becoming better but I would say that in

some cases the self-assessment might be

difficult because as humans we aren't

particularly good good at judging

ourselves objectively for example a

hypocrite might not see his own

hypocrisy because he actually believes

to be a saint I haven't found a solution

for this problem unfortunately but I

wanted to raise awareness for it at

least then Saint Ignatius defines

consolation and desolation in his third

and fourth rules and here it's important

to understand that there is a difference

or at least there can be a difference

between spiritual consolation and

desolation and the psychological states

of happiness and sadness that is

something Saint John of the Cross points

out in his book The Dark Knight of the

Soul which is excellent by the way and I

will summarize it this land probably but

what I wanted to say is that Saint John

the cross explains that although

spiritual desolation and depression for

example often go hand in hand they are

not the same and might occur

independently of each other so according

to Saint Ignatius spiritual consolation

is when the soul is inflamed with love

for its creator or in general every

increase in hope faith and charity and

all interior Joy which 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

so you see it's always a happiness that

leads the soul to Heavenly things and

not every happiness does this you can be

happy without feeling the increased

desire to serve God

desolation on the other hand is the

opposite so people oftentimes feel

abandoned by God or they don't feel his

love or they don't feel any love for him

and Saint Ignatius explains that because

consolation and desolation are opposites

the thoughts that arise from them are

also opposites now why is that important

that's important because one of the most

famous rules of Saint Ignatius is to

never make a change in time of

desolation so if you made a good

resolution where everything was cool and

now you're suddenly doubting God's love

God's existence and such things don't

change the resolutions you made before

then Saint Ignatius give some advice on

what to actually do when in Desolation

and he explains what the three main

reasons for desolation are that's

actually congruent with what Saint John

of the Cross writes at the beginning of

his dark side of the soul and so the

three main reasons for desolation are

your own fault as you neglected your

prayer life

it's a test whether you love God because

of the consolation he gives you or

whether you love him for himself and

thirdly desolation might be a lesson

that teaches us that it's not in our

power to experience spiritual

consolation and this realization leads

to Greater humility then Saint Ignatius

gives the advice that when feeling

spiritually consoled remember that there

will be a time of desolation again so

use the current consolation as a source

of strength for the upcoming desolation

and when you're currently in Desolation

remember that after the rain the sun

will shine again and that Without Rain

there is no rainbow okay he doesn't

phrase it like that but you get the

message when times are rough be patient

and believe that it soon will be over

after writing about his 14 rules which I

have summarized now Saint Ignatius

presents his readers with another bunch

of rules which he calls rules for the

same effect with greater discernment of

spirits in this additional set of eight

rules Saint Ignatius explains how God

operates in the soul and how the devil

operates in the soul it is proper to God

unto his angels and their movements to

give true spiritual gladness and joy

taking away all sadness and disturbance

which the enemy brings on off this

ladder it is proper to fight against the

spiritual gladness and consolation

bringing apparent reason subtleties and

continual fallacies

after that Saint Ignatius explains that

usually cancellations from God are not

explicable with any natural cause so

here again you see that there's a

difference between spiritual consolation

and happiness because happiness usually

occurs because something positive

happened which is not the case with

spiritual consolation

he warns his readers that both God and

the devil can console the soul but with

contrary goals a goal of the devil for

example could be to make you take pride

in the fact that you feel a consolation

because that makes you think that you're

a saint now so a tactic of the devil

could be to First Infuse the soul with

holy thoughts but to pervert those

intentions further down the line it's

important to observe the course of their

thoughts as if the beginning middle and

end is all good inclined to all good it

is a sign of the good Angel but in the

course of the thoughts which he brings

ends in something bad of a distracting

tendency or less good than what the soul

had previously proposed to do or if it

weakens or disquiets or disturbs the

soul taking away its peace tranquility

and quiet which it had before it is a

clear sign that it proceeds from the

evil spirit enemy of our prophet and

eternal salvation and then Saint

Ignatius explains how their respective

Thoughts From God or the devil enter the

soul and here it's important to

differentiate again between the two

categories I mentioned at the beginning

of this video so whether the soul is

going from bad to worse or from good to

better for the latter category the

people who go from good to better quote

the good Angel touches such so sweetly

lightly and gently like a drop of water

which enters into a sponge and the evil

touches it sharply and with noise and

disquiet is when the drop of water falls

on the stone but for people who go from

bad to worse the contrary effect takes

place so bad thoughts enter gently while

good thoughts tend to disquiet the soul

what I found really interesting is the

reason why this happens and according to

Saint Ignatius that is because the

disposition of the soul is contrary or

like to the said Angels because when it

is contrary they enter perceptibly with

clatter and noise and when it is like

they enter with silence as into their

own home through the open door and

finally Saint Ignatius warns us to still

examine a resolution as well before

putting them into effect because even if

we have every reason to believe that

they come from God we might be deceiving

ourselves so don't just follow every

idea you now think comes from God but

make sure that the idea itself is moral

for example if you need some guidance

with that I made a video about the book

pray decide and don't worry which might

help you with this after his rules for

spiritual discernment Saint Ignatius

also adds rules for almsgiving and

guidelines to help you perceive and

understand Scruples which you can read

in the original text that I'll link in

the description and maybe I'll make it a

separate video that's about it for today

I hope you liked the video see you next

week God bless and bye