Discerning Thoughts and Signs of the Good and Bad Spirit
This chapter explores the signs that help determine whether thoughts come from the good spirit or the enemy, emphasizing the importance of paying attention to any objective or subjective diminishment in thoughts. The chapter also discusses the role of a spiritual director in guiding individuals through the discernment process.
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Episode 9 – More from Rule 5 – The Second Week Rules for the Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide to a Greater Discernment of Spirits with Fr. Timothy Gallagher
Fr. Gallagher breaks open more fully Rule 5 and the need to “give much attention to the course of the thoughts.” Then he emphasizes the importance of understanding the signs of the good spirit and problematic signs given by the enemy.
Fifth Rule.
The fifth: We should give much attention to the course of the thoughts; and if the beginning, middle and end is all good, inclined to all good, it is a sign of the good angel; but if in the course of the thoughts that he brings, it ends in something bad, or distractive, or less good than the soul had proposed to do before, or if it weakens it, or disquiets, or troubles the soul, taking away the peace, tranquility and quiet, which it had before, it is a clear sign that it proceeds from the bad spirit, the enemy of our profit and eternal salvation.(333)
Through a series of compelling conference talks, Fr. Gallagher carefully breaks open St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Second Week Rules for Greater Discernment. This set of 8 “rules” (or guidelines) helps us to discern whether a seemingly good, noble, holy idea or feeling, often understood as a “spiritual consolation,” could be a working of the enemy intending to lead us astray. He shows how all of us can learn to listen to and follow God’s gentle leading in our daily lives.
