Understanding Rule Six of the Discernment of Spirits
Fr. Timothy Gallagher discusses rule six of the Discernment of Spirits and emphasizes the importance of recognizing the enemy's deceitful tactics and guarding oneself from being led away from spiritual gladness.
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Episode 10 – Rule 5 and introduction to Rule 6 – The Second Week Rules for the Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide to a Greater Discernment of Spirits with Fr. Timothy Gallagher
Fr. Gallagher completes his teachings on Rule 5 and moves to understanding Rule 6. Once we have learned from the course of things, the beginning, middle, and the end, and perceive the work of the enemy, now it is time to learn from the “little by little” how the enemy works to tempt us with the “good.”
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)
Sixth Rule.
The sixth: When the enemy of human nature has been perceived and known by his serpent’s tail and the bad end to which he induces, it profits the person who was tempted by him, to look immediately at the course of the good thoughts that he brought, and the beginning of them, and how little by little he procured to make him descend from the sweetness and spiritual gladness in which he was, till he brought him to his depraved intention; so that with such an experience known and noted he may guard himself in the future from his customary deceits. (334)
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.
