“It is obvious what proceeds from the flesh: lewd conduct, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, bickering, jealousy, outbursts of rage, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like…. In contrast, the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patient endurance, kindness, generosity, faith, mildness, and chastity. Against such there is no law!” -Galatians 5: 19-23.
HEEDING ONLY THE HOLY SPIRIT’S VOICE:
Saint Ignatius of Loyola observes that when the disciple is making progress and living in God’s will, he or she is experiencing consolations or movements from the Holy Spirit that are encouraging and supportive. Peace, joy, patient endurance, generosity, transparency of spirit, etc, would be some such stirrings from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit also acts as a supporter and friend, instilling confidence and courage in the disciple so that he or she is not daunted by difficult tasks. Even in difficult situations the Holy Spirit works things out in such a way that the challenge becomes possible to accomplish.
However, there is another voice that is at work in the disciple’s heart. This is a negative and destructive force, obviously not originating in God. This source is the evil spirit, either Satan and/or your own propensity toward evil and destruction. This voice seeks to diminish and ensnare you by suggesting thoughts and movements that disturb and cause anxiety, and in the process lead to discouragement and stagnation. So if you are making progress and overcoming a bad habit by stringing together several successful attempts at healthy behaviors, you might hear the following or such like remarks within you: “Do you really believe you are capable of changing your behavior when you have had so many failures in the past? Don’t you think your efforts will amount to very little?” Ignatius advises you to train yourself to ignore the evil spirit’s promptings in time of consolation when you are under the influence and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Oftentimes, after you have successfully resisted such negative suggestions you will see clearly that they werea web of deceit and delusion.
RECOGNIZING THE HOLY SPIRIT IN TIME OF DESOLATION:
St. Ignatius presumes that the disciple will struggle against temptation and succumb to it every now and then. Such capitulation will result in desolation or movements within the soul that would encourage you to move away from God. In other words, when we are in desolation through our own fault, our tendency will be to move away from God and towards the spirit of the world and the flesh. Quite simply, we are under the influence of evil and our thoughts and desires will be preoccupied and focused on what is not conducive for our spiritual well being. Once again there are two forces at work. This time the evil spirit’s presence seems to be more dominant and the disciple is encouraged to move away from God through specious arguments and excuses. Such arguments could be described in the following slogans: ‘To err is human,’ ‘God understands,’ ‘How am I to learn compassion and understanding unless I experience my own sinfulness.’ Meanwhile the Holy Spirit’s voice and presence is disturbing. The disciple’s conscience speaks up and convicts him or her with feelings of healthy guilt and shame. There is a strong appeal to reason as well. The disciple is left with disquiet and sadness unless there is a move toward repentance and spiritual well being.
REASONS FOR DESOLATION:
We are easily prone to live in falsehood and denial rather than face the truth. We like to appear better than we are spiritually. Consequently, we might create a pseudo-consolation, which is not really a consolation because it is founded on a lie. Salvation can only come to us from an honest admission of our hypocrisy and sin, without which the Holy Spirit can’t be recognized. We can never usurp God’s sovereignty which is what sin tries to do.
Desolation can be the result of our own wrong-doing. In such an instance we will feel separated from God on the level of our feelings and sentiments, as well as on the level of our values and convictions. As mentioned above, the Holy Spirit’s voice will be disturbing, calling us back to repentance and being right with God and ourselves.
Desolation can also be present as purification. The saints tell us that the Holy Spirit needs to subject us to purification as we will never be able to do an exhaustive clean-up of our sinful attachments and disorders. In such a case one is not really in desolation. Sensible consolation, or movements towards God on the level of feelings and sentiments will be absent, creating a sense of ‘God’s absence.’ However, spiritual consolations, in the sense of a yearning for God and a deep commitment to Him, will continue to be present and might even intensify.
HOW TO BEHAVE IN TIME OF DESOLATION:
Ignatius offers several suggestions about spiritual self-care in time of desolation. It is necessary to stick to one’s resolutions that were made in time of consolation. The temptation will be to renege on them and adopt self-serving and destructive decisions in time of desolation. During desolation it is important to remind ourselves that God has not abandoned us and God’s grace is still available to aid us in our struggle. Desolation is a time for extra prayer and taking stock. It is a time for suitable penance and self-discipline. Lastly, it is important to remember that consolation will return and the Holy Spirit will again be a lively and familiar presence.
BEING DECEIVED UNDER THE GUISE OF GOOD:
Even when our consolations are genuine because they come from God, we have the tendency to contaminate them by either distorting or embellishing them to serve our own pride self-aggrandizement. If we deal with our consolations in the right way, they will produce lasting results in our lives. On the other hand, if the source of our consolations is anything other than God, there is a good likelihood that we will be led astray if we are not observant of the process as it unfolds in us. Such consolations will be experienced as authentic, at least initially, and they will produce all the results of a true consolation, including peace, joy, fervor, enthusiasm to do God’s will, and so on. However, such consolations are meant to lure and seduce with the purpose of throwing us into confusion and doubt. So the middle and end of the process lead to a state of desolation, creating decisions that have our misguided selves as their center rather than God.
CONCRETE SLIPPERY SLOPES IN DISCERNMENT:
Anxiety & Fear:
- About tasks that have to be done: We will always have time and will be in consolation if we stay in the present moment and do our tasks as asked of us by God. Staying in the present moment is a necessary spiritual practice that needs to be practiced rigorously because God can only be experienced in the present moment.
- When fear leads to the prospect of impending humiliation, negative outcome, or ongoing tension in a dysfunctional relationship or situation, the only way to remain in consolation and under the influence of the Holy Spirit is by asking for peace and trust, thanking God for our critics and detractors, and letting go of any thoughts and emotions that keep us locked up in anxiety and its legion of negative emotions. Practicing loving acts is the antidote in time of anxiety and fear.
Criticism and Rejection:
- To stay in consolation, we must learn to act and respond rather than react and retaliate. For that to happen we would need to engage in thanksgiving for the detractor, and being grateful for the painful situation and the formation that it brings to us. It is the time to wait on the Holy Spirit to tell us what the best course of action is. Sometimes, after we have arrived at calmness, the storm seems like an illusion. Sometimes, an appropriate opening will be given to us by the Holy Spirit, after we have surrendered the desire to get even or explain ourselves, to bring about greater transparency with the person concerned.
- We also need to remind ourselves that to be in communion with others we don’t need to be understood and accepted in every situation. Often times if we can be at ease with ourselves, we can allow others to be different and even disagree with us.
Disquiet and Doubt:
- There will be times of disquiet and doubt. It is important to keep plugging away, doing what we have to do, and amidst sighs and groanings, asking God give you strength to stay with Him and do His will.
- When in doubt about God’s existence, presence, and/or love, or all of the above, it is important to remind ourselves that Jesus is real. His death for us is beyond doubt. After how he has demonstrated His love for me, we do not need his assurances though we might want them!
Resentments and Unforgiveness:
- They are a plague and lead to desolation. They destroy us! We need to understand very clearly that we will not have a meaningful relationship with God as long as we hold on to our resentments and unwillingness to forgive.
- As a disciples of Jesus we cannot have enemies. And so Jesus gives us 490 times each day to get rid of our resentments and practice love and compassion!
Envy and Jealousy:
- Envy and jealousy are a lack of gratitude for the abundance of God’s love and blessings that we have received. They make us focus on someone else’s abundance as if our own plate is empty! Thus they target an innocent person, be they God or a human being, as the scapegoat!
- Envy and jealousy are desolation. The longer you stay in them, the deeper the hole you dig for yourself. Prayer is difficult and surrender is not possible without a spirit of gratitude!
Bloom where you are planted:
- It is an illusion and a great distraction to think that you should be elsewhere and not where you have been planted!
- It is an illusion to feel bad and self-disparaging because you seem to be in a better living condition. You will be in peace and joy if you try on a consistent basis to do what the Holy Spirit is prompting you to do in your everyday circumstances and life. Put out your own fires as best as you can and trust!
Sudden change in consolation or desolation:
- You can have consolation without a previous cause! Wait on God before you act and make any decisions till the Holy Spirit clarifies for you that you are not adding your own egotism to the consolation.
- You can also have desolation come upon you suddenly and furiously! These will be rather rare times. In such cases it is important to have recourse to prayer immediately and remember that the Holy Spirit is greater than your travail.
ABIDING IN THE HOLY SPIRIT:
Continual Gratitude:
- Hopefully the time will come when you will feel you are being inundated with blessings and brushes of tenderness and love by God directly and through creatures. More and more the Holy Spirit will be the Spirit oozing with love, compassion, and profound joy, expressing divine life in the Trinity.
- In continual gratitude, you will discover the depths of God’s life in the Trinity!
Towards Total Surrender or Indifference:
· The Holy Spirit will move you towards greater surrender and submission. You will practice surrender constantly.
· In surrender you will experience both cross and resurrection.
· You will develop a vague, and then again a not so vague, sense that indeed the mystery of God’s life is being infused into you. You are the grateful recipient, the action is the Holy Spirit’s, and transformation is taking place!
Towards Continual Prayer:
· Your life will be more about God and less about you.
· You will be focused on giving your best effort and being detached from the outcome.
· You will sense within you a transparency and freedom, and as a result, God is easily reflected in your limpid waters!
· There is a profound peace in your heart and a profound love and concern for the universe and humanity!
· Contemplation leads to action and action leads to contemplation.
NOTE: Please observe the same guidelines for Prayer and Journaling as in the other weeks. You can use the same passages for prayer and spiritual reading as in the previous week or choose your own.
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