Cackles Corner The Lords Ranch Community

  This is the last in a series of talks on St. Ignatius of Loyola’s “Rules for discernment of spirits” that I gave. Rule #14 – St. Ignatius gives us an example of what the enemy is like and applies it to the spiritual life: in this case, an astute military captain who studies the walled […]

Rule #13 – St. Ignatius gives us an example of what the enemy is like and applies it to the spiritual life: in this case, a false lover who wants the young girl or married woman to keep his seductions secret. St. Ignatius counsels how important it is to bring our doubts, temptations and struggles to […]

“…the enemy characteristically weakens, loses courage, and flees with his temptations when the person engaged in spiritual endeavors stands bold and unyielding against the enemy’s temptations and goes exactly opposite them. But if, in contrast, that person begins to fear and lose courage in the face of the temptations, there is no beast on the […]

  “Let him who is consoled see to humbling himself and lowering himself as much as he can, thinking how little he is able for in the time of desolation without such grace or consolation. On the contrary, let him who is in desolation think that he can do much with the grace sufficient to […]

“When one enjoys consolation, let him consider how he will conduct himself during the time of ensuing desolation, and store up a supply of strength as defense against that day.” St. Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises #323 [This is a reposting of the talks I gave on  St. Ignatius of Loyola’s rules for discernment of […]

“For we can do this with God’s help, which always remains available, even if we do not clearly perceive it.” St. Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises #320 [This is a reposting of the talks I gave on  St. Ignatius of Loyola’s rules for discernment of spirits, drawing on Fr. Timothy Gallagher’s material as well as […]