Understand and apply St. Ignatius’s 14 Rules at a glance

ByEdge-admin

St. Igantius 14 Rules Discernment of Spirits Simplified

PHASE ONE- Pre -Conversion / Early Conversion

TITLE – 3-A’s Awareness, Acceptance/understanding, Action – The way over or through the obstacles begins with awareness of which phase (1,2,or 3) you are in. Then which rule do you need to apply? We do this by gaining a clear understanding (awareness) of the rule and yourself, then take action (accept or reject)

RULE 1 – Pre-conversion (Enemy says keep going, party on singing you’re on the “Highway to Hell” – The enemy will feel like a friend, God will feel like an enemy because he will be stinging and biting, trying to encourage change/conversation (In Rule 1 we choose to turn from our old sinful or destructive ways and turn to Gods ways.)

RULE 2- Is early conversion. The enemy becomes the accuser. Trying to pull you back. He is now stinging and biting. He sounds like, “What do you think you are doing? You can’t do this; you will fail. You fail every time; why even try?”  In Rule 2, God sounds encouraging, joyous, and feels like a friend. He is inviting. (God sounds/feels like clarity, peace, and warmth in the chest or heart. A stillness to the soul.)

PHASE TWO– Committed To Conversion  (C= what to do in CONSOLATION, D= what to do in DESOLATION)

C- RULE 3 – First experience of consolation, upward movement, flaming of heart, joy, peace, and love.

D- RULE 4 – Awareness- know you are under attack when you feel discouraged, disheartened, tempted, uneasy, agitated, discontent  (Feelings or negativity Ignatius calls low and earthly things.)

D- RULE 5 – DEFENSE- When under attack, stand strong! Never make a change! (This means stick to your prayer plan, go to confession like you said you would, Go to mass like you planned this morning. Don’t cancel the retreat you planned six months ago.)

D- RULE 6 – OFFENSE- Follows rule 5. When under attack, attack back. Use these 4 Spiritual weapons of self-defense. (Jesus used them in the desert for forty days and fought against satan.) 

1. Pray (Read the Bible, Rosary, pray the name of Jesus)

2. Meditate (Reflect on what you read. How is God speaking to you. Look at a Holy image. Put yourself in the scene. Call upon your Emmanuel moment..)

3. Reflect/Discern (Ignatius. Calls this Much examination.) (Where did I give the enemy a foothold, an in, a foot in the door of my heart? Much Examination in Rule 6:

  1. What am I feeling? Name it! ______________________
  2. How did I get in desolation? Name it. Who or what am I mad at_________________
  3. Fill spiritual quivers with spiritual arrows and shoot them in times of desolation. (holy friends, sacraments, sacramentals, work on emotional self, physical wellbeing, holy images)

4. Do Penance. Fast as Jesus fasted to fight the enemy off. I can fight the enemy off in my spiritual desert. Fast from food, electronics, t.v., sleep, wearing earrings, a favorite sweatshirt, etc.  Fast, especially from the very thing, at the very time, that leads you into sin regularly.

D- RULE 7– THINK! GOD’S GRACE is sufficient. Take captive your thoughts! Resist the enemy. It’s ONLY A TEST! God hasn’t left you. He’s watching you behind the vail/glass mirror, preparing you, his warrior, for battle. (Like a parent playing peek-a-boo with a child.)

  1. What are you aware of? How does the voice make you feel? Is it accusatory? Or corrective? Or encouraging, peaceful.

NO SHAME IN ANY OF THIS. We all go through it!

God GIVES consolation

He only PERMITS desolation/work of the enemy. Always REJECT this in the Name of Jesus.

D- RULE 8 – THINK these two thoughts:

  1. This desolation, too, shall pass, soon.
  2. Consolation will come soon. 

D- RULE 9 – there are three causes for desolation:

  1. Neglecting spiritual life/sin – the fruit that can come from it is Conversion
  2. God allows testing of our faith – the fruit is growth, strengthening, and learning
  3. To know consolation is a gift. We are not in control; God is. (Like in the book of Job.) God wants to give us a gift of Himself when he returns. Can’t appreciate sun without rain, day without night -Fruit is the Gift of humility. 

C-RULE 10 – Accept/Receive God’s consolation, love, and graces. Ask God to save some Grace for when in desolation. Glance up. Prepare your heart for what you will do in times of desolation. (Just as desolation shall pass, this too shall pass, Consolation.)(Just like we have sunny days, we also have rainy days.)Thank God for Consolation. All the Glory to God. Press into the consolation, pray, meditate, consider the value of desolation, and reflect on personal growth. 

C-RULE 11 – Rest in the glow. Humble oneself.  Know the gift of consolation is from God and not your own works or doing. Think how we were just struggling the last time in desolation. Think- Through Christ, I can do anything. Be Filled and recharged. Receive new strength for when the battle comes again.

PHASE THREE– Temptations and tactics of the enemy. (As our faith grows and deepens, the enemy’s tactics will change, becoming more complex. Fear not! We only need to be Aware, Understand, and take Action)

D- Rule 12 – STOP the enemy in his tracks! Stop the snowball at the top of the mountain. (Stop the thoughts, stop premeditating on the sin, stop rewarding myself with the sin, stop entertaining the sin.) (Take every thought captive. Recognize it is the enemy knocking at your door. Don’t open the door. Don’t give him a foothold.)

D- Rule 13 – NEVER Keep a secret! (The enemy lives/thrives in darkness; he can’t live in the light.) (We are only as sick as our deepest Secrets.)

D- Rule 14 – Know your weakest link and weakest spots. (Know when and where you are most likely to fall into sin?) Know yourself! (Put protective measures in play. Similar to rule 6.) (Sometimes, our friend circles, habits, and hang-out places need to change. (We might need to grieve the losses but look forward to the new change.)) (Know When you give to much of yourself and lack healthy boundaries? What things are you afraid of regularly? Is the fear real, or is it worry?) (What spoken or unspoken vows have you made? What judgments do you hold, or wounds do you need to be healed?) (Perhaps Unbound or Edge of the Red Sea might be in store for you in the near future.)

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS

These Rules:|
– Set us free from the lies of the enemy
-Set us up for serving God, Co-creating with him, and Him serving and co-creating with us

Fr. Gallagher describes the 3 A’s this way:
– Awareness – Wait a second
– Acceptance- Naah
– Action- Nope!

I describe the three A’s this way
– Awareness – Who or what am I mad at
– Acceptance – Oh, that did really hurt me.
– Action- What do I need to do about it? Set a boundary, forgive, not take it personal?

Where did the enemy get in the head and the heart?

There is nonspiritual consolation/desolation – they come from being Human, emotional, psychological, natural, hunger, addictions, etc.

Similar Posts

A detailed image of elderly hands clasping a wooden cane, symbolizing aging and support.

Codependency

Codependency If we think of a pendulum of co-dependence: on one extreme there is dependence, and on the other extreme there is independence. In the middle is interdependence. People who are struggling with independent codependents often think they don’t need anyone and that they can do everything by themselves. Or they think it’s just easier…

Rival football teams face off at the start of an action-packed game on the field.

“DEFENSE! OFFENSE!”

 How can these football words help in times of discouragement? Typically, St. Ignatius’s rules for “Discernment of Spirits” are applied solely to spiritual ups and downs. However, like Bill W., founder of AA, I, too, have found the rules helpful when applied to mental/emotional health. In previous articles, we’ve covered St Ignatius’ first three rules….