The Catholic Church is a rich treasure given for our benefit. One of my favorite things about the Catholic Church is the diversity that exists in the spiritual tradition. The Ignatian tradition is one that I personally find beneficial in my prayer life. St. Ignatius of Loyola developed a series of Spiritual Exercises that assist us in growing closer to Jesus Christ. The Examen Prayer is one of the tools offered in the Spiritual Exercises; however, it is not the only tool that he has given the Church. Another great tool that St. Ignatius developed are the various rules for the discernment of spirits. St. Ignatius developed two sets of rules divided according to the different weeks of in the Spiritual Exercises. The first week contains fourteen rules to assist us in coming to know the will of God in our life. The rules assist us in prayer and help us to grow as Christians.
The first rule St. Ignatius proposes to us concerns knowing when we are moving closer to God. Rule 1 states: “For those moving away from God, or spiritually regressing, the evil spirit tries to convince us that evil is good. It will make self-centered behavior seem appealing and comfortable. The good spirit, on the other hand, will sting our conscience, raise doubts about the path one is taking, and encourage a different course.” This first rule then reminds us that God will prick our conscience if we begin to move away from Him. St. Ignatius recognized this and thought it best to clarify that it is one of the struggles that we encounter in prayer.
In some ways it is like going to the doctor. You know that the news that you receive may not be pleasant, but you also know that what you receive from the doctor will be good for you in the long run. What we learn through the Gospel though reminds us that God does not seek to harm us. Instead, God desires to shower us with grace so that we can encounter Him in this life. If we keep offering ourselves to God, He will continue to draw us close to Himself. When we are close to God, then we see how greatly blessed, highly favored and deeply loved we all are.
~ Fr. Will
