St Ignatius of Loyola, whose feast is celebrated by the Catholic Church on July 31, is famous principally for founding the Society of Jesus, but his Spiritual Exercises are considered among his greatest gifts to Western Christianity.
Ignatian methods of prayer, observed Pope Pius XI a century ago, “lead a man by the safe paths of self-abnegation and the removal of bad habits up to the supreme heights of prayer and divine love”.
The exercises were developed to allow souls to practise “discernment”, to become attuned to the action of God in their lives and to make decisions in accordance with His will for them.
In short, they involve discerning “spirits” of consolation (good) and desolation (bad). The former brings enduring peace, joy, forgetfulness of self and a sense of belonging, whereas the latter sometimes involves initial but transient gratification that subsides to a deadening of the spirit and ensuing feelings of selfishness, hopelessness, doubts and confusion.
St Ignatius advised against making decisions in times of spiritual desolation; in particular against the reversing of decisions made in different (and spiritually better) times.
To avoid doubt, a spiritual director might be of assistance to anyone practising discernment. Also, it is vital to keep God’s commandments and wise to receive the sacraments regularly.
