May 23, 2021- Ignatian Spirituality Part 1

In this three-part series on prayer and mental health, I want to introduce two things to you- discernment of spirits as taught by St. Ignatius and Satan as the great accuser.  St. Ignatius taught that there are three spirits at work in our lives.  The first is the spirit of God.  The idea is that we can tell which spirit is at work by the fruit of our interior movements.  If we are moved to love others more fully, pray with greater diligence, or direct all things towards God, we can rightly say that these desires have been inspired by the Holy Spirit and will bring us greater peace and joy.  Compare this to the spirit of the evil one, the second spirit, that directs us towards evil things such as selfishness, lust, and greed.  When we pursue the ideas brought up by the evil one, we are left feeling empty, restless, hopeless, and in great turmoil.  The third spirit is within us and arises from our own power of mind and affection.  The spirit of self could be described as the voice inside our head or the part of us that reasons and feels.  The spirit of self is often the most difficult to discern because it can be confusing to tell if what we are hearing is our inner spirit versus the spirits of the evil one or God.  This often becomes easier over time with practice and with the guidance and wisdom of others.  If you have not already, I highly recommend reading about the work of St. Ignatius.  Some of the most helpful resources I have found are at www.ignatianspirituality.com.  Next week, we will further discuss discernment of spirits and how it can greatly influence our mental health.