Pope Francis - How to discern if God or Satan is speaking
Last summer I spent a month in Jerusalem doing a 30 day retreat with the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. It was a fantastic experience, one that continues to shape my priesthood. St. Ignatius was blessed with tremendous insights into the spiritual life. In addition to the spiritual exercises that he developed, he also created the “Rules of Discernment.” These rules help people to distinguish between the voice of God and the voice of Satan. As you can imagine, these two voices are leading us in very different directions and for different purposes. God wants to lead us into a relationship with, which in turn leads to joy and freedom. Satan, on the other hand, wants to lead us away from God and into isolation and desolation.
Given these two very different objectives, one would think it would be easy to discern between these two voices. But Satan was once an angel of light and knows how to deceive us. That’s why St. Ignatius developed his rules to help us recognize these different voices and movements in us more clearly.
Recently, Pope Francis gave an excellent exhortation summarizing Ignatius’ Rules. I have been sharing it with people who come to me for Spiritual Direction and I thought it would be good to share it with the parish as well. Pope Francis lists 8 questions we should ask ourselves:
1. AM I STILL FREE?
The voice of God never forces us: God proposes Himself, He does not impose Himself. Instead, the evil voice seduces, assails, forces: it arouses dazzling illusions, emotions that are tempting but transient.
2. AM I BEING FLATTERED?
At first it flatters, it makes us believe that we are all-powerful, but then it leaves us empty inside and accuses us: “You are worth nothing”. The voice of God, instead, corrects us, with great patience, but always encourages us, consoles us: it always nourishes hope.
3. AM I LOOKING FORWARD?
The voice of God is a voice that has a horizon, whereas the voice of evil leads you to a wall, it backs you into a corner.
4. AM I IN THE PRESENT MOMENT?
Another difference. The voice of the enemy distracts us from the present and wants us to focus on fears of the future or sadness about the past – the enemy does not want the present – it brings to the surface the bitterness, the memories of the wrongs suffered, of those who have hurt us, many bad memories. Instead, the voice of God speaks to the present: “Now you can do good, now you can exercise the creativity of love, now you can renounce the regrets and remorse that hold your heart captive”. It inspires us, it leads us ahead, but it speaks in the present: now.
5. IS IT ABOUT MY EGO?
Again: the two voices raise different questions in us. That which comes from God will be: “What is good for me?” Instead the tempter will insist on another question: “What do I feel like doing?” What I feel like: the evil voice always revolves around the ego, its impulses, its needs, everything straight away. It is like the tantrums of a child: everything, and now. The voice of God, instead, never promises joy at a low price: it invites us to go beyond our ego to find the true good, peace.
6. WHAT AFTERTASTE DOES IT LEAVE?
Let us remember: evil never gives us peace, it causes frenzy first and leaves bitterness later. This is the style of evil.
7. AM I SEEKING LIGHT OR HIDING?
The voice of God and that of the tempter, finally, speak in different “environments”: the enemy prefers darkness, falsehood, and gossip; the Lord loves sunlight, truth, and sincere transparency.
8. AM I LED TO TRUST?
The enemy will say to us: “Close yourself up in yourself, besides no-one understands and listens to you, don’t trust anyone!” Goodness, on the contrary, invites us to open up, to be clear and trusting in God and in others.
Pope Francis’ eight points are very important to keep in mind, especially as we wrestle with decisions and as we move through these uncertain times. I encourage you to print these points off and keep them somewhere so you can look back on them often. With St. Ignatius’ helps let us learn to reject the voices that seek to isolate us and turn us inward on ourselves. And learn to recognize the voice of God that calls us to trust, to be generous and to build relationships with the people around us.
God Bless,
Fr. Francis
