Here you will find a compilation of the texts of St. Ignatius of Loyola cited or mentioned in the book Paths of Love.
Purpose of the Spiritual Exercises
- The
first note is that by this name of Spiritual Exercises is meant every
way of examining one’s conscience, of meditating, of
contemplating, of praying vocally and mentally, and of performing other
spiritual actions, as will be said later. For as strolling, walking and
running are bodily exercises, so every way of preparing and disposing
the soul to rid itself of all inordinate attachments, and, after it is
rid of them, of seeking and finding the divine will as to the
management of one’s life for the salvation of one’s soul,
we call Spiritual Exercises. (Spiritual Exercises, First note)
It is God who must work in the soul during the Spiritual Exercises
- He
who is giving the Exercises ought not to urge him who is receiving them
more to poverty or to a promise than to their opposites, nor more to
one state or way of life than to another. For although outside the
Exercises, we can lawfully and meritoriously urge every one who is
probably fit, to choose continence, virginity, the religious life, and
all manner of evangelical perfection, still in the Spiritual Exercises,
in seeking the divine will, it is more fitting and much better that the
Creator and Lord Himself should communicate Himself to his devout soul,
inflaming it with his love and praise, and disposing it for the way in
which it will be better able to serve him in the future. So he who is
giving the Exercises should not turn or incline to one side or the
other, but standing in the center like a balance, should allow the
Creator to act immediately with the creature, and the creature with its
Creator and Lord. (Spiritual Exercises, Fifteenth note)
If
one is to make a good choice during the Spiritual Exercises, one must
first of all be indifferent as regards the different ways of life, or
even, be more inclined to follow Christ's way of life.
- It
must first of all be insisted that a person entering upon the elections
do so with total resignation of will; and if possible, that he reach
the third degree of humility, in which for his own part he is more
inclined, should it be for the equal service of God, toward that which
is most in accord with the counsels and example of Christ our Lord. (Directory for the Spiritual Exercises, n. 17)
More signs are required to choose marriage than to choose religious life
- Greater
signs from God are needed for the commandments than for the counsels,
inasmuch as Christ our Lord advises the counsels and points out the
difficulty in the ownership of property that is possible in the
commandments.( Directory for the Spiritual Exercises, n. 9)
- Outside
the Spiritual Exercises we may lawfully and meritoriously urge every
one who is probably fit, to choose continence, virginity, the religious
life, and all manner of evangelical perfection. (Spiritual Exercises, n. 15--see above.)
The goal of the Spiritual Exercises is mainly to choose a state of life
- The
matter proposed for deliberation is: first, whether the counsels or the
commandments; secondly, if the counsels, then whether inside or outside
a religious institute; thirdly, if in a religious institute, which one;
fourthly, after that, when and how. If it is the commandments, then in
what station or manner of life, etc. (Directory for the Spiritual Exercises, n. 22)
How a choice of a state of life is to be made
- In
every good election, as far as depends on us, the eye of our intention
ought to be simple, only looking at what we are created for, namely,
the praise of God our Lord and the salvation of our soul. And so I
ought to choose whatever I do, that it may help me for the end for
which I am created, not ordering or bringing the end to the means, but
the means to the end: as it happens that many choose first to marry,
which is a means, and secondarily to serve God our Lord in the married
life, which service of God is the end.. So, too, there are others who
first want to have benefices, and then to serve God in them. So that
those do not go straight to God, but want God to come straight to their
disordered tendencies, and consequently they make a means of the end,
and an end of the means. So that what they had to take first, they take
last; because first we have to set as our aim the wanting to serve God,
-- which is the end, -- and secondarily, to take a benefice, or to
marry, if it is more suitable to us, -- which is the means for the end.
So, nothing ought to move me to take such means or to deprive myself of
them, except only the service and praise of God our Lord and the
eternal salvation of my soul.
Four points regarding the choice to be made
- First
Point. It is necessary that everything about which we want to make an
election should be indifferent, or good, in itself, and should be
allowed within our Holy Mother the hierarchical Church, and not bad nor
opposed to her.
- Second Point. There are some things which fall
under unchangeable election, such as are the priesthood, marriage, etc.
There are others which fall under an election that can be changed, such
as are to take benefices or leave them, to take temporal goods or rid
oneself of them.
- Third Point. In the unchangeable Election
which has already been once made -- such as marriage, the priesthood,
etc. -- there is nothing more to choose, because one cannot release
himself; only it is to be seen to that if one have not made his
election duly and ordinately and without disordered tendencies,
repenting let him see to living a good life in his election. It does
not appear that this election is a Divine vocation,(15) as being an
election out of order and awry. Many err in this, setting up a perverse
or bad election as a Divine(16) vocation; for every divine vocation is
always pure and clear, without mixture of flesh, or of any other
inordinate attachment.
- Fourth Point. If some one has duly and
ordinately made election of things which are under election that can be
changed, and has not yielded to flesh or world, there is no reason for
his making election anew, but let him perfect himself as much as he can
in that already chosen.
-
The first time is when God our Lord so moves and
attracts the will that without doubting, or being able to doubt, the
devout soul follows what is shown it, as St. Paul and St. Matthew did
in following Christ our Lord.
- The
second time is when one gets enough light and knowledge by experience
of consolations and desolations, and by the experience of the
discernment of various spirits.
- The third time is quiet, when
one considers, first, for what purpose man is born—namely, to
praise God our Lord and to save his soul—and desiring this,
chooses as a means to this end, a life or state within the limits of
the Church, in order that he may be helped in the service of his Lord
and the salvation of his soul.
- I said time of quiet, when the soul is not acted on by various spirits, and uses its natural powers freely and tranquilly.
If election is not made in the first or the second time, two ways follow as to this third time for making it.
First way
- It contains six Points.
First
Point. The first Point is to put before me the thing on which I want to
make election, such as an office or benefice, either to take or leave
it; or any other thing whatever which falls under an election that can
be changed.
Second Point. It is necessary to keep as aim the end
for which I am created, which is to praise God our Lord and save my
soul, and, this supposed, to find myself indifferent, without any
inordinate propensity; so that I be not more inclined or disposed to
take the thing proposed than to leave it, nor more to leave it than to
take it, but find myself as in the middle of a balance, to follow what
I feel to be more for the glory and praise of God our Lord and the
salvation of my soul.
Third Point.To ask of God our Lord to be
pleased to move my will and put in my soul what I ought to do regarding
the thing proposed, so as to promote more His praise and glory;
discussing well and faithfully with my intellect, and choosing
agreeably to His most holy pleasure and will.
Fourth Point. To
consider, reckoning up, how many advantages and utilities follow for me
from holding the proposed office or benefice for only the praise of God
our Lord and the salvation of my soul, and, to consider likewise, on
the contrary, the disadvantages and dangers which there are in having
it. Doing the same in the second part, that is, looking at the
advantages and utilities there are in not having it, and likewise, on
the contrary, the disadvantages and dangers in not having the same.
Fifth
Point. After I have thus discussed and reckoned up on all sides about
the thing proposed, to look where reason more inclines: and so,
according to the greater inclination of reason, and not according to
any inclination of sense, deliberation should be made on the thing
proposed.
Sixth Point. such election, or deliberation, made, the
person who has made it ought to go with much diligence to prayer before
God our Lord and offer Him such election, that His Divine Majesty may
be pleased to receive and confirm it, if it is to His greater service
and praise.
Second way (rules for election)
- It contains four Rules and one Note.
First Rule. The first rule is that that love which moves me and makes me choose such a thing should
descend from above, from the love of God, in such a manner that he who
chooses feels first in himself that that love, more or less, which he
has for the thing which he chooses, is only for his Creator and Lord.
Second
Rule. The second, to set before me a man whom I have never seen nor
known, and desiring all his perfection, to consider what I would tell
him to do and elect for the greater glory of God our Lord, and the
greater perfection of his soul, and I, doing likewise, to keep the rule
which I set for the other.
Third Rule. The third, to consider,
as if I were at the point of death, the form and measure which I would
then want to have kept in the way of the present election, and
regulating myself by that election, let me make my decision in
everything.
Fourth Rule. The fourth, looking and considering how
I shall find myself on the Day of Judgment, to think how I would then
want to have deliberated about the present matter, and to take now the
rule which I would then wish to have kept, in order that I may then
find myself in entire pleasure and joy.
Note. The
above-mentioned rules for my eternal salvation and peace having been
taken, I will make my election and offering to God our Lord,
conformably to the sixth Point of the First Way of making election. (Spiritual Exercises, nn. 169-187)
The
first two ways are better, yet the third way (time) of making a choice
is surer, and therefore a good way to confirm the previous ways
- When
no decision has been reached in the second mode, or one that is not
good in the opinion of the one giving the Exercises (whose task it is
to help discern the effects of the good and evil spirit), then the
third manner should be resorted to—that of the discursive
intellect by means of the six points. (Directory for the Spiritual Exercises, n. 76)
- During
the first and second times of election it is the will that takes the
lead, with the intellect following and being led by the will, without
any reasoning of its own or hesitation. In the third time, on the other
hand, the intellect takes the lead, proposing numerous reasons to the
will in order to arouse and impel it to the side it judges to be
better. And granted that the movement comes directly from God, there is
no doubt that the higher and more excellent way is when it is the will
which, under God’s illumination, takes the lead and draws the
intellect after it... On the other hand, the third way by means of
reflection and reasoning is safer and more secure. (Officially Approved Directory, n. 190; Note that this directory is not immediately Ignatius' own work)
- These
two methods that mark the third time, are to be employed not only when
no conclusion has been reached in the second time; but also when a
choice has been made, the
third time contributes to strengthen and confirm it. For if the soul
were certain that the movement of the second time were from God, then
without doubt it would have no need to look any further. But since the
angel of Satan sometimes transforms himself into an angel of light (2
Cor 11:14), this should be the general rule, that it is very dangerous,
when a man wishes to govern himself only by movements of the will, and
certain inner feelings, without adding appropriate consideration. And
therefore there should be a testing and examination by means of the
light; for as the Apostle says, “all that is made manifest, is
light.” Now this light, after the light of faith, is also human
reason itself (helped and enlightened, of course, by the light of
faith), which is itself from God, and one cannot contradict the other,
since truth is necessarily consistent with truth.( Officially Approved Directory, n. 203).
Discernment of Spirits
- I
presuppose that there are three kinds of thoughts in me, namely: one
which is my own, which springs from my mere liberty and will; and two
others, which come from without, one from the good spirit, and the
other from the bad. (Spiritual Exercises, n. 32)
Rules for the Discernment of Spirits
- The first rule:
It is proper to God and to his Angels in their movements to give true
gladness and spiritual joy, taking away all sadness and disturbance
which the enemy causes. To the latter it is proper to fight
against such spiritual gladness and consolation, bringing apparent
reasons, subtleties and continual deceptions.
- Second rule:
It belongs to God our Lord alone to give consolation to the soul
without any preceding cause, for it is the property of the Creator to
enter, go out, and cause movements in the soul, bringing it all into
love of his Divine Majesty. I say without cause, that is, without any
previous perception or knowledge of any object through which such
consolation would come, through one’s acts of understanding and
will.
- Third rule: With
cause, as well the good Angel as the bad can console the soul, for
contrary ends: the good Angel for the profit of the soul, that it may
grow and rise from good to better, and the evil Angel, for the
contrary, and later on to draw it to his damnable intention and
wickedness.
- Fourth rule:
It is proper to the evil Angel, who forms himself under the appearance
of an angel of light, to enter with the devout soul and go out with
himself: that is to say, to bring good and holy thoughts, conformable
to such just soul, and then little by little he aims at coming out
drawing the soul to his covert deceits and perverse intentions.
- Fifth rule:
We ought to note well the course of our thoughts, and if the beginning,
middle and end is all good, inclined to all good, it is a sign of the
good Angel; but if in the course of the thoughts which he brings it
ends in something bad, of a distracting tendency, or less good than
what the soul had previously proposed to do, or if it weakens or
disquiets or disturbs the soul, taking away the peace, tranquility and
quiet which it had before, it is a clear sign that it proceeds from the
evil spirit, enemy of our progress and eternal salvation.
- Sixth rule:
When the enemy of human nature has been perceived and known by his
serpent’s tail and the bad end to which he leads on, it helps the
person who was tempted by him, to look immediately at the course of the
good thoughts which he brought him at their beginning, and how little
by little he aimed at making him descend from the spiritual sweetness
and joy in which he was, so far as to bring him to his depraved
intention; in order that with this experience, known and noted, the
person may be able to guard for the future against his usual deceits.
- Seventh rule:
In those who go on from good to better, the good Angel touches such
soul sweetly, lightly and gently, like a drop of water which enters
into a sponge; and the evil touches it sharply and with noise and
disquiet, as when the drop of water falls on the stone.
- And the above-said spirits touch in a contrary way those who go on from bad to worse.
The
reason of this is that the disposition of the soul is contrary or like
to the said Angels. Because, when it is contrary, they enter
perceptibly with clatter and noise; and when it is like, they enter
with silence as into their own home, through the open door. - Eighth rule:
When the consolation is without cause, although there be no deceit in
it, as being of God our Lord alone, as was said; still the spiritual
person to whom God gives such consolation, ought, with much vigilance
and attention, to look at and distinguish the time itself of such
actual consolation from the following, in which the soul remains warm
and favored with the favor and remnants of the consolation past; for
often in this second time, through one’s own course of habits and
the consequences of the concepts and judgments, or through the good
spirit or through the bad, he forms various resolutions and opinions
which are not given immediately by God our Lord, and therefore they
have need to be very well examined before entire credit is given them,
or they are put into effect. (Spiritual Exercises, nn. 329-36)
The more good something is, the readier we should be to choose it
- May the sovereign grace and everlasting love of Christ our Lord ever be our help and support.
- The
greater a good is, the readier we should be to choose it; and once
chosen, the greater should be our delight in it. And when this relish
and delight is spiritual and eternal, there can be no reason for
finding sadness or uneasiness in it. And this is true whether the joy
belong to us or to our neighbor. Union of will between the creature and
the Creator is the greatest good in this life, but it becomes much
greater and a possession without end in the vision of the life to come.
A good such as this last must be the object of our choice, preference,
and desire, and must be accepted when it is offered by the Giver of all
good, because it means the end of all our ills, the endless plenitude
of grace and glory, and the ultimate expression of God's will. (Letter
131)
It seems that sometimes one is strictly obliged to follow a vocation
- Not
everyone can be a religious. The Lord says, “He who can take it,
let him take it” (Mt 19:12), giving to be understood that there
are some who cannot, and that those who can take it, if they want to be
perfect, or in a certain sense even if they want simply to be saved,
are obliged to take it, for it appears to be a precept inasmuch as he
says, “He who can take it, let him take it”—in a case
where they judge that they would be unable to keep the law of God our
Lord in the world, or where the obviousness of their calling obliges
them to follow it. (Directory dictated to P. Vitoria, n. 21).
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