In our journey toward holiness, few topics are more essential than learning how to discern the movements of the spirit. Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, offers us a powerful set of principles known as the Rules for the Discernment of Spirits. These rules help us understand when the Holy Spirit is guiding us and when the enemy of our souls is trying to mislead us.
Whether we are in moments of peace or turmoil, clarity or confusion, understanding the difference between consolation and desolation can transform our spiritual life and strengthen us in spiritual warfare.
Desolation: The Shadow That Tests Faith
Desolation is not simply sadness or discouragement. Saint Ignatius describes it as a state of spiritual coldness, darkness, and abandonment. In desolation, the soul feels distant from God, tempted, and without peace. It becomes easy to fall into fear, pessimism, and confusion.
These moments are dangerous because they are the prime hunting ground of the devil. When we are spiritually weak, he leans heavily on us, trying to sow despair and make us doubt God’s presence.
But Saint Ignatius warns us never to make major decisions during desolation. Like a sailor in a storm, we must hold the course until the storm passes. We must not flee but fight back through prayer, examination of conscience, and small acts of penance. Every time we respond with prayer and perseverance, the enemy loses ground.
As Dr. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira once said, we are always under the influence of either an angel or a devil. If we forget this truth, we risk walking into spiritual ambushes unprepared.
Consolation: The Light That Strengthens
Consolation is the opposite movement. It brings inner warmth, peace, clarity, and a joyful sense of God’s presence. The soul feels drawn to good, strengthened in faith, and filled with hope and love.
Yet even consolation can be misused if we become attached to it. Saint Ignatius reminds us that these moments of grace come from God, not from ourselves. Gratitude and humility are the proper responses.
We should thank God for every consolation but also prepare for the next trial. Writing down spiritual insights or graces received can help us remember them when darkness returns. As Saint Ignatius explains, “The same God who consoles us will permit desolation to come, not to punish us, but to purify us.”
A Spiritual Strategy for Every Battle
The rules of discernment teach us a rhythm of spiritual life: light and shadow, strength and testing. When we are in consolation, we store grace. When we are in desolation, we act with courage.
- Do not change direction in confusion. Stay the course until clarity returns.
- Pray more, not less. Prayer is the strongest weapon against temptation.
- Be patient with yourself. Impatience opens the door to despair.
- Be grateful in consolation. Gratitude humbles the soul and invites more grace.
- Examine your heart. Often it is we who move away from God, not He from us.
As Saint Ignatius says, patience with oneself is one of the greatest spiritual weapons because it prevents rash decisions and keeps us under the light of God’s timing.
Through Mary, the Star of the Sea
Both in light and in darkness, we must turn to Our Lady. In moments of desolation, she is our Star of the Sea, guiding us safely through the storm. In moments of consolation, she teaches us humility and helps us offer our joy back to God.
If you have consecrated yourself to Our Lady and now face unexpected trials, do not be discouraged. The devil resists every soul that grows closer to her. Stand firm, pray more, and trust that she will lead you through the storm into peace.
A Final Thought
Discernment is not a one-time lesson but a lifelong practice. Saint Ignatius recommended revisiting his rules each year because the spiritual life is always evolving. Each stage of our journey brings new forms of temptation and new graces of consolation.
Let us ask Our Lady, Help of Christians, to make us vigilant, grateful, and faithful in every season of the soul.
