The First Rule and Second Rule – The Second Week Rules for the Discernment of Spirits w/ Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Discerning Hearts - Catholic Podcasts
Episode 4 – The First and Second Rule – The Second Week Rules for the Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide to a Greater Discernment of Spirits with Fr. Timothy Gallagher In this episode, Fr. Timothy Gallagher continues exploring the enemy’s ability to tempt under the appearance of good. Through the example of St. John Vianney, he shows why greater discernment becomes increasingly important as a person grows in holiness. Even a desire for something genuinely good and holy may lead away from the particular path God is asking a person to follow. Fr. Gallagher then introduces Second Week Rule Two through the experiences of Julian Green, Brother Bob, and St. Francis of Assisi. Each receives an intense and deeply fruitful spiritual consolation. The consolation comes unexpectedly and is not produced by the person’s own prayer, reflection, or effort. It is simply given. St. Ignatius calls this “consolation without preceding cause.” Only God can give this kind of consolation because only the Creator can enter the soul so directly, moving it interiorly and drawing it entirely into love of his divine majesty. Rule Two therefore gives us an important foundation for greater discernment: when consolation is truly without preceding cause, its source is God alone. Fr. Gallagher begins to break open the First and Second Rule by using examples of different types of Spiritual Consolation. First Rule The first: it is proper to God and to his angels, in their movements, to give true joy and spiritual gladness, taking away all sadness and disturbance which the enemy induces; to whom it is proper to militate against that joy and spiritual consolation, bringing apparent reasons, subtleties and persistent fallacies. (329) Second Rule The second: it is of God our Lord alone to give consolation to the soul without preceding cause; because it is proper to the Creator to enter, go out, to move it interiorly, drawing it totally in love of his divine majesty. I say without cause, without any previous sentiment or knowledge of some object, through which such a consolation comes, by means of its acts of understanding and will. (330) Through a series of compelling conference talks, Fr. Gallagher carefully breaks open St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Second Week Rules for Greater Discernment. This set of 8 “rules” (or guidelines) helps us to discern whether a seemingly good, noble, holy idea or feeling, often understood as a “spiritual consolation,” could be a working of the enemy intending to lead us astray. He shows how all of us can learn to listen to and follow God’s gentle leading in our daily lives. For other episodes in this series visit: The Second Week Rules for the Discernment Spirits with Fr. Timothy Gallagher – DH Page Discerning Hearts Questions for Reflection and Study Personal Reflection * Have you ever received an unexpected spiritual consolation that seemed simply given rather than produced by your own effort? * What do the experiences of Julian Green, Brother Bob, and St. Francis reveal about the way God can move within the soul? * How do you distinguish between a consolation arising through prayer or reflection and one that seems to arrive without preceding cause? * Why might growth in holiness increase rather than eliminate the need for discernment? * How does knowing that God can act directly within the soul deepen your trust in him? Group Reflection or Study * What does St. John Vianney’s desire for the contemplative life teach about temptation under the appearance of good? * What characteristics do the experiences of Julian Green, Brother Bob, and St. Francis share? * What does Ignatius mean by “without preceding cause”? * Why does Ignatius teach that only God can give this particular kind of consolation? * How does Rule Two begin to answer the central question raised by the Second Week Rules: Is this spiritual consolation from God or from the enemy? This series is based on Spiritual Consolation by Fr. Timothy Gallagher You can find the book here Also, here are the 2 handouts mentioned by Fr. Gallagher in Talk 2: Guidance for a Greater Discernment of Spirits with Fr. Timothy Gallagher O.M.V. For the PDF document: Handout Number 1 – The Text of the 8 Rules of the Second Week https://www.discerninghearts.com/Gallagher/The_Text_of_the_Rules.pdf Handout Number 2 – Examples – Discernment of Spirits – 2nd Week rules https://www.discerninghearts.com/Gallagher/EXAMPLES-DISCERNMENT_OF_SPIRITS-SECOND_WEEK_RULES.pdf For more from Fr. Gallagher on Discerning Hearts: The Discernment of Spirits: The First Week Rules /w Fr. Timothy Gallagher, OMV The Daily Prayer of Discernment: The Examen Prayer with Fr. Timothy Gallagher The Discernment of God’s Will in Everyday Decisions with Fr. Timothy Gallager