In the first several rules, St. Ignatius introduced us to the definitions of spiritual consolation and desolation, as well as the actions of God and the enemy when we are moving toward sin or away from sin. Beginning with his fifth rule, St. Ignatius instructs us on the most effective actions we can take in responding to consolation and desolation.
The Fifth Rule. “In time of desolation never to make a change; but to be firm and constant in the resolutions and determination in which one was the day preceding such desolation, or in the determination in which he was in the preceding consolation. Because, as in consolation it is rather the good spirit who guides and counsels us, so in desolation it is the bad, with whose counsels we cannot take a course to decide rightly” (source).
This rule is one of the most memorable and effective “rules of engagement” in the spiritual life: never make a change to a spiritual resolution in a time of desolation.
Its wisdom is as simple as it is powerful. If you’re experiencing spiritual desolation, follow through with the last resolution you made in consolation. Do not add to or subtract from your prayer commitments, do not bow out of the retreat, do not skip your scheduled confession, do not give up on your apostolate or vocation, no matter how much you may be second-guessing it. Stay the course until the spiritual desolation lifts—then you can pray about each individual commitment with clearer counsel from the Lord.
As a reminder, in his Fourth Rule, St. Ignatius defines spiritual desolation through a series of feelings and experiences: doubt, darkness, and disturbance of the soul; feelings of sadness, agitation, sloth, or apathy, as well as any internal movements to low and earthly things. These ‘low and earthly things’ often entail fixation on fear, insecurity, or failure. Spiritual desolation also involves a lack of peace, a lack of hope, or a lack of love.
Whenever God has led us to discern good resolutions that will draw us toward Him, it helps our souls and defeats the enemy. Satan lives in constant fear of more defeat and humiliation through human fidelity to God. As such, Satan tries to disrupt us with the desolations described above. Once we are ruffled by these desolations, the enemy will propose a temptation for us to doubt God’s counsel and our resolutions. The devil hopes to distance us from God by getting us to pray less, or drag us into fatigue and discouragement by convincing us that we must do more.
If you are plagued by any of these feelings or experiences, or you’re doubting some spiritual commitment or calling, St. Ignatius entreats you to recognize that it is the devil’s wayward counsel—not God’s. The enemy cannot know our exact thoughts, but he can infer much about our struggles through our behavior. In response, he tries to suggest personalized toxic thoughts that we will latch onto in our wounds and weaknesses.
Many years ago, I was scheduled to speak at a local women’s retreat. This included a teaching on the Rules of Discernment. As I looked over my talks the night before, I felt surprisingly confident, lighthearted, and excited about sharing the material. Shortly thereafter, I began to feel unwell; a chronic illness flareup had come out of nowhere. By the next morning, I was doubled over in pain. I was due to arrive at the retreat in two hours and had no idea what to do. There was no backup speaker; I knew they were fully relying on me to give the retreat. Yet I could hardly crawl out of bed—how in the world could I give multiple talks in this state?
Anxious, agitated, and afraid, I asked my husband what he thought I should do. Internally, I hoped he would let me off the hook and tell me it was okay to cancel. Instead, he gently suggested that I simply take the first step in getting ready and see what happened. I dressed begrudgingly and felt slightly better—not worse. So I took the next step, and the next, until I found myself driving to the retreat and praising God. The retreat went very well, and though I was not in peak condition or totally pain-free, God’s grace was more than sufficient. I had improved enough to follow through, and I had a great new anecdote when I shared the Fifth Rule of Discernment with these ladies: never change a practice in a time of desolation!
As I looked back at this experience, I realized that the enemy was not able to draw me into desolation with his usual tactic, which was getting me to question whether I was worthy or prepared enough to lead the retreat. Therefore, he switched tactics. He drew me into spiritual desolation over a physical illness, convincing me that I was not capable of following through, that God’s grace wouldn’t be enough to sustain me in this commitment, and that when I canceled it would be my fault for promising something I couldn’t deliver and disappointing so many women. Thankfully, because I did follow through, I gained a powerful reference point for God’s supernatural grace and help.
This would not be the last time I would deal with painful health issues during important ministry commitments; in fact, it’s been a common tactic of the enemy through the years to try and discourage me. This does not mean that I ignore my physical health or other needs, but that I turn toward the Lord to direct me how to respond rather than my fears. It can be wearying at times, but I’ve learned that if I have previously discerned the commitment with the Lord in consolation, God’s grace will always be sufficient, even when I am physically weak or mentally worn. I’ve also learned that the quickest way out of the desolation is to persevere in my clearly-discerned commitments, while the quickest way to drown in desolation is to change a commitment or try and take the “easy” way out.
These temptations to shift or change our spiritual commitments may come in less dramatic but no less significant ways. You might feel deterred by a long confession line and think maybe this can wait, or doubt whether you can be forgiven for a particular sin (or the same sins—yet again!). You may become convinced that there’s no time to pray, or that other things are more urgent than prayer. You may question whether you are cut out for a particular role when asked to serve God’s Church or wonder if it’s selfish to invest in that retreat you had been planning to attend. In these temptations and more, the truth remains that if you have discerned it previously in consolation, God will always provide you the means to follow through: whether that is additional grace, financial resources, physical capability, or mental and emotional stamina. His provision sometimes seems like barely enough, but it will always be sufficient. In the process, we will grow exponentially in virtue, increase our confidence in God, and become more closely united to Him.
If you have ever made a change in a time of desolation, don’t despair—this is what the enemy wants. We all fall short in our humanity continually. God can redeem all things, and even when we do give in, God never gives up on us. Know that you are not alone, and simply choose to start again. As long as we have breath, we have another chance to resist desolation and persevere in prayer.
In his next rule, St. Ignatius will further instruct in exactly this: how we can specifically resist desolation and move toward God’s freedom with greater clarity and hope.
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