What St. Francis and St. Dominic have done, that, by God's grace, I will do.
Little by little he came to recognize the difference between the spirits that agitated him, one from the enemy and one from God.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the gradual understanding of the influences that motivate us, distinguishing between positive divine inspiration and negative impulses.
Saint Ignatius speaks to the journey of self-awareness and spiritual discernment. Over time, he came to recognize that the thoughts and feelings that stirred within him could be attributed to either divine guidance or opposing, negative forces. This realization underscores the importance of being attuned to our inner experiences and the dual nature of influences we experience in life, allowing for better choices and personal growth.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a sermon discussing the importance of discernment in spiritual practices.
More from Saint Ignatius
All quotes βRemember that the good angels do what they can to preserve men from sin and obtain God's honor. But they do not lose courage when men fail.
In the matter of learning, the difference between the earnest and the careless student stands out clearly. The same holds true in the mastering of passion and the weaknesses to which our nature is subject, as in the acquiring of virtue.
It is proper to ask for sorrow with Christ in sorrow, anguish with Christ in anguish, tears and deep grief because of the great affliction Christ endures for me.
Be slow to speak, and only after having first listened quietly, so that you may understand the meaning, leanings, and wishes of those who do speak. Thus you will better know when to speak and when to be silent.
It is a great delusion in those whose understanding has been darkened by self-love, to think that there is any obedience in the subject who tries to draw the superior to what he wishes.
Similar quotes
I don't tell people, 'You're okay the way that you are.' That's not the right story. The right story is, 'You're way less than you could be.'
A mind of moderate capacity which closely pursues one study must infallibly arrive at great proficiency in that study.
To grow wiser means to learn to know better and better the faults to which this instrument with which we feel and judge can be subject.
The witch doctor succeeds for the same reason all the rest of us succeed. Each patient carries his or her own doctor inside him or her. They come to us not knowing that truth. We are at our best when we give the doctor who resides within each patient a chance to go to work.
Sometime they'll give a war and nobody will come.
Never bear more than one trouble at a time. Some people bear three kinds - all they have had, all they have now, and all they expect to have.