Posted by John (4.240.150.161) on February 06, 2008 at 10:14:55:

In Reply to: Re: Mind-fasting and the Ignatian Rules for the First Week posted by Bernard Tyrrell on February 04, 2008 at 15:44:51:

I'm amazed how confused I can get about this discernment and getting mixed up about the first and second week. Even though I've studied this for many years I feel like someone playing a violin that really has no talent for it.

It seems that using the approach of "mind fasting" ought to be very appropriate, but just where and how?

 Quoting from a private bound notes of Fr. Nigro from around 1980's, "Consequently, whatever disturbs us, whatever causes fear, discontentment, the loss of satisfaction, tranquility, quiet and rest is not from God." (Grace of Discernment, Vol II, p. 58)

Now, this is spoken of here in relation to the second week or for "more advanced". Here, I would think, mind fasting would be very appropriate!

For the first week, I think it might depend on the direction the person is heading and their seriousness about spiritual advancing. In the first week Evil gives consolation if one is orientated that way - towards evil acts and sin, and the Holy Spirit gives disturbance and warns one. By mindfasting from the disturbance one follows their wrong ways instead of correcting oneself. I think this does happen and people can ignore and reject the correction of the Holy Spirit.

Do I have it right here so far? Now, on the other hand, if one is trying to reject sin and wrongness, the Holy Spirit encourages, and to the contrary the Evil tries to disturb this correction. Here one would want to try to mindfast from the disturbances and ignore them.

So, it is very important for beginners or beginning spiritual seekers to examine themselves and confer with a spiritual guide about how they are doing and how to act in the face of disturbances.

Does this seem to jive with what commonly know about discernment? Ask me next week and I will be confused about it again without using references and figuring it out!

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