Devotion for today: fighting desolation pt. II: listen, do you want to know a secret?

Scripture for meditation: Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ, rich as it is, dwell in you. In wisdom made perfect, instruct and admonish one another.

Christ tells us: Matthew 18:19, 20

Again I tell you, if two of you join your voices on earth to pray for anything whatever, it shall be granted you by my Father in heaven. Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst.”

Fr. Michael Gaitley, in his book Consoling the Heart of Jesus, Marian Press, 2010, emphasizes St. Ignatius’s very important rule in desolation: Don’t Listen!  We’ve heard a couple of times now that deep desolation can be like dark clouds. Well, there’s something else. While it’s true that during the cloudiest periods of desolation we can’t see a thing, we often do hear a great deal, and what we hear during such times is rarely the consoling sweetness of God’s voice. Instead, we get barraged by the dark words and sinister suggestions of the enemy…. The enemy’s voice that comes to us in desolation isn’t creepy like a villain’s voice in some movie. Rather, his voice takes the form of interior words and ideas similar in “sound” to those we hear during times of consolation. In fact, we don’t recognize them so much by their sound as by the content of what’s communicated. For instance, if our minds fill with thoughts of accusation and judgment against someone with whom we live, this may very well be the bad spirit’s voice. In themselves, such thoughts don’t sound very different form our normal, everyday thoughts, but we know where they come from because of where they lead, namely, to sin and loss of our peace and joy…. What’s his (the bad spirit’s) secret weapon? It’s the words, “Keep it a secret.”  Keep what a secret? His many little temptations, especially those that might embarrass us and that we don’t want to reveal. The enemy’s secret temptations are like little wounds he inflicts on us that we easily ignore. Because they’re so little, we may think, “Ah, what’s the big deal?”  The big deal is that even the littlest wound, if left uncared for and dirty, quickly gets infected, festers and can eventually kill. So it is with the bad spirit’s hidden, little temptations. When we’re not attentive to them, and bury them under the soil of silence, they can get infected, fester, and eventually lead to spiritual sickness and death. Little wounds…should be shown to a doctor….By a doctor, I mean a priest in the Sacrament of Confession, a spiritual director, or a trusted friend. It’s amazing how the simple act of revealing temptations and difficulties to such doctors is often enough to bring total health and an end to the enemy’s little tricks.

St. Faustina’s Courageous prayer:
I know I am under your special gaze, O Lord. I do not examine with fear Your plans regarding me; my task is to accept everything from Your hand. I do not fear anything, although the storm is raging, and frightful bolts strike all around me, and I then feel quite alone. Yet, my heart senses You, and my trust grows, and I see all Your omnipotence, which upholds me. With You, Jesus, I go through life, amid storms and rainbows, with a cry of joy, singing the song of Your mercy. I will not stop singing my song of love until the choir of Angels picks it up. There is no power that can stop me in my flight toward God.

My thoughts: Let’s review: in times of Consolation when we feel like saints, we should thoroughly enjoy this state, while remaining humble and listening to the Holy Spirit. Maybe we could keep a journal to record these good times. In desolation, when we feel, well, nothing, we should ask ourselves, “Why did this happen?” Then we should fight it by clinging to hope, practicing patience and perseverance, and repeating over and over, “Jesus I trust in You.” Next we should stop listening to the little voice in our head that is trying to bring us down, and finally, we need to find a good confessor or trusted friend with whom to share our temptations.  Fr. Gaitley states, “If, with eyes wide open, we stay in the battle for spiritual joy and fight with these weapons, we’ll win battle after battle. In fact, if we firmly resolve not to give up the fight no matter what, then we can confidently and joyfully declare victory as we make St. Faustina’s courageous prayer our own.” Onward, spiritual warriors; victory is ours!

Our prayer to God: Let’s remember the part of Psalm 22 which follows “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”

Psalm 22: 4-6 Yet you are enthroned in the holy place, O glory of Israel! In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried, and they escaped; in you they trusted, and they were not put to shame.