SSPX crisis and rules for discernment Given Aug 2 2012

Talk to Third Order members Ridgefield 2 Aug 2012

Text below by Frs Royo Marin OP and Autunn OP 1962:

"The theology of Christian Perfection"

Discernment of Spirits

Historical Notes
In the Old Testament the influence exercised on man by the good spirit of God is contrasted with the influence of the evil spirit, e.g. in the story of Saul (1 Kings 10.9; 16.14-23).
And in the New Testament:
- Christ Himself is depicted as being led by the good spirit into the desert, where He is tempted by the evil spirit (Matt. 4.1—11).
- St. John advises the faithful to “try the spirits if they be of God” and gives them signs whereby they may discern “the spirit of truth and the spirit of error” (1 John 4.1-6).
- St. Paul places the discernment of spirits among the charismata infused by the Holy Ghost (1 Cor. 12.l0—”the discerning of spirits”)

Diverse Spirits
As regards the diverse spirits, St. Bernard enumerates six: divine, angelic, diabolical, carnal, mundane and human.4
All these, however, can be summarized under three headings: the divine spirit, the human spirit and the spirit of the devil. God always inclines us to the good, working either directly or though secondary causes; the devil always inclines us to evil, working by his own power or through the allurements of the things of the world; the human spirit may be inclined to evil or to good, depending upon whether the individual follows right reason or his own concupiscence
Due to the basic indifference of many purely natural inclinations, it is evident that they may be utilized for good and for evil and that, while grace does not destroy nature but perfects and supernaturalises it, the devil avails himself of human weakness and the effects of original sin to further his evil aims. Moreover, it may happen that in one and the same inclination or action the various spirits are intermingled, thus making it more difficult to discern which spirit has the predominance at a given time. It is evident that the spirit of God and the spirit of the devil cannot be operating at one and the same time, since they tend to opposite goals, but God can direct or intensify a naturally good inclination, or the devil may exercise his power to divert those inclinations to evil. Even when it is evident that the divine spirit predominates in a given action, therefore, it does not follow that all the antecedent or consequent movements and inclinations are likewise divine and supernatural. It frequently happens that purely human and natural movements introduce themselves, consciously or unconsciously, and cause the action to lose some of its supernatural purity. This is one of the factors which makes it almost impossible for the director or theologian to discern clearly the divine element in extraordinary mystical phenomena.
Moreover, it is not at all unusual in the lives of mystics that their mystical and truly supernatural operations are interrupted by purely natural activities or that, with God’s permission, a diabolical influence is introduced. It is not easy to determine when the action of God terminates and when the natural or diabolical movement begins.5 If the director is familiar with the signs of the various spirit, however, he will have sufficient grounds for making a prudent judgment in each case. It will not always be a situation in which one spirit is operating exclusively, but even if there is a mixture of several spirits, one or another will always predominate.

Signs of the Various Spirits
The following characteristics are general signs of the various spirits. When we treat of the mystical phenomena in particular we shall have occasion to speak of some of these characteristics in greater detail.
1) Truth. God is truth and cannot inspire anything but truth in a soul. If a person believed to be inspired by God, therefore, maintains opinions which are manifestly against revealed truth, the infallible teaching of the Church, or proven theology or philosophy or science, it must be concluded that the individual is deluded by the devil or is the victim of his own imagination or faulty reasoning.
2) Gravity. God is never the cause of things that are useless, futile, frivolous or impertinent. When His spirit moves a soul it is always for something serious and beneficial.
3) Enlightenment. Although one may not always understand the meaning of an inspiration from God, the effect of any divine movement or impulse is always enlightenment and certitude rather than darkness and confusion. This is true both as regards the effects on the individual who receives the inspiration and its effects on others.
4) Docility. Souls that are moved by the spirit of God, recognizing their own ignorance and weakness with all humility, accept cheerfully the advice and counsel of their directors or others who have authority over them. This spirit of obedience, docility and submission is one of the clearest signs that a particular inspiration or movement is from God. This is especially true in the case of the educated, who have a greater tendency to be attached to their own opinions.
5) Discretion. The spirit of God makes the soul discreet, judicious, prudent and thoughtful in all its actions. There is nothing of precipitation, lightness, exaggeration or impetuosity; all is well balanced, edifying, serious and full of calmness and peace.
6) Humility. This is one of the most certain signs of the spirit of God. The Holy Ghost always fills the soul with sentiments of humility and self-effacement. The more lofty the communications from on high, the more profoundly the soul inclines to the abyss of its own nothingness. “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38).
7) Peace. St. Paul speaks frequently of the peace that comes from God (Rom. 15:33; Phil. 4:9), and Jesus mentions peace as one of the manifestations of His spirit (John 14:27). This is a quality which always accompanies communications from God, and when they are received, especially in prayer, the soul experiences a profound and stable serenity in the depths of its spirit.
8) Confidence in God. This is a counterpart and necessary consequence of true humility. Recognizing that of itself it can do nothing, as St. Paul says, the soul throws itself on the power and mercy of God with a childlike trust. Then it learns that it can do all things in Him (Phil. 4:13).
9) Flexibility of will. This sign consists primarily in a certain promptness of the will to subject itself to the inspirations and invitations of God. Secondarily it consists in a facility in following the advice and counsel of others, especially if they are superiors, confessors or spiritual directors. It is opposed to the rigid and unyielding will which is characteristic of those who are filled with self-love.
10) Purity of intention. The soul seeks only the glory of God in all that it does and the perfect fulfilment of the will of God, without human interest or motivation out of self-love.
11) Patience in suffering. Suffering is frequently the best touchstone for revealing the true worth of an individual. No matter what the source of the suffering or whether it is justly received or not, the soul bears it with patience and equanimity and uses it as a means of further perfection. But this sign is not to be confused with the stoicism and insensitivity of those who are cold and phlegmatic by nature.
12) Self-abnegation. The words of Christ Himself are sufficient evidence that this is a sign of the spirit of God: “If anyone will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matt. 16:24).
13) Simplicity. Together with veracity and sincerity, this characteristic is never lacking in those who are truly motivated by the spirit of God. Any duplicity, arrogance, hypocrisy or vanity must be attributed rather to the spirit of the devil, the father of lies.
14) Liberty of spirit. First of all, there is no attachment to any created thing and not even to the gifts received from God. Secondly, all is accepted from the hands of God with gratitude and humility, whether it be a question of consolation or trial. Thirdly, while all duties and spiritual exercises are performed with promptness and punctuality, the soul is ready to leave even the most consoling and profitable exercise as soon as the charity of God calls it elsewhere. Liberty of spirit enables the soul to live in a state of constant joy and eagerness for the things of God.
15) Desire to imitate Christ. St. Paul says that it is impossible to have the spirit of God without having the spirit of Christ (Rom. 8:9). For that reason St. John of the Cross states that the soul which aspires to perfection must have a desire to imitate Christ in all things by conforming its life as much as possible to His.6
16) Disinterested love. We mean by this kind of love all the characteristics which St. Paul attributes to true charity (I Cor. 13:4-7). St. Augustine said of this type of love: “Love with the love of charity and do what you will; you will not sin. Whatever proceeds from interior charity cannot but be good.”7
The devil may disguise himself as an angel of light and inspire actions which at the beginning are good, in order thus to conceal his true motives and goals. For that reason the director of souls must proceed with great caution, remembering that what is begun as good may become evil if deviations are not corrected. Even the most amazing mystical phenomena are no proof of themselves that the spirit of God is at work in the soul; it is necessary to judge from the fruits that are produced rather than from the phenomenon in question.
Since the signs of the spirit of the devil will be directly opposed to the signs of the spirit of God, we shall merely enumerate these manifestations so that the director will have at hand a ready reference.
1) Spirit of falsity. Sometimes lies are covered and concealed by truths so that they will more readily be accepted.
2) Morbid …