Our spiritual journey is often a roller coaster ride, with the highs and lows of consolation and desolation. Consolation draws us deeper into the love of God, and desolation leads us farther away from Him. St Ignatius teaches us that this is normal, and offers ways to regain our peace in his Rules for Discernment of Spirits.
When meeting with directees who are experiencing desolation in their spiritual journey, we hear thoughts of self-pity, isolation, confusion and general discouragement, all tools of the enemy to lead them away from God. What can we do to combat these lies? How can we regain that inner peace we so desire, and live in the victory Christ has won for us? God doesn’t leave us without resources, and one of those is the practice of praise! How does that play out in our daily walk? There are three simple steps that can lead us out from the shadows into His Light once again.
First, and always, we need to have our spiritual radar on to be aware whenever our inner peace is disturbed. St John of the Cross states, “Strive to preserve your heart in peace; let no event of this world disturb it.” We become aware of that inner disturbance, which is the source of our desolation.
Step two can be reaching into our arsenal for a good tool to access. Rule Six of the Discernment of Spirits notes several weapons to have in that arsenal (prayer, meditation, much examination, and by giving ourselves more scope in some suitable way of doing penance). The one we’re focusing on today would fall into the prayer category, as praise is a foundational element of prayer.
The third part, which will begin the process of moving from desolation and returning to consolation, is to put this into practice! “God inhabits the praises of His people,” (Ps 22:3), and where the Good God is, the enemy flees! We can go to favorite Praise Scriptures, or to multiply the grace, we can sing them! He who sings, prays twice!
I’m reminded of my Mom’s response when things got too overwhelming in caring for Dad with his Alzheimer’s. She would go into the bathroom, shut the door, and sing the Doxolgy loud and clear! “Praise God from Whom all Blessings flow, praise Him all creatures here below! Praise Him above Ye Heavenly Host, praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost!” This would renew her inner strength, and give her the grace to carry on with whatever needed to be done, knowing she was not alone, but rather accompanied by the Good God Who had been faithful to her all her life, even as she had been a faithful Christian all her life!
There are so many beautiful praise and worship songs available at our fingertips. A holy priest friend once advised me, when I was relating a tale of woe about being under dire circumstances, “what are you doing under the circumstances? Get out of there!” Look up, sing praise to God, and allow Him to restore your peace.
Thank You Lord, for reminding me of Truth when I come to You for help. Reminding me to praise You in all circumstances, for Your Word tells me that You inhabit our praises, and where You are, evil cannot endure! May I always come to You quickly, in haste like Mary, and not linger in desolation. Jesus, I trust in You!
Spiritual Sun Pennies 