The Seventh Rule of St. Ignatius of Loyola: Discernment of Spirits with Fr. Timothy Gallagher
The 14 Rules for Discerning Spirits – “The Different Movements Which Are Caused In The Soul” as outlined by St. Ignatius of Loyola can be found here. The Discernment of Spirits: Setting the Captives Free – Serves as an introduction to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola.
The Seventh Rule Explained
Episode 9 -The Seventh Rule states: “Let him who is in desolation consider how the Lord has left him in trial in his natural powers, in order to resist the different agitations and temptations of the enemy; since he can with the Divine help, which always remains to him, though he does not clearly perceive it: because the Lord has taken from him his great fervor, great love and intense grace, leaving him, however, grace enough for eternal salvation.”
About Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V.
Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series “Living the Discerning Life: The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola”. For more information on how to obtain copies of Fr. Gallaghers’s various books and audio which are available for purchase, please visit his website: www.frtimothygallagher.org.
Key Aspects of the Discernment Series
The following table summarizes the core components of the spiritual teachings discussed:
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Primary Focus | The Discernment of Spirits and many other teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola |
| The Seventh Rule | Resisting agitations and temptations during desolation with Divine help |
| Context | Setting the Captives Free - introduction to the Spiritual Exercises |
| Source Materials | The 14 Rules for Discerning Spirits as outlined by St. Ignatius of Loyola |
For the other episodes in this series visit Fr. Timothy Gallagher’s “Discerning Hearts” page. This includes materials like MC7 – Practical Steps for Prayer – Meditation and Contemplation with Fr. Timothy Gallagher.