Discernimiento Espiritual - 12. Gerardo Aste, SJ

Meditation on Spiritual Discernment

The speaker discusses the constant presence of evil, emphasizing the need for vigilance and discernment to resist its influence and stay aligned with God's will.

Understanding the Influence of Evil

• Vigilance is crucial to discern the movements, thoughts, and feelings that can be manipulated by evil spirits.

• Jesus' words to Peter highlight how Satan seeks to undermine faith but also emphasizes overcoming these challenges.

• Allowing negative thoughts from evil spirits can lead to destructive consequences, emphasizing the importance of discernment.

Temptations and Attraction to Goodness

• Human nature inclines towards goodness, beauty, and truth as they lead to happiness and God.

• The enemy capitalizes on our desires for happiness by offering false attractions like fame or power that deviate from God's path.

Discerning Between Good and Evil Influences

Delving into the complexities of spiritual warfare, the speaker explains how temptations exploit our natural inclination towards goodness but may lead us astray if not aligned with God's will.

Recognizing Deceptive Influences

• The enemy distorts apparent truths, virtues, or beauties to divert us from God's path or hinder growth and unity.

• Not all permissible actions are beneficial; discernment is essential in choosing what aligns with God's will for building up oneself and others.

Criteria for Discernment

• True attraction should draw us closer to God, promote goodness, and align with His will for our ultimate benefit.

Desires and Temptations

The speaker delves into the concept of desires, temptations, and the human experience of making choices similar to Jesus.

Desires and Choices

• Jesus, as a perfect human, had to make decisions and couldn't foresee the future like humans. He had to trust in God and face temptations.

• Temptations are highlighted at the beginning of Jesus' public life in the Gospels, emphasizing that his temptations mirror those faced by humans.

• Jesus was tempted with comfort, security, fame, power throughout his life but consistently rejected these temptations.

• Despite constant temptations, Jesus never succumbed to them; he rejected power even when offered kingship after multiplying loaves.

Understanding Temptation

Delving into the nature of temptation as an attractive deception leading away from God.

Nature of Temptation

• Temptation is an alluring deception proposed by evil spirits that ultimately leads us astray from God's path.

• The enemy behind temptation is a skilled liar who presents evil as good, aiming to deceive individuals away from truth and towards falsehood.

Consequences of Yielding to Temptation

Exploring how yielding to temptation can lead to negative consequences due to being misled by deceptive appearances.

Consequences of Yielding

• Succumbing to infidelity or other temptations based on false promises can lead individuals astray without considering the repercussions on themselves and others.

Resisting Temptation

Discussing the importance of resisting temptation through willpower and avoiding falling into its traps.

Resisting Temptation

• Falling into temptation occurs when one chooses what goes against God's will; it separates individuals from God's path.

Discernment and Decision-Making

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of discernment in making correct choices, particularly in recognizing temptations that may lead us astray from the path of the Lord. Discernment helps us identify the influence of evil spirits, understand their allure, become aware of their destructive outcomes, and make decisions with clarity.

Understanding Temptation and Discernment

• Discernment assists in making correct choices by helping us recognize temptations and stay on the path of righteousness.

• A poor decision not only affects an individual but also impacts their entire environment, potentially harming family life, work dynamics, and social circles.

• Discernment clears our vision and sharpens our hearing to perceive hidden truths. It enables us to unmask deceptive appearances and identify the enemy's tactics.