Discernimiento Espiritual - 9. Gerardo Aste, SJ
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The speaker discusses the importance of making choices based on spiritual discernment and the influence of good and evil spirits on decision-making processes.
Understanding Spiritual Discernment
- Emphasizes the significance of feelings in decision-making, highlighting that feelings are influenced by both good and evil spirits.
- Differentiates between movements of consolation and desolation as indicators for discernment, suggesting that these movements are perceived through thoughts and feelings.
- Contrasts the approaches of good and evil spirits in decision-making; the good spirit encourages choosing what is best regardless of personal benefit, while the evil spirit focuses on self-interest.
- Stresses the importance of choosing what is best even if it may not seem beneficial personally, aligning with Jesus' approach to decision-making.
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The discussion delves into the dangers of selfish desires influencing decision-making processes and leading individuals away from God's will.
Impact of Selfish Desires
- Warns against prioritizing personal gain such as honors and power, driven by selfish tendencies that hinder making decisions based on what is truly best.
- Explores the destructive nature of self-centered desires like wanting recognition or advancement, which can lead to erroneous decision-making.
- Highlights how acting solely based on personal desires results in incorrect decisions that deviate from God's intentions.
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The speaker addresses the consequences of aligning with unethical behaviors due to seeking comfort, security, or power at the expense of moral integrity.
Consequences of Unethical Choices
- Warns about making compromises with wrongdoing leading to misguided decisions contrary to God's will for comfort or security.
- Discusses becoming complicit in immoral actions even in small ways, emphasizing that any level of involvement distances individuals from God's truth.
Vices and Virtues in Spiritual Progress
The discussion delves into the contrasting actions of good and bad spirits on individuals, focusing on how they influence one's conscience and spiritual journey.
How Good and Bad Spirits Influence Individuals
- Good spirits act in opposition to bad ones by pricking the conscience through reason.
- Bad spirits offer false consolation to keep individuals in sin, while good spirits prompt discomfort to encourage change towards God.
- Spirits guide individuals from sinfulness to improvement; bad spirits induce desolation, while good ones provide comfort for progress.
- Embracing change towards God may cause discomfort induced by bad spirits, whereas good spirits offer encouragement and push for self-improvement.
- In the second stage of spiritual growth, good spirits console while bad ones bring desolation, emphasizing the role of comfort in progression.
Influence of Spirits on Spiritual Advancement
This segment explores how spirits impact individuals striving for continuous improvement in their spiritual journey.
Guiding Spiritual Progression
- Good spirits aim to facilitate ongoing improvement by providing consolation, while bad ones attempt deception through false comforts.