March 17, 2017 - As we learn to recognize when we are in desolation and consolation, we can respond accordingly: changing course (through prayer, community, discernment, spiritual direction) when in desolation, and staying the course when in consolation.

April 1, 2022 - As you can see above, consolation (and desolation, as we’ll see) is more than just a feeling or feelings. Rather, it is a state of being. This means that we shouldn’t expect any particular feeling whether we’re in consolation. Rather, it is a lens through which we are looking at the world—the lens of God’s love.

December 22, 2020 - When we understand this, we can say that consolation is when we feel our life fully connected with the context of the Principle and Foundation, when all seems oriented toward our purpose of loving God and neighbour. Desolation, on the other hand, is an unawareness or uncertainty of how our life fits within the context of the Principle and Foundation.

June 16, 2025 - I know I am in desolation if I experience “darkness of soul, turmoil of spirit, an inclination to what is low and earthly, restlessness rising from many disturbances and temptations which lead to want of faith, want of hope, want of love… slothful, tepid, sad, and separated, as were, from its Creator” (#317). Note that these experiences are caused by outside forces greater than I am. And, note that most saints experienced BOTH consolation AND desolation.

September 27, 2017 - As we will see, both consolation and desolation fall under God’s providence, but in different ways: for Ignatius, the good spirit gives consolation, while God only permits the evil spirit to give desolation.

January 15, 2025 - In the Ignatian tradition, discernment involves two key words: consolation and desolation. Margaret Silf describes the role of these words in discernment.

December 29, 2025 - This is God’s gift, not something you manufacture. Let it encourage you to keep moving forward in prayer, service, and love. Desolation, by contrast, is when the soul feels weighed down and pulled away from God.

May 15, 2023 - Briefly stated, consolation is a state in which a person is growing in faith, hope, and love. Desolation is a state in which a person is diminishing in faith, hope, and love. Some people think of consolation as moving toward God and desolation ...

December 31, 2018 - Desolation never comes from God, but He permits the withdrawal of consolation always for our good. He doesn’t want it to last. We are never actually far from God. I like to think of the image of how God the Father is holding us so close to ...

Whatever the form, consolation always turns the heart outward, toward God and others, with freedom and generosity. Desolation is the experience of being drawn away from God. Ignatius describes it as darkness of soul, heaviness, and a lack of ...

October 28, 2025 - This lack of the felt presence of God, a lack of emotional pleasure or resonance regarding God’s will for us, is usually referred to by spiritual writers as sensible desolation. The contrary is sensible consolation.

August 8, 2022 - Note that Ignatius means spiritual consolation/desolation. While these may be found in our thoughts and emotional responses, they are not the same as our feelings of delight and despair.

June 29, 2023 - Here, the emphasis appears to be ... states: consolation is defined as an inner movement that stirs up feelings of peace, hope, and love, and orients us toward God and toward helping others, while desolation is defined as the exact opposite...

According to Ignatius, consolation is when the heart is inflamed with such love of Jesus that it leads to faith, hope, and love. ... Desolation, very simply, is the opposite.

On Demand LIVING THE DISCERNING LIFE: THE SPIRITUAL TEACHING OF ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA Spiritual Consolation and Desolation: the Third and Fourth Rules of St.

September 13, 2023 - “The Lord leads—the devil drives,” a priest told me once. It makes sense in light of the discernment of spirits. If I feel led by a movement of peace towards a creative well-prayed over decision, this is likely a movement of consolation.

August 21, 2024 - I call desolation all the contrary ... tepid, sad and as if separated from one’s Creator and Lord. For just as consolation is contrary to desolation, in the same way the thoughts that come from consolation are contrary to the ...

November 1, 2025 - There have been devastating acts ... at a national and local level. St. Ignatius of Loyola counseled “remember consolation in our desolation.” This isn’t ......