Pope’s audience: Spiritual despair can strengthen us if we listen to God

Charlotte Smedes – Vatican

Pope Francis continued his Catechesis series on the subject of discernment, saying that discernment, which is essentially not a logical procedure, is “based on actions, and actions have an emotional aspect that must be recognized, because God speaks to the heart.”

His catechism during the general Wednesday audience focused on the first emotional aspect and the theme of discernment: despair.

Despair

Recalling the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Pope Francis says that despair can be defined as “the darkness of the soul, when the soul is disturbed and moves into the world and the earth…without hope, without love, when one finds oneself completely lazy, listless, sad and separated from one’s Creator and Lord.” “.

He pointed out that we have all experienced despair in some way but the problem we face is how to interpret it, because despair has something important to tell us and we risk losing it if we rush to free ourselves from the feeling of emptiness.

He added that we all desire to live a happy, happy and fulfilling life always, but this is not always possible and it will not be good for us because “a shift from a life oriented towards vice can begin from a state of grief and regret for what he has done.”

Contrition

Pope Francis further explained that, from an etymological point of view, the word “remorse” means “a conscience that bites (in Italian, morder) that does not give us peace.”

Indeed, in his book The Betrothed, Alessandro Manzoni described penance as an opportunity to change one’s life in the famous dialogue between Cardinal Federico Borromeo and Nameless, who after a painfully terrible night presents himself to the Cardinal, who addresses him with astonishment. The words: “You bring good tidings. God has touched your heart and drawn you to Him.”

Sadnes

Pope Francis also stressed the importance of learning to “read” grief, which is often seen as a negative thing, but instead “can be an indispensable wake-up call in life, inviting us to explore a landscape richer and more fertile that the fleeting and escaping do not allow.”

St. Thomas, in his book Summa Theologica, defines grief as “pain in the soul” – like the nerves in the body, grief redirects our attention to a potential danger or benefit that has been overlooked. Therefore, grief is “indispensable to our health; it protects us from harming ourselves and others” and “would be much more dangerous and dangerous if we did not know it,” the Pope said.

Moreover, for those who have the desire to do good, grief is an “obstacle with which Morocco is trying to deter us” and in this case one must act in a completely opposite way to what is proposed, intent on continuing what he has set out to do.

The Pope also referred to the Gospels’ reminder that the path to good is narrow and arduous, and requires jihad and self-conquest. He urged those who want to serve God not to be led astray by despair, especially since some people sadly give up a life of prayer or the choices they have made, out of desperation, “without pausing first to consider this state of mind, and especially without it guidance.”

“A wise rule of thumb is to not make changes when you feel hopeless. It is time then, rather than the mood of the moment, that will show the good or the bad of our choices.”

Trials are an important moment

Then Pope Francis took an example when Jesus rejected temptations with firm resolve. Tribulation attacked him from all sides, but Jesus was determined to do the Father’s will and they failed to obstruct his way.

In the spiritual life, the Pope said, “A trial is an important moment” because “when you decide to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for trials” (Sir 2:1). Likewise, the professor accepts that the student has passed the exam only after the student has checked to see if the student knows the basics of the subject.

“If we know how to go through loneliness and despair with openness and awareness, we can come out stronger in human and spiritual terms. No experience is out of reach.”

Pope Francis concluded by repeating the words of the Apostle Paul that no one is subjected to temptation beyond his capacity, because the Lord never leaves us, and with him we can overcome every temptation.