St. Ignatius of Loyola and the Discernment of Spirits

Christians believe that God speaks to human beings. He does this most obviously and dramatically when a person has a mystical experience, but in a more subtle, everyday sense, God will influence a person's thoughts, emotions, and desires. The question, then, is how to distinguish the voice of God from our own human thoughts, emotions and desires. Fr. Barton Geger, SJ, will discuss the advice and criteria that saints and spiritual writers have provided over the centuries, especially that of St. Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556), the founder of the Jesuit order.