TSP8 – The Danger of Self-Righteousness – St. Teresa of Avila, Spiritual Warfare, and the Progress of the Soul with Dan Burke – Discerning Hearts Podcasts

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Episode 8 – The Danger of Self-Righteousness – St. Teresa, Spiritual Warfare, and the Progress of the Soul with Dan Burke

Dan Burke and Kris McGregor discuss spiritual discernment through the lens of St. Teresa of Ávila’s Fifth Mansion and St. Ignatius of Loyola’s spiritual exercises. Temptations can be disguised as goods and the importance of testing spiritual experiences to ensure they are truly from God. Drawing on the teachings of St. Ignatius and the need to recognize the “serpent’s tail” in spiritual phenomena, St. Teresa’s guidance helps discern supernatural events with caution. Love and charity, rather than judgment, are the true measures of spiritual growth.

Community is important in fostering growth, with corrections from others helping to develop self-knowledge and humility. Joy is a natural result of loving God and others, even in the face of trials, and that spiritual progress is reflected in a person’s capacity to love, serve, and embrace suffering with trust in God’s plan.

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Discerning Hearts Discussion Questions

1. Discernment of Spiritual Experiences: How do you distinguish between a true spiritual consolation from God and a temptation disguised as a good?
2. Role of Humility in Spiritual Growth: In what ways does humility guide you in responding to spiritual experiences or feedback from others?
3. Testing of Supernatural Phenomena: How do you apply caution and discernment when encountering experiences that seem supernatural or beyond human origin?
4. Love as the Measure of Spiritual Maturity: How do you ensure that love, rather than judgment, is the foundation of your interactions with others, especially in challenging situations?
5. Embracing Suffering in Love: How do you respond to the call to embrace suffering as a form of love and sacrifice, following the example of Christ on the cross?
6. Importance of Community and Correction: How do you remain open to correction and guidance from your spiritual community to help foster your growth in humility and self-knowledge?
7. Joy in the Midst of Trials: How can you maintain a sense of joy and trust in God, even during moments of suffering or spiritual trial?

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You can find the book here.

An excerpt from the book:

“Have you ever considered that the devil is active in your prayer life? In the parish church where you attend Mass? In the lives and actions of people of goodwill all around you? The saints remind us of a key aspect of living the spiritual life that we are wont to forget simply because we can’t see it and because we have been conditioned by the media and popular culture to think the devil works visibly only in “bad” people or in extraordinary ways, as in the movies. And although demons are certainly capable of extravagant or extraordinary manifestations, their ordinary work flies under our radar because it just isn’t that spectacular, though it is deadly.

In fact, subtlety, illusion, and deceit are their preferred methods of attack. An invisible battle for souls is being waged in and around us without reprieve, and we remain ignorant of it to our peril. St. Teresa of Avila, great mystic and Doctor of the Church, is best known for her writings on the way God leads souls along the path to union with Him through prayer. What many do not know about St. Teresa is that she also observed the actions of demons working with militant force to lead even good souls astray in ways that might surprise you. She shares these experiences freely in her autobiography, which she was commanded to write under obedience to her spiritual director.“

Burke, Dan; Burke, Dan. The Devil in the Castle: St. Teresa of Avila, Spiritual Warfare, and the Progress of the Soul (p. 12). Sophia Institute Press. Kindle Edition.

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For more episodes in this series visit Dan Burke’s Discerning Hearts page here:

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Dan Burke is the founder and President of the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation, which offers graduate and personal enrichment studies in spiritual theology to priests, deacons, religious, and laity in 72 countries and prepares men for seminary in 14 dioceses.

Dan is the author and editor of more than 15 books on authentic Catholic spirituality and hosts the Divine Intimacy Radio show with his wife, Stephanie, which is broadcast weekly on EWTN Radio. Past episodes can be found, along with thousands of articles on the interior life, at SpiritualDirection.com.

In his deep commitment to the advancement of faithful Catholic spirituality, he is also the founder of Apostoli Viae, a world-wide, private association of the faithful dedicated to living and advancing the authentic spiritual patrimony of the Church.

Most importantly, Dan is a blessed husband, father of four, grandfather of one—and grateful to be Catholic.

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