Outline for Rule 9 and 10

  1. The ninth rule: “There are three principle causes for which we find ourselves desolate. The first is because we are tepid, slothful, or negligent in our spiritual exercises, and so through our faults spiritual consolation withdraws from us. The second, to try us and see how much we are and how much we extend ourselves in his service and praise without so much payment of consolations and increased graces. The third, to give us true recognition and understanding so that we may interiorly feel that it is not ours to attain or maintain increased devotion, intense love, tears or any other spiritual consolation, but that all is the gift and grace of God our Lord, and so that we may not build a nest in something belonging to another, raising our mind in some pride or vainglory, attributing to ourselves the devotion or the other parts of the spiritual consolation.”
  2. Desolation itself does not cause growth in the soul… but how the soul responds to desolation can bring immense amounts of fruit.
  3. “God’s purpose in allowing trial is to make the soul great!”- St. John of the Cross
  4. Three reasons for Desolation:
  5. To shake us out of our Tepidity and Slothfulness:

a.  God alerting us to the fact that something is not healthy with our soul and needs attention.

  1. God allows it to help us see our motivations
  2. The Mercenary vs. The Soldier (Knight)
  3. To we serve for payment or b/c God is good?
  4. “the reason why more people do not become saints is because they are not willing to pay the price for holiness” –St. John of the Cross
  5. God allows it to keep us poor and humble:
  6. “Please Lord give me my daily bread.”
  7. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” –Matthew 5
  8. The Tenth: “Let the one who is in consolation think how he will conduct himself in the desolation which will come after, taking new strength fro that time.”
  9. God knows what is around the corner and he will give us sight if we ask
  10. 1 Kings 19
  11. There is GREAT importance in Receiving from God.
  12. God gives to us his children solely because he loves us.
  13. Not because we earn it
  14. Deserve it
  15. Or demand it.
  16. But because he LOVES us.
  17. We must commit to receiving love as it is given, otherwise we will not have the strength we need when the desolations and hardships come.
  18. “The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away, Blessed be the name of the Lord.” – Job 1:21