D6: When to Move, When to Hold

Divine Intimacy Radio: Spiritual Life Courses

55 self-contained mini-courses on the spiritual life.

Each takes about 15 minutes per day, completable in one week.

Where would you like to begin?

"I want to learn the basics of the spiritual life"

The essential framework: universal call to holiness, Paradigm of Ascent, daily prayer, sacraments, the examen.

Beginner pathway — A1 → A4 → B1 → B4 → A5

Start with Foundations

"I want to pray the Mass better"

The Mass as subject of formation — confession as prep, the sacramental walkthrough, and the five movements of silence.

Mass-Centred pathway — A5 → A6 → A7 → A8 → A9

Pray the Mass

"I want to start a prayer life"

Why prayer matters, how to set up your prayer time, Lectio Divina, and the Carmelite framework for mental prayer.

B1, B2, B3 (Discovery Prayer), B6

Start Praying

"I want to understand what's happening in my prayer"

When prayer changes, grows quieter, or goes dry — something profound may be happening. Aridity vs desolation; the dark night.

C1 → C2 → C3 → C4

Explore Prayer Growth

"I want to deal with spiritual highs and lows"

Ignatian discernment of consolation and desolation — and the practical combat posture for daily life.

D1 → D2 → D3 → D4 → D5 → D6 (combat) → D7 → D8

Learn Discernment

"I feel under spiritual attack"

Reality of evil → daily defense → renunciation drill → combat posture. The Spiritual Warfare 101 pathway from SWADOS.

F3 → D8 → D7 → D6 → D2

Stand Firm

"I'm leaving centering prayer / mindfulness / yoga"

The apophatic primer + audits of the three false practices + positive Carmelite frame + aridity as the right apophatic experience.

B7 → I1 → I2 → I3 → B6 → C2

Detox & Re-orient

"I want to grow in virtue and self-knowledge"

Predominant fault → mortification → fasting → the Little Way → theological virtues.

E1 → E2 → E3 → E4 → E5

Know Yourself

"I want to understand my suffering"

Everything is willed or permitted by God. Your suffering has meaning and redemptive power.

F1 → F2 → F4

Find Meaning in Suffering

"I want to strengthen my marriage spiritually"

Marriage as a path of holiness. Apply the Paradigm of Ascent to married life; community and accountability.

G1 → G2 → A1 → A4 → B1 → B5 → A5 → A6

Strengthen Marriage

"I want to be inspired by a saint"

Walk with St. Thérèse, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, or Fr. Jacques Philippe as your spiritual guide.

H1 (Thérèse) · H2 (Teresa) · H3 (John of the Cross) · H4 (Philippe)

Meet the Saints

"I want to take the deep journey through Teresa's castle"

The complete journey through all seven mansions of the Interior Castle. The full spiritual life from beginning to spiritual marriage.

H2 → A2 → J1 → J2 → J3 → J4 → J5 → J6 → J7

Enter the Castle

Saint School

Home

View

Change depth

Short Standard Longer Detailed Advanced Scholar

Ignatius Rule 5 — never make a change in desolation. Combine this with the combat posture from D6.01–04. Hold the previous resolution AND fight against the felt pull to abandon it. Holding is itself an action.

Ignatius's fifth rule — "In time of desolation, never make a change" — combines with the rest of this course's combat posture into a single discipline:

Hold the previous resolution. Whatever you committed to in consolation (the daily prayer time, the discipline, the vocational decision, the engagement) — keep doing it. Don't modify it under desolation's pressure.

And fight against the felt pull. Holding is not passive. It is the active refusal to be steered by the wrong spirit. Agere contra (D6.02). Affirm God's presence by an act of will (D6.03). Break silence (D6.04). And keep doing all of these while keeping the previous resolution intact.

Rule 5 is what protects you from the enemy's most subtle attack: the suggestion that "actually, the previous decision was a mistake; God is showing you that now." Almost certainly false. God does not lead through desolation; he leads through consolation.