Discernment

Part One (1995)

Teresa of Jesus: May peace be with you, beautiful child. My name is Teresa of Jesus, come to you by the work and grace of the Life-giving Spirit, the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit of God. Many times, my child, there is something within you that does not let you rest in that true peace which only the Spirit gives, the Spirit of God. Through all the things you have gone through, you have been able to discern when it is Teresa of Jesus, and likewise when it is something that makes itself light, trying, even so, to wrap in a false light that which is not of God.

Your interior has passed through very difficult trials, and even so, you have fought direct battles against the demon, and within yourself you do not know how, or what they are due to. Even so, of the things that happen to you, you can only say to yourself: this is a truth, there is something that lives in me — God. Even so, you have realized that there exists a world of hatred and a world of love.

My child, it is in this season that you are now able to know more deeply the world of God and the world of darkness. That is why, my child, I want to give you a treasure — a treasure that has come down through the course of the Holy Catholic Church, a treasure by which the human being can discern the truth or the falsehood of those worlds, the world of love and the world of hatred.

Each of your experiences has been a marvelous gift of God; but even so, my child, every gift has its risk, and that risk is to discern and to know the only good and true thing — adopting, even so, an attitude of indifference or insensibility toward everything that does not belong to the truth, which is of God. Through all this, my child, you can see that there has always been a tendency — and I am going to use a word which you must not misinterpret — to canonize as good and holy everything that happens in a charismatic prayer group, or in the personal life of someone after receiving the Holy Spirit.

Look, my child, I want to help you understand all those people who live in the joy of having found God, because it is necessary, out of charity, to live forewarned. Because, do you know something, my child? You, more than anyone, know that even having found that most marvelous Being, your Beloved, that Light, that Truth, that Love, you are also living in a world of shadows, of darkness, of gloom — and evil is everywhere, and that enemy will never cease to prowl around you, to draw near to you, and to try by every means to devour you.

Look, I am going to give you Bible references for all of this, but you will have to look them up yourself, because this catechesis, my child, takes its time. 1 Peter 5:8.

1 Peter 5:8: «Be sober and watch. Your adversary, the Devil, prowls like a roaring lion, seeking whom to devour».

You must understand that in the world of God, even so, good and evil exist, truth and deceit, the wheat and the weeds — everything is completely combined or mixed, as you can see in Matthew 13:24-30.

Matthew 13:24-30:
24. He put another parable before them, saying: «The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.
25. But while his people were asleep, his enemy came, sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.
26. When the grass sprouted and bore fruit, then the weeds appeared as well.
27. The servants of the master came to him and said: “Lord, did you not sow good seed in your field? How is it that it has weeds?”
28. He answered them: “Some enemy has done this.” The servants said to him: “Do you want us, then, to go and gather them?”
29. He said to them: “No, lest in gathering the weeds you uproot the wheat along with them.
30. Let both grow together until the harvest. And at harvest time I will tell the reapers: Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to be burned, and gather the wheat into my barn.”»

And you, my child, do not believe that you are in a privileged group, as many may say. No, my little one, it does not exist. Listen: there is no privileged human group in prayer in which everything is holy, in which everything is pure, in which everything is of God; because, listen, my child, however close you may find yourself to God, you are still sin, you are still refuse. There has never been a saint, a true saint — we have all sinned. If you say you have no sin, you deceive yourself, because that truth is not in you. Remember 1 John 1:8.

1 John 1:8: «If we say: “We have no sin”, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us».

Look, my child, this church which is you encloses a whole womb of sin, just like all those around you; and, listen, you must remember that the Catholic Church is holy and is in need of purification, in need of sacrifices, of penances, of fasting, of love. My child, in the world and in man not only the power of God is at work; the power of darkness also works, as I have made known to you; Luke 22:53.

Luke 22:53: «When I was with you day after day in the Temple, you did not lay hands on me; but this is your hour and the power of darkness».

And for that very reason, you must live concerned to examine everything, so that, even so, you may hold on to what is good. You find this in 1 Thessalonians 5:21.

1 Thessalonians 5:21: «examine everything and hold on to what is good».

My child, be always simple, and at the same time be astute as the serpent. Matthew 10:16.

Matthew 10:16: «Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be, then, prudent as serpents and simple as doves».

Because the spirit of darkness disguises itself as an angel of light — do not forget it. 2 Corinthians 11:14.

2 Corinthians 11:14: «And it is no wonder: Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of light».

Therefore, my child, I hope and trust that you will learn to discern, and not naively accept everything that claims to be born of the Holy Spirit — do not forget it. Thus says 1 John 4:1: «my dear ones, do not believe all those who say they are inspired; examine the spirits», to see whether they come from God. Because many false prophets go about the world, and you, Esdras, must realize that this is so, since you have had many experiences — do not forget it. What matters in all this is to keep yourself in holy peace, so as to truly examine what is of God and discard what is of the demon. Even so, my child, keep yourself always, always in that truth, the love of God.

My child, never forget that to have experiences of God is to experience His Spirit. Look: in the first Christian communities, the experience of the Holy Spirit was the first sign of a Christian.

The Holy Spirit was for them, my child, the very experience they could not deny without denying that they were Christians. The Spirit was poured out upon them, and they experienced Him individually and communally as a new reality. How are you? How do you experience Him? Can you experience Him individually? If, even so, you can do it, you can then experience Him communally; otherwise, this does not hold. The first Christians experienced the Holy Spirit in an immediate way, with His extraordinary gifts. Look at 1 Corinthians 1:4-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:7-11.

1 Corinthians 1:4-8:
4. I give thanks to God without ceasing for you, because of the grace of God that has been granted you in Christ Jesus,
5. for in him you have been enriched in everything, in all speech and in all knowledge,
6. in the measure in which the testimony of Christ has been consolidated among you.
7. Thus, no gift of grace is lacking to you who await the Revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
8. He will strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:7-11:
7. To each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good,
8. For to one is given by the Spirit a word of wisdom; to another, a word of knowledge according to the same Spirit;
9. to another, faith, in the same Spirit; to another, gifts of healing, in the one Spirit;
10. to another, the power of miracles; to another, prophecy; to another, discernment of spirits; to another, diversity of tongues; to another, the gift of interpreting them.
11. But all these things are worked by one and the same Spirit, distributing them to each one in particular according to His will.

Look at the charism of service in 1 Corinthians 12:28.

1 Corinthians 12:28: «And so God placed them in the Church: first, as apostles; second, as prophets; third, as teachers; then, miracles; then, the gift of healings, of assistance, of governance, diversity of tongues».

The fruits, in Galatians 5:22-23.

Galatians 5:22-23:
22. On the other hand, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23. gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

And manifestations of power, in 1 Thessalonians 1:5 and 1 Corinthians 2:4-5.

1 Thessalonians 1:5: «for our Gospel was preached to you not only with words but also with power and with the Holy Spirit, with full persuasion. You know how we behaved among you for your sake».

1 Corinthians 2:4-5:
4. And my word and my preaching had nothing of the persuasive discourses of wisdom, but were a demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
5. so that your faith might rest not on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

Even so, my child, in the communities of the New Testament, the Holy Spirit was made an experience before being an object of doctrine — do not forget it. In your days, it is a new experience of God through the Spirit; that experience of the Spirit in the Church has never been lacking. Thus the mystical tradition and the dynamism of the Church through the centuries attest to it; but you are presently witnessing a new outpouring of the Spirit which, even so, is renewing your Church — or our Church — with prodigies as of a new Pentecost, with similar manifestations of extraordinary gifts of service, in view of the building up of the Body of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-12.

Ephesians 4:11-12:
11. He himself «gave» to some to be apostles; to others, prophets; to others, evangelizers; to others, pastors and teachers,
12. for the right ordering of the saints for the functions of the ministry, for the building up of the Body of Christ.

But even so, my child, that experience of the Spirit and His gifts is not free of dangers; illusion and deception easily slip into it. That is why, my child, it is easy to confuse experience of God with emotion or feeling, which is rather an experience of oneself. The experience of God is not something, listen, that man does or that man can provoke, but rather what God does in man — that is how it is. It is easy — listen, observe — to confuse the experience of the Holy Spirit with the manifestations proper to the mind, or the impulses of one’s own flesh, or even with the illusions provoked by the evil spirit who dresses as an angel of light.

Remember that it is important to stay attentive; you must watch very carefully whether the light comes from God or from the demon. The experience of God, my child, is a kind of joyful and triumphant resurrection — that is what that experience gives; without forgetting that the experience of the Spirit also takes place, even so, in weakness and in humiliation. 1 Corinthians 1:24-30.

1 Corinthians 1:24-30:
24. but for those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, a Christ who is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25. For divine folly is wiser than the wisdom of men, and divine weakness stronger than the strength of men.
26. Look, brothers, at who you are, you who have been called! There are not many wise according to the flesh, not many powerful, not many of noble birth.
27. Rather, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to confound the wise. And God has chosen what is weak in the world to confound the strong.
28. What is lowly and despised in the world God has chosen; what is not, to reduce to nothing what is.
29. So that no mortal may boast in the presence of God.
30. From him comes your being in Christ Jesus, whom God made for us wisdom of divine origin, justice, sanctification and redemption,
31. so that, as the Scripture says: Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.

In the sobriety and simplicity of common life, 1 Corinthians 12:28, and in the experience of the Cross, 2 Corinthians 4:10.

2 Corinthians 4:10: «We always carry in our bodies, everywhere, the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body».

From all this, my child, you must deduce that the temptation of wanting to reduce the whole relationship with God to pure religious experience — believing to find growth in Christ by going from spiritual experience to spiritual experience, forgetting the doctrinal dimension and the practical demands of faith — makes one fall, even so, my child, into a true tyranny of subjective experience; do not forget it. Even so, my child, what matters in all this is discernment.

God is a mystery for you and for the world; yet He is always with you and with the world — but He must always be sought. And in that constant search for God, at times it becomes difficult for you, because many are the forces that try to confuse you on this walk toward Him. For this reason, my child, there is the gift of discernment; it is one of the charisms of the Spirit to which it is necessary to open yourselves with the greatest urgency.

Look: the Scripture, the Holy Bible, teaches you that in the Kingdom of God in its earthly stage everything is mixed. Good and evil, truth and error, light and darkness, holiness and sin, the true and the false prophets, the wheat and the weeds; and at times it becomes very difficult to distinguish them. That is why, my child, you must beware of the false prophets who approach disguised as sheep, when in reality they are ferocious wolves. You must see that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while he was sleeping an enemy came and sowed weeds in the midst of the wheat. Listen very well: in reality they are false apostles, deceivers disguised as apostles of Christ — and this is no wonder, for Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of light; the Sacred Scripture says so in 2 Corinthians 11:14.

So then, very dear children, forewarned as you are, be careful, lest those people gone astray deceive you, drag you along, make you lose your firmness and finally fall; 2 Peter 3:17.

2 Peter 3:17: «You, then, beloved, being already warned, live alert, lest, carried away by the error of those dissolute men, you find yourselves cast down from your firm position».

Saint Paul, writing thus to the Church of the Corinthians, calls it the Church of God; thus he says: «God sanctified you, and that is what matters». Even more: in the very use of the spiritual gifts that God granted to the community, there is confusion and disorder that do not come from God; consequently, my child, good and evil must be carefully discerned. One must analyze whether the people who influence us act with the Spirit or not; one must test whether it is the Spirit of God who impels you, or satan dressed as an angel of light, 2 Corinthians 11:13-14; or perhaps the spirit of the flesh, Galatians 5:19-21.

2 Corinthians 11:13-14:
13. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ.
14. And it is no wonder: Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of light.

Galatians 5:19-21:
19. Now, the works of the flesh are well known: fornication, impurity, licentiousness,
20. idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, discord, jealousy, wrath, quarrels, divisions, dissensions,
21. envy, drunkenness, orgies and things like these — about which I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Look, you must examine everything; thus says 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22.

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22:
21. examine everything and hold on to what is good.
22. Abstain from every kind of evil.

Examine everything, and keep what is good; guard yourselves from evil wherever you find it. Even so, stay awake, because your enemy, the devil, prowls like a roaring lion seeking whom to devour, 1 Peter 5:8.

1 Peter 5:8: «Be sober and watch. Your adversary, the Devil, prowls like a roaring lion, seeking whom to devour».

You have to be astute as serpents and simple as doves. To make the change from a naive attitude to an attitude of discernment, it will help you to keep in mind these principles I am going to give you:

First: listen very well — not everything that happens in personal or group prayer, or in a charismatic gathering, necessarily proceeds from the Spirit of God. Precisely when some open their doors to the Spirit of God, the human spirit and the diabolical one also arrive at the meeting; and that struggle of spirits is what the one who truly tries to serve God normally experiences. My child, on entering the service of God, prepare your soul for the trial. Sirach 2:1: «Son, if you come to serve the Lord, prepare your soul for the trial».

Second: there are no two defined groups of people — those who have the Holy Spirit and those who do not. In every man, even in the one most filled with God, there is a struggle of spirits that can cause confusion. Remember what Paul says in Romans 7:23: «I carry in my members another law, which is fighting against the law of my spirit, and which makes me a slave of this law of sin that is in my members». For this reason, discernment is always needed — do not forget it.

Third: it is the duty of those in charge not to quench the Spirit of God. See 1 Thessalonians 5:19-20: «19. Do not extinguish the Spirit; 20. do not despise prophecies». But at the same time, they have the duty to examine it and test it, to see whether it is truly of God; 1 Thessalonians 5:21: «examine everything and hold on to what is good». And 1 John 4:1: «Beloved, do not trust every spirit, but examine whether the spirits come from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world».

Look: there are many people who, along the course of the Catholic Church in these years, have corroborated everything I am telling you; therefore, there are written books on discernment that you can seek out to help you. What I am giving you is already written; this is proper to man as he discovers the very truth of the Spirit of God, and of the spirit of man, and of the demonic spirit. Therefore, you must remain in freedom, even so, in the Holy Spirit; but the human and diabolical spirit must be bound and controlled.

Frequently there are people who, claiming freedom in the Spirit of God, are in fact giving it to the human spirit, or to a diabolical one that drives them. This must be discerned. You have observed, then, that I have mentioned three types of spirits. You call spirit the inner force that impels your acts, or the cause that inspires your behavior. Thus, my child, to the apostles James and John, Jesus said: by your impatience, you do not know of what spirit you are. Luke 9:55-56: «But turning, he rebuked them; and they went to another village».

Although many kinds of spirits can be listed, I have mentioned three to you: the Spirit of God, who always inspires to good; the diabolical spirit, who always instigates to evil; and the human spirit, which inclines sometimes to good and sometimes to evil. Let us analyze each of these. Shall we, my child?

The Spirit of God: this Spirit always impels toward the good — sometimes in an ordinary way, and at other times in an extraordinary way, through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He always presents Himself with gentleness, making the good easy, although at times the first impression may be of fear and, for sinners, of remorse. He never incites to evil, nor even to a merely apparent good.

The diabolical spirit: it always solicits evil, although very often it transfigures itself into an angel of light to deceive you and the unwary, 2 Corinthians 11:14; but in the end it reveals its perverse intentions. For its instigations it makes use of your fantasy and the other sensitive faculties — that is, your faculties, which it alters and unsettles; it proposes sensible goods with an exaggeration of need, or evils with the appearance of good.

Look: it keeps no order, nor any restraint in its way of working; one moment it stirs up untimely favors and indiscreet penances, the next it exaggerates the difficulties of virtue; listen, my child, and it incites to desperation. My child, this one gives free rein to its passions; it ordinarily works with uproar and disturbance and violence — but from the wicked it takes away remorse and lulls them with pleasures. What do you think?

Even so, the diabolical spirit incites to anger, resentment, envy, impatience, bitterness, discouragement toward others — highlighting and stirring up any shadow or suspicion, listen very well, of affront, slight, inattention or indiscretion that could wound you; do not forget it.

The human spirit: it is human nature damaged by sin, with a strong tendency to evil; my child, it is one’s own mind with its limitations and its deviations. The human spirit, my child, inclines to the good when it sees its attractiveness and when it does not present itself with the difficulty of the struggles and setbacks it carries with it. Look: this one is guided by what it likes, by what flatters feeling and causes pleasure, rather than by what is just, good and true. The human spirit, my child, inclines to comfort — thus to the satisfaction of the senses and of self-love; it is selfish, unmortified and dependent; it works with gentleness and by nature; it is sensitive and never violent toward itself, though it may be a heavy burden to others. It has two derivations: the carnal spirit and the worldly spirit.

The carnal spirit: it lives from the bodily senses and for the bodily senses, and accordingly are the movements it stirs and the desires it moves. It is not limited to the dishonest; it extends to everything that touches the care and pleasure of the body; it drives the three concupiscences, which listed are: the concupiscence of the flesh, the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life. Thus, its manifestations are: forbidden sexual relations, impurities and shamelessness, cults of idols and superstitions, hatreds, jealousy, violence, furies, ambitions, deviations, sectarianisms, quarrels and envy, drunkenness, orgies and things like these. What do you think? You see this also in Galatians 5:19-21.

The worldly spirit: it is the other part, which impels, even so, to see things with criteria not of God but of the paganized world: ambition, greed for riches, for dignities, for earthly grandeur, desires for honor, boastfulness, vanities, discrimination, racism and things like these.

So then, the feelings and impulses you experience — even extraordinary experiences, listen, such as visions, tongues, foresights or prophecies, healing, interpretation of thought, and dreams — can proceed from three different sources: the first, from God; the second, from the diabolical spirit; and the third, from your own nature.

Moreover, my child, these spirits frequently interfere with each other and mix in a thousand ways, to the point that, in one same behavior and one same experience, there may be much of God, and at the same time there may be aspects or shades that belong to the human spirit — even, listen, to the diabolical spirit. Therefore, my child, I call you to discernment — you who have the formation of praying groups.

Even so, my child, there are signs you must know, in order to know the Spirit of God. Look, my child: the Spirit of God goes where He wills, blows where He wills. John 3:8: «The wind blows where it wills, and you hear its voice, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit».

The first sign is that it agree with the Word of God, as it is given to you through Christ and His Church. Look: it must be authentic; the meaning of the Word of God must come from the Spirit of God — that is, whatever does not conform to that authenticity cannot come from the Spirit of God. The Word of God is the Absolute and eternally valid Truth; no inspiration or private revelation can contradict it — you know this already.

The second sign: that you be in agreement with the faith of the Church and in communion with the Church — that is to say, communion with the faith of the Church. To the Church was entrusted by Christ the deposit of faith. Matthew 18:17-18: «If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the community. And if he refuses to listen even to the community, let him be to you as the gentile and the tax collector. Truly I tell you: whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven». John 21:15-17: «After they had eaten, Jesus says to Simon Peter: “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He says to him: “Yes, Lord, you know that I care for you.” Jesus says to him: “Feed my lambs.” He says to him again a second time: “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He says to him: “Yes, Lord, you know that I care for you.” Jesus says to him: “Feed my sheep.” He says to him a third time: “Simon, son of John, do you care for me?” Peter was saddened that he asked him a third time, “Do you care for me?”, and he said to him: “Lord, you know everything; you know that I care for you.” Jesus says to him: “Feed my sheep”». And 1 Timothy 3:15: «but if I delay, so that you may know how one ought to behave in the house of God, which is the Church of the living God, pillar and foundation of the truth».

No manifestation of the Lord can contradict the doctrine handed on to you by the apostles, guarded and interpreted by the Pope and the College of Bishops. They are the sole successors who guarantee the true teaching of Jesus. Thus, within her, obedience to legitimate authority. Luke 10:16: «Whoever listens to you listens to me; and whoever rejects you rejects me; and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me».

Thus, my child, the principle of obedience to legitimate authority is not suppressed by the Holy Spirit; rather, the Spirit of God normally impels toward respect and obedience to those who hold the ministry of shepherding and governing. Promptness to obey is one of the surest criteria for discerning authentic inspiration.

The third sign, my child: that you be in agreement with the duties proper to your state. The first testimony to which the Spirit of God leads is the responsible and exemplary fulfillment of one’s own obligations — as a husband or wife, to be faithful to one’s spouse; as father or mother, son or brother; as a priest, as a doctor, as a teacher, as any professional. Everything that moves you to neglect these primary duties cannot be of the Spirit of God.

Thus, the evil spirit leads rather to confusion or contradiction of sound doctrine, or to an arbitrary interpretation or manipulation of the Word of God. 2 Timothy 4:3-4.

2 Timothy 4:3-4:
3. For a time will come when men will not endure sound doctrine, but, carried away by their own passions, will surround themselves with a heap of teachers to suit their itching to hear novelties;
4. they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to fables.

The spirit of evil also leads to sectarianism within the Church. 1 Corinthians 1:10-14.

1 Corinthians 1:10-14:
10. I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same, and that there be no divisions among you; rather, be united in one same mind and one same judgment.
11. For, my brothers, I have been informed about you, by those of Chloe, that there are discords among you.
12. I mean that each of you says: «I am of Paul», «I of Apollos», «I of Cephas», «I of Christ».
13. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
14. I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius!

And the spirit of evil induces irresponsibility in one’s own fundamental duties.

Part Two (January 10, 1996)

How to know what is of God and what comes from the darkness?

Saint Teresa of Jesus: Some time ago, children, I gave to this body the first part of what you may call DISCERNMENT — that which will allow you to recognize what is of God and what is of the demon. Each of you, children, must look at this within, and I have decided to speak to you, to go deeper into this, since many of you, on observing the manifestations of God in this body, question them.

There was once a man who, when he preached, never stopped repeating, even so, that God had to be placed at the center of life. That is very true. But that man did not know that God was already at that center, and the only thing to do was to recognize Him. And that is what I have come for: that you may recognize the Spirit of God, that you may look into your interiors and realize, with the eyes of love, when it is God and when it is the demon.

Look, children: the more men depart from the ordinary providence of God, in certain behaviors or spiritual experiences, the more deceptions appear — and for that very reason, listen, they require a more rigorous discernment. Today I am going to speak to you about those manifestations of God, and even so, about those manifestations of the spirit of the demon.

I have told you that within the human being there exist three types of spirit: the Spirit of God, the human spirit, and that diabolical spirit acquired from outside in your faculties — and you must recognize this.

It is very important, children, that you look at each of these things — at the fruits of the Spirit of God and at the fruits of the spirit of the demon. Thus Matthew 7, verse 16, speaks to you: «by their fruits you will know them». In the same way that you will recognize it by the fruits, even so you will know the quality of the tree.

Children, if you look at Galatians 5, verses 19 to 23, you will notice some things that come from the flesh — things of the human, of the diabolical — and some manifestations that come from the Spirit of the Love of God. Thus Galatians says that it is very easy to see what comes from the flesh: forbidden sexual relations, impurities and shamelessness, cult of idols and superstitions, hatreds, jealousy, violence; thus, furies, ambitions, divisions, sectarianisms, quarrels, envy, drunkenness, orgies — and it ends by saying: things like these. The things that come from the fruit of the Spirit are love, joy and peace, generosity, understanding of others and goodness, faith, gentleness and self-control.

Now then, these things must be discerned. We are going to list, even so, a little list of the manifestations of the Spirit of God, and we are going to place beside it some parallel manifestations of the spirit of the demon.

Thus, for example, we can say that from the Spirit of God is born humble love — that kind and disinterested love; it is the love that gives that stillness, that peace; it is a love without words, faithful. It is just as Paul describes it in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. There you see the fifteen forms of love. The spirit of the demon, in its parallel, gives false love. What is a false love? It is the person who lives embittered, foul-mouthed, indiscreet, jealous. It is the one who pretends to love God, whose tongue disturbs the peace; they want to transform everything and are always judging others. Thus they hold on to resentments, selfishness, countless things in this opposition.

The Spirit of God is truth, sincerity — He is the God of truth. Thus, in 1 John 5:6 it says: «And his spirit is the spirit of truth». And He always acts along the path of light and truth. Not so the manifestation of the spirit of the demon: lies, falsehood and deceit — all of this with disguised spiritual aims, wrapped in false truths, which leads to their being easily believed.

The Spirit of God is light and charity. Look, children: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all, 1 John 1:5. Thus, children, everything that is in the love of God will always lead you to the light. The spirit of the demon is confusion and darkness — thus anguish, fears, disquiet or false light. Thus, in mere imagination without true spiritual fruits. Likewise, with each of the experiences that bring disillusionment and confusion.

The Spirit of God is union, fraternal communion. He always leads you to unity, to harmony — even when, even so, He transitorily causes crises that are due, rather, to the resistance of the evil spirit. The spirit of the demon is division; it always divides, always sows chaos, disunion — even if for a moment it seems to unite you: beware!

The Spirit of God is discretion. Look: He always makes a person discreet, judicious, prudent in everything they do. He never rushes. He always keeps patience. Look: everything in this person is balanced, edifying. Not so the spirit of the demon, which causes continual indiscretions. Look: it incites, for example, to excesses of penance, to provoke pride or ruin health. It does not keep the proper time — for example, rejoicing on Good Friday, sadness at Christmas. Look, nor the proper place: great raptures in public, never in private. Nor the circumstances of the person: it drives devotions or activities to the neglect of one’s own obligations. Everything that goes against the duties of one’s own state comes from the demon or from one’s own flesh, never from God — do not forget it.

The Spirit of God is sincere humility — His sign is unmistakable. If humility is lacking, there is no need to keep examining the soul in order to judge, without fear of error, that the Spirit of God is not there; and it must be a deep and sincere humility, unaffected even outwardly, which so hardly lends itself to falsification. The spirit of the demon, parallel to this sincere humility, is pride and arrogance — frequently disguised under a cloak of piety and zeal for the things of God. In reality, it goes about seeking itself and its own excellence. For this reason, it is easily unmasked when others do not pay it the attention it wants, or when the legitimate authorities try to correct or guide its actions.

Look: the Spirit of God is docility and obedience, always humbly distrusting oneself. People moved by God easily accept the instructions and counsels of priests, or of other spiritual persons wise and prudent in the things of the spirit. The spirit of the demon, in contrast, is disobedience and obstinacy. It is obstinate, stubborn; it never gives its arm to be twisted; it is guided by its own kinds of lights, clings to its own truth and wants to impose it at all costs, even breaking with the legitimate guides or shepherds. Beware!

The Spirit of God is trust in God and distrust of oneself, as the necessary consequence of truth and humility — knowing that one can do nothing by one’s own strength. The soul throws itself into the arms of God, convinced that everything it can do with the power of God, it achieves. That is why you see it in Philippians 4:13: «I can do all things in Him who strengthens me». The spirit of the demon is distrust and discouragement, as the necessary consequence of making life revolve around one’s own I; or one falls into vain presumption, irrational security or optimism, reckless and unreflective. Or else one finds oneself invaded by a deadly depression and discouragement. That is the spirit of the demon.

The Spirit of God is detached and renounces itself; it clings to nothing, not even to the very gifts of God. It accepts with gratitude the sensible consolations when the Lord gives them, and performs its pious acts with punctuality and fervor; but it leaves them with the same ease when charity, necessity or obedience ask it, without the slightest gesture of displeasure or bad humor. The spirit of the demon acts in that search for what flatters its own vanity. The demon and one’s own nature always inspire comfort and sensible emotions, children; it drives one always to seek oneself, even taking advantage of what is spiritual; it is unmortified, and its passions rise up over trivial motives and disproportionate causes.

The Spirit of God maintains self-control. The Spirit of God leads to control of oneself and of one’s own passions, which makes people patient, kind, keeping their balance. The spirit of the demon leads to loss of control. The evil spirit incites rather to the unleashing of the passions — to anger, impatience, obfuscation, violence of reason or unbounded exaggerations, to unbalanced manners; look, to stubborn impulses of the will toward evil. All this you see in the spirit of the demon.

The Spirit of God is rightness of intention in everything. In all its actions it seeks the glory of God and the faithful fulfillment of the will of the Lord, even at the cost of humiliation and personal sacrifice. The spirit of the demon brings twisted, hypocritical aims — duplicity, pretense in its actions; the true motivation of its conduct being, in reality, vanity, self-complacency, the desire to be appreciated and highly regarded.

The Spirit of God is joy and peace. That is, He leaves the soul in intimate peace — serene, sincere, deep. He is the God of Peace, Romans 15:33, children. Jesus left His own His peace as the unmistakable mark of His Spirit, John 14:27. The spirit of the demon is dissatisfaction and fear. The evil spirit is turbulent, harsh, restless; and those who follow its suggestions are stubborn, proud, meddlesome, troublemakers who, under the pretext of zeal, upset everything. They censure everyone; they rebuke one, criticize another. They are people without composure, without forbearance, who cannot bear anything, who let themselves be carried away by the passions of self-love — claiming, even so, to act with zeal for the glory of God. These are the ones who act according to that demon.

As you see, children, you have much with which to realize how you are acting in your religious life, what your life is like, what you truly do. Compare it — look at yourselves! Do you have love, or a false love? Do you have truth, or do you have lies? Do you have light, or do you have darkness? Thus: do you have union, or division? Do you have discretion, or indiscretions? Do you have humility, or pride and arrogance? Do you have docility and obedience, or disobedience and obstinacy? Do you have trust in God and distrust of yourselves, or distrust and discouragement? Thus: detachment and renunciation of self, or the search for what flatters your own vanity? Do you have self-control, or loss of control? Do you carry joy and peace, or dissatisfaction and fear?

Look at your own lives before pointing, before saying what is of God and what is not of God — because perhaps in you God may be acting, as the demon may also be acting, to make others fill themselves with that darkness while they are seeing the light.

Thus, children, be very careful, because the demon works with tactics that can shatter the light of God in you. Thus, children, each of you must see that God can do all things — but this, children, you must see in yourselves. God is free to do whatever He wills, but He never acts on a whim. He has a plan of love, of wisdom and of power, and He acts according to His plan.

That is why, children, those persons of great spirit of prayer and deep spiritual life have known by their own experience that style, that manner proper to God in His manifestations. It is as if they had a special sense, by which they grasp immediately: this is of God; this other thing smells to me of an evil spirit. Thus, in a similar way, the diabolical spirit also has its characteristic way of acting, its own style. To know the way of God and the characteristic way of the evil one is of capital importance in discernment.

That is why, children, the sense of God, or the instinct for the divine, is important — it has developed in some saints; special among them is the gift of wisdom, the first of the seven classic gifts of the Holy Spirit. For, children, by their fruits you will know them. It is the fruit of the experience of God, rather than of human learning; yet it will help greatly to know some of the manifestations proper to that way God acts, and of those tactics of the evil one.

You can see, from God, gentleness and peace; from the evil one, disturbance and unrest. Thus, you can see that God hides Himself, but does not deceitfully disguise Himself. The tactic of the demon is to disguise itself as an angel of light. God acts only with a sacred respect for the person; the demon acts rashly and impetuously. God acts, as a principle, in harmony with obedience to legitimate superiors; the demon drives toward non-acceptance, toward rejecting the direction of legitimate superiors, and even toward rebelling for spiritual motives.

Thus we can see that with those who live in sin, the Spirit of God acts by pricking them to remorse of conscience. With those who live in sin, the spirit of evil acts by proposing apparent pleasures. With spiritually lukewarm, lazy, routine-bound persons, the Spirit of God acts with interior calls to shake off their laziness. Thus, with spiritually lukewarm persons, the evil spirit acts by providing them a false peace that keeps them in their sloth. With faithful and fervent persons, the Spirit of God acts by giving them courage and strength. With faithful and fervent persons, the demon acts by disturbing them and placing obstacles. Thus, you can see much of this.

I want to clarify some things regarding those cases where the spirit of the demon drives toward non-acceptance of the direction of legitimate superiors, and even toward rebelling for spiritual motives. This other form drives one to deform obedience, and makes of it different types of obedience.

Thus, we have critical obedience. It is the one in which the superior is obeyed while at the same time being torn to shreds. The superior is the superior — but that does not prevent him from being unlikable, a scold, impulsive, without an ounce of tact.

We have another type of obedience: pseudo-mystical obedience. It disobeys the superior under the pretext of obeying the Holy Spirit. Look: this is pure illusion.

Another type of obedience is murmuring obedience. It accepts the superior’s order grudgingly, murmuring inwardly and, at times, outwardly, to the scandal of others.

Sabotage obedience. One obeys, but doing things badly so that they fail.

You have, thus, camouflaged obedience. It skillfully leads the superior to modify his commands, ending up doing one’s own will and imposing it on the superior.

Thus, within this you find the spirit of opposition. Groups, parties of opposition… (interruption of the tape) …truly satanic, which sows division and discord.

Look, children, how many things you must know in order to discern! How many things you must look at to be able to say: it is, or it is not, of God! How can you judge if you have not studied the Spirit? You do not even know what an «ordinary Providence» or an «extraordinary Providence» is — and yet you assert: it is of the demon, or it is of God.

Look, children: when God is pleased with the conduct of a man, no one knows how much God will do in him — and this is very important. I have always heard you talk and say that, if God has chosen someone, that someone must, even so, change; be different. Within that freedom he must cast off everything that goes against God — there I agree. But 1 Corinthians 7:20 says it well; thus it says: «let each one remain just as the call of God found him». Why do you want to transform the man called by God? Why do you want to impose worldly criteria, proper to man, so that he be transformed? You, children, want from that man of God a silent man, a man without command, submissive, with the face of a fool. Who are you to decide how the man chosen by God must be?

Look, discern, learn to do it. And look first at what ordinary Providence is. Well, children, it is the road along which the Spirit of God has led the generality of spiritual souls — as attested by the long experience of a great multitude of saints and souls of deep prayer. Extraordinary Providence refers to experiences, inspirations or behaviors that depart from the ordinary way in which the Spirit of God acts. That ordinary Providence, that road along which the Spirit of God has led souls, is not the same as that extraordinary Providence, where God’s way of acting is different. Many of us have followed the Holy Spirit and found the extraordinary; but there are many who have never followed the Spirit of God and are walking with Him because of the extraordinary things God gives them.

My half friar — whom you know as Saint John of the Cross — used to say that it does not please God that you be too quick to accept such inspirations; because they may be from Him (God), but frequently they may also proceed from the evil spirit. Therefore, children, it is good that you know of some doubtful inspirations or behaviors that you must discern. Therefore, refrain from aspiring to another state after having made the due election. Do not forget it.

Look at some things: for example, those who claim to have something of God keep repeating the pharisaic saying: «I am not like other men», in Luke 18:11. When God exceptionally asks these things, He makes His will felt very clearly through the combination of most special circumstances; therefore, it is put to the test in obedience and in humility.

To long for extraordinary things in the exercise of the virtues — like certain holy follies that some servants of God performed by a special instinct of the Holy Spirit — beware! Keeping a spirit of great exterior penances can be doubtful. God has asked them of some saints, but that is not the normal road of His providence. That spirit of continual spiritual consolations and joys is very doubtful; it may be from God, but also from the demon, or from the simple nature of men.

The Holy Fathers affirm that the Spirit of God comes and goes. As soon as He manifests Himself, He hides; and He does not always work in the soul in the same manner. Many may see tears; they are suspect, because they can come, even so, from God, from the demon, or from man’s own nature. The fruits they produce must be examined.

Look: great extraordinary gifts, visions, revelations in persons whose life is full of defects or sins are very doubtful; they must be discerned. The spirit that leads to things that bring with them honor, independence, is very suspect. The Spirit of God normally inspires humility, submission, poverty. Of all these cases there are examples in history.

Today, children, I wanted to speak to you about this. Thus, soon I will be speaking to you a little more about discernment. Never forget, children, that what matters within each human being is that true encounter with God. It is that encounter of love with which you may fill yourselves as often as you can.

Reading, this body found something that said more or less like this: «A man traveled half the world to verify for himself the extraordinary fame his master enjoyed. What miracles has your master performed? — that man asked, even so, one of his disciples. The disciple answered: Well, look, there are miracles and miracles. Perhaps in your country it is considered a miracle that God do someone’s will. Among us disciples, it is considered a miracle that someone do the will of God». What do you think? If you could, doing the will of God, you would accept the greatness of love you carry within — and you would not be there judging.

When you go to look at a manifestation of God, look first at yourselves. And observe whether you have the points — the manifestation of the Spirit of God and of the style of God, or the manifestation of the demon and of its tactics.

May God remain in you. Shalom.

Forgive me, children. Now I ask you, after this shalom I have said to you: who has spoken to you? Has Teresa of Jesus spoken to you? Have you asked yourselves who spoke to you? Because at the beginning I did not identify myself. It could have been the demon, or it could have been your friend Teresa.

You see, children! Stay alert! The spirits of God always identify themselves. In the name of the Spirit of Love, in the name of the One and True Light, there spoke to you your friend, your teacher, your spiritual directress, your all and your nothing, Teresa of Jesus. May God go with you, and never forget that, in things of love, open wide your heart. Shalom.