5 Reasons Why God Sends Us The Gift of Spiritual Consolation
The Role of Consolation in Our Spiritual Life
Have you ever had those times when you felt so close to God?
Did you have that kind of experience that lifted you up towards loving God more and thanking Him for His great mercy? Such a sweetness that brings you profound peace and joy and draws you nearer to God can also be called consolation.
Here is what St. Ignatius of Loyola said about spiritual consolation:
“I call it consolation when some interior movement is caused in the soul, through which the soul comes to be inflamed with love of its Creator and Lord, and, consequently when it can love no created thing on the face of the earth itself, but only in the Creator of them all. Likewise when it sheds tears that move to love of its Lord, whether out of sorrow for one’s sins or for the passion of Christ our Lord, or because of other things directly ordered to His service and praise.”
The Gift of Consolation
God in His wisdom sends us this gift of consolation at times He deems best for us. He gives us a taste of this kind of joy that we could never have in earthly things.
Many saints have experienced this consolation from heaven. They wrote about it, shared what it was like and gave us their God-given wisdom when it comes to this heavenly gift.
In our secular world where much is shared about the pleasures we can find in worldly things and experiences, there is a great value in learning to understand what spiritual consolation is.
Why does God send it to us? And what must we do once we receive it?
The Role of Consolation in Our Spiritual Life
1. It gives us a foretaste of heaven
Many people fail to understand just how joyful heaven could be. They have this stereotypical image of heaven with angels flying around and people playing harps. It’s as though nothing good or satisfying could ever be expected there.
But consolation gives us a glimpse of the happiness we can only find in heaven. It lets us taste this heavenly joy and allows us to anticipate something wonderful that God has prepared for those who love Him.
“Rouse yourselves, my sisters, and since some foretaste of heaven may be had on earth, beg our Lord to give us grace not to miss it through our own fault. Ask Him to show us where to find it—ask Him to give us strength of soul to dig until we find this hidden treasure, which lies buried within our hearts, as I wish to show you if it please God to enable me.” - St. Teresa of Avila
2. It invites sinners to come to God
Consolation is a gift, a gift that is not given only to those who are perfect or holy. We should not see it merely as a reward for our faithfulness.
Sometimes, God gives it to us to invite us to come to Him and to repent of our sins. Without any merit on our part, God gives us a taste of this joy so that we can draw closer to Him. We must be careful therefore not to think that we deserve such consolations nor seek them for their own sake. We must only seek God’s will and when He gives it to us, we thank Him for His great love.
"Do not suppose, My daughter, that to be near to Me is union; for they who sin against Me are near Me, though they do not wish it. Nor is union the joys and comforts of union, though they be of the very highest kind, and though they come from Me. These very often are means of winning souls, even if they are not in a state of grace." - Our Lord Jesus to St. Teresa of Avila
3. It strengthens us
In the same way that Peter, James and John were comforted when they witnessed the Transfiguration of the Lord, spiritual consolations strengthen us. They help us surrender ourselves to God and give us strength to endure the trials that will come to us later on.
This is also especially true during the initial stages of our friendship with Jesus Christ when we are being introduced to the riches of the spiritual life.
“Yet this is only the initial stage of the process; and it is sweet largely because it is new. Certainly she has experienced a tremendous fact, yet so far she has but just entered upon it. There outstretches before her a road that ends only in the Beatific Vision; but there are countless stages to be passed before that end is attained.”
(The Friendship of Christ by Robert Hugh Benson )
In my book “To Love an Invisible God”, I narrated some personal experiences during this initial stage of sweetness.
4. It helps us grow in humility
Knowing that we do not deserve such great gifts from God, these consolations also help us grow in humility.
The more we grow closer to God, and the more our souls are enlightened, the more we see our sins and weaknesses. Despite these, however, we see how faithful and merciful God is to us.
“Before the soul fell into the trance, it thought itself to be careful about not offending God, and that it did what it could in proportion to its strength; but now that it has attained to this state, in which the Sun of Justice shines upon it, and makes it open its eyes, it beholds so many motes, that it would gladly close them again… It is in rapture that true humility is acquired--humility that will never say any good of self, nor suffer others to do so… all the good it has, it refers to God; if it says anything about itself, it is for His glory.” - St. Teresa of Avila
5. It communicates the love of God
God loves us in many ways. Many times, we are unaware of the immensity of His love. How many times have we been protected and provided for without our knowing?
With spiritual consolation, we have an opportunity to be aware of God’s love.
“I feel Him so intimately united to me, that I want nothing more, except the beatific vision in heaven. I feel I'm filled with God, and then I hold Him close to my heart and ask Him to make me experience the perfections of His love. There's no separation between us.” - St. Teresa of Jesus of the Andes
Learning to Discern the Spirits
While there is much value in being aware of the spiritual consolations God sends our way, we must also be careful that we don’t confuse them with the delights and pleasures of the enemy.
Here, we can learn much from St. Ignatius of Loyola who provided us with certain rules to guide us in discerning the movement of spirits in our lives.
Following are some excerpts from his teachings:
First Rule. The first Rule: In the persons who go from mortal sin to mortal sin, the enemy is commonly used to propose to them apparent pleasures, making them imagine sensual delights and pleasures in order to hold them more and make them grow in their vices and sins. In these persons the good spirit uses the opposite method, pricking them and biting their consciences through the process of reason.
Second Rule. The second: In the persons who are going on intensely cleansing their sins and rising from good to better in the service of God our Lord, it is the method contrary to that in the first Rule, for then it is the way of the evil spirit to bite, sadden and put obstacles, disquieting with false reasons, that one may not go on; and it is proper to the good to give courage and strength, consolations, tears, inspirations and quiet, easing, and putting away all obstacles, that one may go on in well doing.
It’s Not Just a Matter of Feeling Good
Spiritual consolation is not just a matter of feeling good. It’s not just having that positive vibe and following your heart because you feel excited at the moment.
The consolation that comes from heaven should draw us nearer to God and away from sin. It purifies us, and makes us see our shortcomings while giving hope in the mercy of God. It invites us to do good and not evil.
Let us recall what St. Ignatius of Loyola said about consolation:
“I call consolation every increase of hope, faith and charity, and all interior joy which calls and attracts to heavenly things and to the salvation of one’s soul, quieting it and giving it peace in its Creator and Lord.”
If you have ever tasted this heavenly joy that drew you closer to God, treasure the divine gift that has been given to you. Let it invite you ever closer to knowing God and surrendering your life to Him. May your life become a testimony of the true and lasting joy that can only come from heaven!
Would you like to know more about the joys you can find in heaven? Get Jocelyn’s book “What Should You Look Forward To In Heaven?”.
