Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
St. Ignatius says that in our hearts we always have competing voices: that of the Lord, that of the evil spirit, and that of ourselves. Often when we hear a convincing interior voice, we follow it. However, to make wise decisions, St. Ignatius believes that we have to pay attention to which voice is speaking. For example, if the Lord is speaking, follow Him; if the evil spirit is speaking, reject it, no matter how convincing it is. So how can we tell which voice is speaking?
Today’s first reading illustrates one useful rule: sometimes we just need someone outside of us to help! When Saul grows jealous of David and plans to kill him, it is Saul’s son Jonathan who helps Saul to see how the evil spirit has gripped his heart. After all, David is a loyal and talented servant, Jonathan says, and to kill him would be to murder an innocent man. Saul, previously blind to his own foolishness, sees clearly that Jonathan is right: the voice in his heart is not the voice of the Lord. Saul lets David live.
Often, we find ourselves in a similar situation: we are blind to how the evil spirit has convinced us of things we know to be false. In these times, we might just need a loved one, a friend, or a spiritual director to remind us of what is true, of who we really are. Today, let’s rely on and give thanks for the people in our lives who help us to know ourselves better.