Jesuit Preaches On Ignatius' "The Discerment of Spirits"

"Be prepared for battle. We're in a spiritual battle and we need spiritual help. And the good news is-it's available," said Father Peter Ryan, a Jesuit priest who teaches at the Mount Seminary when asked what the most important message he wanted to get across during Thursday night's "Angels and Demons" presentation. The presentation was hosted by Campus Ministry and featured an array of speakers and skits, all focused on revealing the true nature of the spiritual beings - both angels, and demons.

Mount Chaplain, Fr. Brian Nolan, began the evening with a short talk describing what these mysterious spiritual beings are, and also what they are not. He talked about three common misconceptions about angels: That humans can somehow become angels when we die (sorry folks, you won't be getting wings after death-maybe try some Red Bull?), that talking about angels is like talking about fairy tales (aw, aren't they just cute and magical?), and the 'cuddly' guardian angel (no comment). Instead, angels are powerful beings who are messengers or ambassadors of God.

They are to be our helpers and protectors in this spiritual battle. There are also many misconceptions of the devil and demons. After a charming skit by junior Jonathan Gibbons, who played the mischievous yet harmless Englishman devil, Fr. Brian warned against overestimating or underestimating the power of the devil. He called all in attendance to be aware that the devil is "prowling around like a lion."

Next Fr. Peter Ryan took the stage to emphasize that "there are eternal consequences for who we have become, who we have shaped ourselves to be." Following St. Ignatius' Rules for Discernment of Spirit, he taught how we can discern between the good and evil spirits.

The night ended with an eerie skit by Daven Lemons, who played the all too real devil. The audience, captivated by such a reality check, did not know whether or not to clap at the conclusion of the presentation. Sophomore Kristin Parkinson said, "The devil performance was particularly frightening." Frightening because Lemons' performance shed light on the reality of how the devil works in our lives.

Sophomore Sarah Slaviak commented on the entire evening saying, "It suddenly hit me at the end of tonight how lucky I am to go to a Catholic school. "We are in a spiritual battle. "If it does not please you to serve the LORD, decide today who you will serve as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

The event reminded students: It's not an easy battle, but the choice is still up to you: Who will you serve?

Link (here)