Jean-Baptiste Berthier

“ We call spiritual desolation any darkening and disturbance of the mind instigating to low and earthly things ; also, every disquietude and agitation or temptation, which moves to distrust concerning salvation, and expels hope and charity, whence the soul finds herself all torpid, lukewarm, sorrowful, and, as it were, separated from her Creator and Lord. ”

“ Among the signs of God's will calling us to the most perfect state, there is this one, which is excellent, namely : when the soul feels that the difficulties of a perfect life, which appear so annoying to others, and formerly seemed so to herself, begin to grow light and pleasant. Another mark is, when thoughts of perfection constantly urge the soul to something better. ”

“ Although the intellect and will are so united in us that the one can make no choice without the assistance of the other, however, in the two states of the soul that have just been mentioned, the will precedes, and the intellect follows, carried away without reasoning and without hesitation in the direction of the will. [4] Whenever a soul is thus acted upon by grace, he who directs her must teach her the meaning of spiritual consolation and desolation. ”

“ A second time favorable for a right election is when the soul is under the influence of inspirations and interior motions so powerful, that, almost without any reasoning of the intellect, the will is borne on toward God and the practice of perfection. ”

“ When we find ourselves impelled toward the vanities of the world, to the enjoyments of sense, to useless desires, we may be sure that it is the bad spirit who is speaking to us, and we should drive him off with indignation. ”

“ Ignatius afford the surest means of making a right election. If, to the reasons furnished by the intellect for embracing perfection, be added experience of the dangers to be met with in the world, so as to make us sensible that salvation runs great risks there, we can act with much more certainty in our determination. ”

“ Liguori, "an angel from heaven to come and point out to us the career we have to follow, in order to correspond to God's designs in our regard. It is enough to set before our eyes the state which we think of embracing ”