TRAINING THE CONSCIENCE TO HELP IN DISCERNMENT

When evil arises in your heart, you must resist it, whether it comes from your heart unaided by the three evil spirits or from the three evil spirits. But it would be helpful, for discernment purposes, to know where the evil movement is coming from. 

Your conscience could be misled if you think an act is sinful when it is not. Or if you think an act comes from you when it comes from the three evil spirits. 

To think that all evil desires come from the soul is to think that the soul is the devil, which is an error. The soul may take the functions of the devil and may even be described as devilish but, by nature, it is not a devil. So, by contrition, confession and amendment, it can recover its goodness and be saved -- and become one of God's special saints here on earth. 

Discernment, therefore, is to know where each evil desire comes from and responding to them accordingly. 

(05-07-02)