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God's Voice Within: The Ignatian Way to Discover God's Will
Learn to discern God's will by developing your spiritual intuition.
Many of us do not trust our own thoughts, feelings, and desires when it comes to discerning God's will. Instead, we look outside ourselves to determine what God wants from and for us. In God's Voice Within, spiritual director Mark E. Thibodeaux, SJ, shows us how to access our own spiritual intuition and helps us understand that the most trustworthy wisdom of all comes not from outside sources, but from God working through us.
Following the principles of Ignatian spirituality, Fr. Thibodeaux helps us understand that the decisions we make in life are always undergirded by one of two the false spirit or the true spirit. He thoughtfully explains how to recognize each of these spirits, how to respond to each one, and how to move from discerning spirits to actually making decisions consistent with God's will for our lives.
By learning to discern what is at the root of our actions and emotions, we are well prepared to respond to God's promptings inside us rather than unconsciously reacting to life around us.
Many of us do not trust our own thoughts, feelings, and desires when it comes to discerning God's will. Instead, we look outside ourselves to determine what God wants from and for us. In God's Voice Within, spiritual director Mark E. Thibodeaux, SJ, shows us how to access our own spiritual intuition and helps us understand that the most trustworthy wisdom of all comes not from outside sources, but from God working through us.
Following the principles of Ignatian spirituality, Fr. Thibodeaux helps us understand that the decisions we make in life are always undergirded by one of two the false spirit or the true spirit. He thoughtfully explains how to recognize each of these spirits, how to respond to each one, and how to move from discerning spirits to actually making decisions consistent with God's will for our lives.
By learning to discern what is at the root of our actions and emotions, we are well prepared to respond to God's promptings inside us rather than unconsciously reacting to life around us.
251 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2010
276 people are currently reading
640 people want to read
About the author
Mark E. Thibodeaux
10 books28 followersRev. Father Mark E. Thibodeaux, SJ, is a spiritual director for Jesuits in formation, with a focus on prayer and discernment.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
December 24, 2024
The Lord has been kind to reveal his inner voice to me from my elementary school years. Yet growing up in a fairly intellectually religious home, I often found myself discounting such experiences or being told I was making things up. I found this book deeply helpful for several reasons. For one, it puts language to something that was never helpfully embraced or cultivated for me in the early growing years of my faith, which results in some level of healing my child’s heart for Jesus at the same time that I get to press into him even more fully and personally as an adult. Second, it’s something I’d feel confident giving to friends who may not currently experience a more active inner-spirit life and want to pursue God in new ways, or who simply desire understanding for how the Lord meets so many people. And third, it is a helpful straight stick of historical encounter with God against which to compare my experiences and seekings. Reading this amid a nine-month journey through the Ignatian exercises and to inform a major period of discernment in my life feels significant in its grounding, challenge, and care.
This book also has a really helpful structure, context, and pacing that I found palatable and easy to follow even as its topics often required (and will continue to require) me putting the book down every few pages to journal for another three. It stirs up a lot of things about self and God and relationships worth taking the time to wrestle over. Take it slowly.
My genuine but unhelpful review would be: y’all, prayer is so good!!!
This book also has a really helpful structure, context, and pacing that I found palatable and easy to follow even as its topics often required (and will continue to require) me putting the book down every few pages to journal for another three. It stirs up a lot of things about self and God and relationships worth taking the time to wrestle over. Take it slowly.
My genuine but unhelpful review would be: y’all, prayer is so good!!!
April 19, 2021
Summary: An exploration of Ignatius Rules of Discernment primarily focused on exploring decision making.
As I have said before, I am exploring the concept of discernment, especially around Ignatius' Rules of Discernment this year. Similar to What's Your Decision, God's Voice Within is an introduction to the Rules of Discernment focused on decision making. God's Voice Within is a bit broader in approach than What's Your Decision, but they are different enough that I think they can be companion books, at least to compare how the two attempt to present Ignatian decision making.
Two quotes to set the stage:
"Discernment would be simple if we could identify the five, or twelve, or twenty-five fail-proof steps to making good choices. But choices are not the result of mere rational exercise; choices come out of who we are as well as out of what we think. That is why discernment is not a system but a process, and it’s a process we must learn, and apply, and then learn some more." p1
and
"Ignatian discernment, then, isn’t so much about what to do but about who to be. It’s about becoming a person in tune with the movements that lead toward God. The doing will flow from the being." p6
Thibodeaux is not talking about a system of decision making; he is more focused on a lifestyle or process of continually seeking after God, which leads to an orientation of seeking after God's will in all areas of our life.
The Rules of Discernment are two sets of broad guidelines to help spiritual directors assist others in discerning the work of God (and Satan) so that you are oriented toward God's path for your life and away from Satan's. Generally, the focus on our emotions, experience and the conformation of our community (spiritual director, family, friends, etc.) leads us to see God at work "in all things" around us. As I have said in other places, Ignatius assumes that emotion is part of what God has created us to have, and it is also part of how God communicates with us. Ignatius does not automatically trust emotion and experience; that is what the rules are for, to help discern where the emotion and experience are part of God's direction and communication and where we are being tempted away from God, either directly by satan or by our own fallen nature.
Emotion and experience are often dismissed as unreliable in many Protestant theological conceptions. And I think I have over-intellectualized my faith and repressed emotion at times. Two years of Ignatian Spiritual Direction training have in part reoriented me to a more positive understanding of emotion and experience. Often, emotion and experience are presented as either all or nothing; you either trust them completely or completely dismiss them. Ignatius does neither. He accepts them as real but then tests them for signs that they from God or not.
Many people are familiar with the concept of 'the true self' and 'the false self.' That has tended to be a psychological orientation when used by modern Christian mystics to discuss how we are to orient toward God post-Freud. Still, those concepts can be found much earlier and with a less overtly psychological orientation.
Part of what I appreciate about Ignatius is that not everything is about sin. Ignatius talks a lot about consolation, the feeling of well-being or grace that comes from God and moves us toward God, and desolation, the absence of God or despair, causes us to isolate and withdraw from God and those around us. Ignatius does say that desolation can be caused by sin, but he also has categories of desolation that are not caused by sin; it is simply allowed by God, and God can use that desolation for our growth, even if God does not cause it.
What is more explicit in God's Voice within than a couple of the other books I have read on the rules of discernment is what we should be doing when in desolation and consultation for our spiritual benefit.
Eight Ways to Deal with Desolation 1. Name it. 2. Make no unnecessary changes. 3. Rely on your support network. 4. Consider logistical or moral causes. 5. Be aware of the false angel of light. 6. Be firm with the false spirit. 7. Be gentle with yourself. 8. Have faith that God is at work in your desolation. p 103
One of the metaphors that Thibodeaux uses to understanding consolation and desolation is sailing. Some who have not sailed before may not understand that whether the wind is behind you or in front of you, you can still sail, although you will use the wind differently depending on the direction it is coming from. But if there is no wind, there is not much that can be done to move a sailboat. Ignatius then is trying to help his readers use both consolation and desolation to move our spiritual life and not just rely on the lightness of consolation.
Thibodeaux and Ignatius are also not ignoring sin. Sin does have an impact. However, our spiritual life is not simply sin avoidance. Sin can cause us to hide. So transparency around sin, openly admitting sin and temptation can help counter the power of sin.
Recently I said to my mentor, “I need to tell you about something, not because I think it is a problem but for the sake of transparency.” I then told him of feelings I was having that were embarrassing to me—that I would rather not have told anyone. He listened well, and we then had a great conversation about it. Looking back on that moment, I still don’t believe the feelings I was having would have become a problem, but I have a strong sense that speaking it aloud to someone provided a fortification against the “agitations and temptations” of the false spirit. p56
Simple avoidance often empowers sin, which is the difficulty with books like Everyman's Battle, which teaches sin avoidance, instead of books like All that is Good, which teaches us to embrace the good so that it crowds out the power that temptation can hold over us. That does not mean we ignore temptation; we do need to identify triggers and our personal weaknesses toward sin and temptation so that we are not opening ourselves up to temptation in ways that are unhelpful. Seeking after God's goodness is generally a better method of dealing with sin than sin avoidance schemes.
Toward the end of the book there is a long discussion of the process of being open to God's direction through prayer and exploration of options, seeking of advice, etc. It lays out a method or approach that I think is generally helpful and wise.
One concerns that I have is that because of our culture, much of the orientation to reading Ignatius' Rules of Discernment is focused on decision making. Decision making is one of the methods of using the Rules of Discernment, but the main focus is on seeing the movement of God in our lives. Seeing God at work is not only decision making and I do think that we can emphasize our own decision making too strongly. Similar to my discussion of sin avoidance above, paying attention to decision making too much can distract us from the larger purpose of seeing God at work around us.
One last quote that I think summarizes why I have appreciated Ignatius' approach:
Many spiritual writers of Ignatius’s day spoke of desires as obstacles to God’s will. A person was supposed to suppress his desires—to eliminate them whenever possible. But Ignatius held the radical notion that God dwells within our desires. Not only are desires not evil, but they are also one of God’s primary instruments of communicating to us. God inflames the heart with holy desires and with attractions toward a life of greater divine praise and service. Unlike many of his religious contemporaries of the sixteenth century, Ignatius did not seek to quash desires but to tap into the deepest desires of the heart, trusting that it is God who has placed them there. The soul is the place where God’s desires and my desires intersect. p167
January 11, 2012
Loved it. Much easier to understand than other books I've read on the Spiritual Exercises.
February 5, 2025
“In first-century Palestine, each shepherd had a unique call that his own sheep recognized immediately” (7).
"I'm not asking myself how big or how heroic my actions were but rather, 'Did these actions lead to greater faith, hope, and love?'" (17).
"There will always be agitations, negative feelings, temptations, and upsetting thoughts. What the discerner needs to pay attention to is the extent to which these negative movements within him disturb his peace of mind" (21).
"The confusion of desolation causes a person to get bogged down in the details of the journey while forgetting the ultimate destination" (25).
"The opposite of life, then, is not death but tepidity, tediousness, boredom, blandness, indifference, lethargy" (28).
"I am in desolation when I become preoccupied by false futures of impending doom. I become convinced that, just around the corner, things will go badly for me. Rather than remain in the present, I dwell on frightening possibilities that will never happen" (30).
"what fear does to everyone: it causes us to hoard things, people, emotions, and our own gifts and talents rather than relish and share them. The gift hoarded and unused goes bad and must be thrown away" (32).
"I am in desolation when I am empty of faith, hope, and love [and of] the sense of God's being close to me, and when I am filled with some combination of 'disquietude' (restlessness) and agitation, boredom and tepidity (apathy), fear and worry, and secrecy" (16).
"I am in consolation when I have faith, hope, and love, the sense of God's closeness, peace and tranquility, great desires, and transparency" (44).
"The courage of consolation is an assured confidence that God will provide for those who are doing God's work" (53).
"a sure sign of the presence of the true spirit are the holy desires that inflame my heart to do good in the world...When I am in tune with God's ever-creative love, I, too, have that passion to create, that desire to bring forth new life" (55).
"The powerful effects of shame make the person afraid to identify the act aloud...Naming the act in blunt and unambiguous terms reveals its smallness before the mighty love and mercy of God...Leaving the act unnamed feeds its power, but naming it allows the person to take ownership of it. Only after he claims the act as his own, can he give it over to Christ" (64).
"Ritual allows my body to act out what my soul is longing to articulate" (78).
"For a devout Christian, desolation often begins with good thoughts, feelings, or actions" (89).
Eight Ways to Deal with Desolation:
1. Name it
2. Make no unnecessary changes
3. Rely on your support network
4. Consider logistical or moral causes
5. Be aware of the false angel of light
6. Be firm with the false spirit
7. Be gentle with yourself
8. Have faith that God is at work in your desolation
"When one enjoys consolation, let him consider how he will conduct himself during the time of ensuing desolation and store up a supply of strength as defense against that day" (St. Ignatius).
"When in desolation, I am often incapable of sensing God's presence in my life. During these difficult periods, I must simply choose to believe that God is present, even though I have no evidence. During consolation, then, it is important to look back on those dark moments in order to recognize the hand of God in them...Looking backward to see how God was with me, guiding me, loving me all along, will increase the joy of consolation and help me act in faith--confidence in God's presence--the next time I am in desolation" (121).
Four Ways to Prepare for Desolation:
1. Observe the course of thoughts
2. Look out for false consolations
3. Attend to vulnerabilities
4. Seek God in your painful past
Importance of journaling: "If I am writing down what I perceive while in consolation, then I'll have something to return to the next time I am in desolation and my assessments become dark and cloudy" (125).
"Ignatius was interested in building not a process of discernment but rather a person of discernment" (151).
"In making a good discernment, a person typically will (1) get quiet, (2) gather data, (3) dream dreams, (4) ponder the dreams" (152).
"Even for an experienced discerner, the movements of the spirits are simply too subtle to detect without quieting down for a little while each day" (153).
"as an indifferent discerner, I can contemplate my desires without being a servant to them. Without indifference, the desires of my heart will manipulate my discernment, perhaps even without my noticing. But if I am indifferent--if I am ready to serve God in any capacity God wishes--then I can read those desires in the way a meteorologist reads his data-collecting instruments" (167).
"We fall into sin when we are ignorant of the true, God-given desires beneath the apparent desires. We sin, not because we are in touch with our desires, but precisely because we are not in touch with them!" (168).
"It is crucial that I not allow the false spirit to chip away at the joy of having made a well-discerned choice...If the spirit of desolation does not succeed in thwarting God's will, then it will try to take a little of the accompanying joy that follows closely behind a decision well made" (205-6).
"When I am in a postcommitment desolation, a temptation for me will be to compare the worst days of my current life, living with this commitment, with the best days of my life before I made my commitment" (210).
"I'm not asking myself how big or how heroic my actions were but rather, 'Did these actions lead to greater faith, hope, and love?'" (17).
"There will always be agitations, negative feelings, temptations, and upsetting thoughts. What the discerner needs to pay attention to is the extent to which these negative movements within him disturb his peace of mind" (21).
"The confusion of desolation causes a person to get bogged down in the details of the journey while forgetting the ultimate destination" (25).
"The opposite of life, then, is not death but tepidity, tediousness, boredom, blandness, indifference, lethargy" (28).
"I am in desolation when I become preoccupied by false futures of impending doom. I become convinced that, just around the corner, things will go badly for me. Rather than remain in the present, I dwell on frightening possibilities that will never happen" (30).
"what fear does to everyone: it causes us to hoard things, people, emotions, and our own gifts and talents rather than relish and share them. The gift hoarded and unused goes bad and must be thrown away" (32).
"I am in desolation when I am empty of faith, hope, and love [and of] the sense of God's being close to me, and when I am filled with some combination of 'disquietude' (restlessness) and agitation, boredom and tepidity (apathy), fear and worry, and secrecy" (16).
"I am in consolation when I have faith, hope, and love, the sense of God's closeness, peace and tranquility, great desires, and transparency" (44).
"The courage of consolation is an assured confidence that God will provide for those who are doing God's work" (53).
"a sure sign of the presence of the true spirit are the holy desires that inflame my heart to do good in the world...When I am in tune with God's ever-creative love, I, too, have that passion to create, that desire to bring forth new life" (55).
"The powerful effects of shame make the person afraid to identify the act aloud...Naming the act in blunt and unambiguous terms reveals its smallness before the mighty love and mercy of God...Leaving the act unnamed feeds its power, but naming it allows the person to take ownership of it. Only after he claims the act as his own, can he give it over to Christ" (64).
"Ritual allows my body to act out what my soul is longing to articulate" (78).
"For a devout Christian, desolation often begins with good thoughts, feelings, or actions" (89).
Eight Ways to Deal with Desolation:
1. Name it
2. Make no unnecessary changes
3. Rely on your support network
4. Consider logistical or moral causes
5. Be aware of the false angel of light
6. Be firm with the false spirit
7. Be gentle with yourself
8. Have faith that God is at work in your desolation
"When one enjoys consolation, let him consider how he will conduct himself during the time of ensuing desolation and store up a supply of strength as defense against that day" (St. Ignatius).
"When in desolation, I am often incapable of sensing God's presence in my life. During these difficult periods, I must simply choose to believe that God is present, even though I have no evidence. During consolation, then, it is important to look back on those dark moments in order to recognize the hand of God in them...Looking backward to see how God was with me, guiding me, loving me all along, will increase the joy of consolation and help me act in faith--confidence in God's presence--the next time I am in desolation" (121).
Four Ways to Prepare for Desolation:
1. Observe the course of thoughts
2. Look out for false consolations
3. Attend to vulnerabilities
4. Seek God in your painful past
Importance of journaling: "If I am writing down what I perceive while in consolation, then I'll have something to return to the next time I am in desolation and my assessments become dark and cloudy" (125).
"Ignatius was interested in building not a process of discernment but rather a person of discernment" (151).
"In making a good discernment, a person typically will (1) get quiet, (2) gather data, (3) dream dreams, (4) ponder the dreams" (152).
"Even for an experienced discerner, the movements of the spirits are simply too subtle to detect without quieting down for a little while each day" (153).
"as an indifferent discerner, I can contemplate my desires without being a servant to them. Without indifference, the desires of my heart will manipulate my discernment, perhaps even without my noticing. But if I am indifferent--if I am ready to serve God in any capacity God wishes--then I can read those desires in the way a meteorologist reads his data-collecting instruments" (167).
"We fall into sin when we are ignorant of the true, God-given desires beneath the apparent desires. We sin, not because we are in touch with our desires, but precisely because we are not in touch with them!" (168).
"It is crucial that I not allow the false spirit to chip away at the joy of having made a well-discerned choice...If the spirit of desolation does not succeed in thwarting God's will, then it will try to take a little of the accompanying joy that follows closely behind a decision well made" (205-6).
"When I am in a postcommitment desolation, a temptation for me will be to compare the worst days of my current life, living with this commitment, with the best days of my life before I made my commitment" (210).
December 8, 2020
God's Voice Within reads as a handbook of Ignatian spirituality, particularly discernment. Thibodeaux writes to an audience that is (hopefully) familiar with Ignatius and in some sort of spiritual direction. While it's not necessarily a worksheet you can fill out to discern God's will, it is a handbook that can help you stay on the right path when discerning.
Thibodeaux writes to a larger audience than just the religious, which is really helpful to a married person like myself. He makes use of stories, and reflections on those stories, which help the reader test the waters of Ignatian discernment hypothetically before applying it personally. With precision and grace, he infuses embodiment into every step of discernment. (How many bad decisions have I made when hungry?) One of the stories (told on pages 86-88) tackles the subject of desolation as a brain problem, as depression needing medication, which I found very helpful. Too often any form of mood disorder is treated solely as a spiritual problem, when there are often biological factors at play, too. Thibodeaux emphasized that spiritual practices can work best in concert with medication: "Though the therapy and spiritual direction were nurturing and helpful, everyone felt confident that it was the medication that truly made the difference...the therapist and the medication were truly God's instruments of healing her life."
He also writes, "If it is a fairly serious psychological problem, it would be impossible to find the solutions to the problem through prayer alone. It would be like consulting the Bible to learn how to make chicken gumbo. God has gifted the world with medical technology and with advances in psychotherapy. God wants us to receive these gifts and to utilize them as we proceed through life and continue to grow spiritually." (88) Not utilizing these helpful advances when necessary is like refusing to eat dinner and complaining of hunger. Let us not discard these gifts when God works through those who made them, and continues to make them effective!
At the end of the book, Thibodeaux provides a glossary of terms, a list of Scripture passages for meditation, resources for further reading and personal connection, and the text of Ignatius's Rules for the Discernment of Spirits. This is a wonderful resource for anyone in need of direction in the practice of discernment. I'm eager to discuss it more with my spiritual director and get a copy for my own reference.
Thibodeaux writes to a larger audience than just the religious, which is really helpful to a married person like myself. He makes use of stories, and reflections on those stories, which help the reader test the waters of Ignatian discernment hypothetically before applying it personally. With precision and grace, he infuses embodiment into every step of discernment. (How many bad decisions have I made when hungry?) One of the stories (told on pages 86-88) tackles the subject of desolation as a brain problem, as depression needing medication, which I found very helpful. Too often any form of mood disorder is treated solely as a spiritual problem, when there are often biological factors at play, too. Thibodeaux emphasized that spiritual practices can work best in concert with medication: "Though the therapy and spiritual direction were nurturing and helpful, everyone felt confident that it was the medication that truly made the difference...the therapist and the medication were truly God's instruments of healing her life."
He also writes, "If it is a fairly serious psychological problem, it would be impossible to find the solutions to the problem through prayer alone. It would be like consulting the Bible to learn how to make chicken gumbo. God has gifted the world with medical technology and with advances in psychotherapy. God wants us to receive these gifts and to utilize them as we proceed through life and continue to grow spiritually." (88) Not utilizing these helpful advances when necessary is like refusing to eat dinner and complaining of hunger. Let us not discard these gifts when God works through those who made them, and continues to make them effective!
At the end of the book, Thibodeaux provides a glossary of terms, a list of Scripture passages for meditation, resources for further reading and personal connection, and the text of Ignatius's Rules for the Discernment of Spirits. This is a wonderful resource for anyone in need of direction in the practice of discernment. I'm eager to discuss it more with my spiritual director and get a copy for my own reference.
June 21, 2025
This is a book filled with wisdom about the spirit of consolation and desolation. It’s a well structured book, such that it gave me the tools to recognize the season of desolation that I was living in and hope for a season of consolation while not trying to force myself in a discernment process that wouldn’t have been appropriate given my current season. I learned how to identify the voices of faith, hope, love, generosity that accompany consolation, and the fear, irritability, confusion, disconnect of desolation and what to do in those seasons. I was fascinated by the Ignatian Way and the retreat that Thibodeaux described as well. And I am very grateful for the tools I was given to discern wisely and patiently during the months following my reading the book.
I’d recommend the book for someone who is further along in their early years in ministry and is nearing a fork in their path (perhaps a commitment renewal/termination) or is feeling tired and disconnected from God and is searching for some practical wisdom.
I’d recommend the book for someone who is further along in their early years in ministry and is nearing a fork in their path (perhaps a commitment renewal/termination) or is feeling tired and disconnected from God and is searching for some practical wisdom.
September 23, 2025
This book has been extremely helpful for me as I have been navigating a time of desolation. The book provides concrete principles that can be followed for times of desolation as well as consolation. As I am also in a time of discernment, it also has helped me have concrete steps to follow in the may discernment process.
November 13, 2022
Great practical read. Really needed this one right now.
October 22, 2025
I am fascinated by the idea of spiritual direction using the Ignatian Way. This book does a good job of talking about the impact of the tool but I was left unclear on the mechanics of the tool itself. Perhaps it is a reading comprehension problem on my part as the reader. Or maybe it is deliberate, perhaps the tool is for people with specialized training and isn't fully explained here because a book is not the appropriate teaching tool. Which is a valid concern. I appreciate the book for what it is while wishing it was a bit more.
December 27, 2021
This did take me a really long time to read but I am so happy I did. It provides many helpful guidelines and clear examples.
Makes you excited to use these tools in the journey ahead!
Makes you excited to use these tools in the journey ahead!
August 29, 2024
Good the second time.
March 25, 2022
Extremely helpful in my understanding of discernment! Highly recommend to anyone with a daily prayer life!
May 30, 2024
Simple, accessible, powerful, helpful, just a great book to read for big decisions but also small, day-to-day ones.
January 8, 2024
This non-fiction book about Jesuit spirituality was my Christmas Season reading; I have read books by this author before (he originally came from Church Point, which is where I end up when I get lost driving in SouthWestCentral Louisiana), and has a very engaging style. He uses the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola as a guide for making decisions large and small, and I enjoyed reading this book.
The good Father begins the book by discussing good and bad spirits in one’s being; a good spirit will help put us in consolation, while a bad spirit will plunge us into desolation. Once we can recognize the difference, we can use these movements in our psyches to make decisions. Throughout the book he gives examples, which he candidly notes may or may not represent actually cases he knows about. Once we realize that a decision needs to be made, he tells us, again based on the Spiritual Exercises, how to do our best to discern what God might wish us to do (keeping in mind that God may be using our decision as a stepping-stone to later decisions).
This was a wonderful book to read; I am not one that can afford to take the full Spiritual Exercises (which are typically done over thirty days, while meeting one-on-one with a Spiritual Director), but I love reading about how I can become a better Catholic and a better person.
The good Father begins the book by discussing good and bad spirits in one’s being; a good spirit will help put us in consolation, while a bad spirit will plunge us into desolation. Once we can recognize the difference, we can use these movements in our psyches to make decisions. Throughout the book he gives examples, which he candidly notes may or may not represent actually cases he knows about. Once we realize that a decision needs to be made, he tells us, again based on the Spiritual Exercises, how to do our best to discern what God might wish us to do (keeping in mind that God may be using our decision as a stepping-stone to later decisions).
This was a wonderful book to read; I am not one that can afford to take the full Spiritual Exercises (which are typically done over thirty days, while meeting one-on-one with a Spiritual Director), but I love reading about how I can become a better Catholic and a better person.
March 31, 2020
I've been working through this book for a few months now, per the recommendation of my mother. It's been a timely read, and it is a great introduction to St. Ignatius' Spiritual Exercises. I had no prior experience with St. Ignatius' way of discernment and was pleasantly surprised at how some points were similar to methods and understandings I had developed through my own reflections. This is likely going to be a book I heavily reference in the future since discernment is a life-long journey. I also will likely read more about this Ignatian way with other books as well.
Thibodeaux did an excellent job writing and organizing this book. It's clear, easy to understand, and the plethora of examples are great illustrations on how these exercises can look in everyday life. As an introduction to the Spiritual Exercises I think it's a great book. Since it's written for a modern audience it is great to help you start this journey, especially if you (like me) plan to dive deeper into more works from Ignatius/about Ignatius.
Thibodeaux did an excellent job writing and organizing this book. It's clear, easy to understand, and the plethora of examples are great illustrations on how these exercises can look in everyday life. As an introduction to the Spiritual Exercises I think it's a great book. Since it's written for a modern audience it is great to help you start this journey, especially if you (like me) plan to dive deeper into more works from Ignatius/about Ignatius.
February 16, 2023
Recommended to me by one of my elders, a fellow enneagram one. It provides a systematic way to move toward peace, hope, and love in all things. The coolest concept in the book: Ignatian indifference.
I read a library copy but ordered one to keep for future reference.
A shortcoming: the author's social location seems very privileged; most of the illustrations he uses are about upper-middle-class people (I swear 99% of them went to Jesuit schools & grappled with decisions like whether to leave one law firm for another...must be nice!). These occasional "this book isn't for me" feelings reminded me very much of my response to a breakout session of a women's conference I went to 15-20 years ago. The keynote speaker's college-age daughter went on and on and on about choosing her major as though it were a literal life/death decision, and how God led her to the right choice. These privileged voices don't need any more platforming.
I also wish his approach was at least slightly trauma-informed & included more side bars for people with anxiety disorders.
I read a library copy but ordered one to keep for future reference.
A shortcoming: the author's social location seems very privileged; most of the illustrations he uses are about upper-middle-class people (I swear 99% of them went to Jesuit schools & grappled with decisions like whether to leave one law firm for another...must be nice!). These occasional "this book isn't for me" feelings reminded me very much of my response to a breakout session of a women's conference I went to 15-20 years ago. The keynote speaker's college-age daughter went on and on and on about choosing her major as though it were a literal life/death decision, and how God led her to the right choice. These privileged voices don't need any more platforming.
I also wish his approach was at least slightly trauma-informed & included more side bars for people with anxiety disorders.
February 23, 2019
An excellent breakdown of Ignatian Discernment. I got this book to read as part of a book club, spread out over 3 to 4 sessions, and sadly was not able to attend any. I say that as I think I would have gotten even more out of this book if I had someone to discuss it with.
It did get a little repetitive in some cases, but there were concrete examples of consolation and desolation, and false consolation and false desolation. I can't say for sure that I really understand it, but I received a few glimmers and flashes of "ah ha".
This book could be semi identified as self help, as it guides the reader through steps to take. I doubt I would read it cover to cover again, but this book is staying in my collection as I could see myself picking it up to read a particular chapter here and there.
It did get a little repetitive in some cases, but there were concrete examples of consolation and desolation, and false consolation and false desolation. I can't say for sure that I really understand it, but I received a few glimmers and flashes of "ah ha".
This book could be semi identified as self help, as it guides the reader through steps to take. I doubt I would read it cover to cover again, but this book is staying in my collection as I could see myself picking it up to read a particular chapter here and there.
July 13, 2022
When I read the foreword and discovered it was by James Martin, I should have stopped there.
This book reads like cliff notes on St. Ignatius written by a modernist. It's not that the book is horrible, but it's very shallow and has had the spirituality stripped out of Ignatian spirituality. Everything is psychological and about emotions. He even renames St Ignatius's spiritual terms to modern psychological terms.
Aside from the stripped out spirituality, again, it reads like Cliff notes, rather than a developed thought process. Chapters are 1-2 pages.
It's not that you can't get anything out of it, but it reads closer to Anthony Robbins than a Saint. You won't get what you should. I really thought this book would be more on the process of Ignatian discernment. I guess I will just read Ignatius autobiography instead.
This book reads like cliff notes on St. Ignatius written by a modernist. It's not that the book is horrible, but it's very shallow and has had the spirituality stripped out of Ignatian spirituality. Everything is psychological and about emotions. He even renames St Ignatius's spiritual terms to modern psychological terms.
Aside from the stripped out spirituality, again, it reads like Cliff notes, rather than a developed thought process. Chapters are 1-2 pages.
It's not that you can't get anything out of it, but it reads closer to Anthony Robbins than a Saint. You won't get what you should. I really thought this book would be more on the process of Ignatian discernment. I guess I will just read Ignatius autobiography instead.
June 18, 2025
I was Jesuit educated for 4 years and this is the BEST accessible introduction and summary of discernment I’ve come across. As the author talks about, the goal of Ignatian discernment is not to give you a road map to make the right decision but rather to help you become the kind of PERSON who decides well. The book is full of stories, examples, and paradigms that make this stuff easy to put in practice. I will absolutely be returning to this book. Not many people know how to simplify the thought of St. Ignatius without severely watering it down or misrepresenting it, but I think Thibodaux represents him very well.
June 25, 2024
This is an accessible, practical and beautifully-written book that clearly explains the Ignation practice of discernment.
Thibodeaux is an experienced and accomplished voice on Ignation Spirituality. In this book, he presents a clear discussion of an Ignatian view of discernment. Drawing from his own experience and the experience and wisdom of others, Thibodeaux provides helpful advice to anyone who may be facing big or difficult decisions in their life, or might be wondering what God's will for their life may be.
Thibodeaux is an experienced and accomplished voice on Ignation Spirituality. In this book, he presents a clear discussion of an Ignatian view of discernment. Drawing from his own experience and the experience and wisdom of others, Thibodeaux provides helpful advice to anyone who may be facing big or difficult decisions in their life, or might be wondering what God's will for their life may be.
February 5, 2018
Of the books I've read in recent years on Ignatian Spirituality, this one, 'God's Voice Within', is the most accessible. Written for those who know little about the topic, it takes us through foundations of deciding and discerning. Anecdotes and examples abound. Exercises are included in each chapter and a handy glossary of terms closes the volume. Easy to pick up, this book on the Ignatian way of deciding how our Christian lives is shaped is well worth a read.
December 8, 2020
Without much prior knowledge on Ignatian spirituality and the matter of discernment, this book has introduced me to the key concepts of desolation and consolation, and how these would influence the decisions we make. I found it to be an excellent read, very easy to follow, enriched by many life stories and illustrations provided by the author. As I was reading the book, I needed to make an important decision. This has proved to be instrumental in guiding me to discern God's will for my life.
February 26, 2022
I read this book slowly, often in little chunks as I waited for my spiritual directees to arrive for sessions. Thibodeaux writes plainly and honestly about Ignatian spirituality and how to apply Ignatius’s rules for discernment in everyday life. He captures the flexibility and applicability of the rules. He mixes storytelling with instruction.
This would be a good book for someone facing a big decision or just wanting to understand how St. Ignatius of Loyola is still relevant today.
This would be a good book for someone facing a big decision or just wanting to understand how St. Ignatius of Loyola is still relevant today.
August 6, 2023
The Ignatian Way of discerning made simple and easy to read.
I am new, even though I’ve heard about it before, to the Ignatian way of discerning and this book made easy for me to understand and give me good life examples on how to go about it. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to discern their everyday choices focused on what brings you closer to God and a happier life.
I am new, even though I’ve heard about it before, to the Ignatian way of discerning and this book made easy for me to understand and give me good life examples on how to go about it. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to discern their everyday choices focused on what brings you closer to God and a happier life.
January 4, 2025
A great insight on discernment- how discernment is more about a perspective and attitude towards decisions. Uncovering hidden motives and having an indifference to the material world and our own selfish desires. There’s lots to consider from a simplistic approach. It definitely brought me comfort to realize that discernment doesn’t have to be this overwhelming and complicated process weighting on me
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2025
I felt that for those of us who struggle to understand why we make right and wrong decisions and how we know, Thibodeaux provides a very readable understanding using St Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises. His own self review, the stories he used as examples, and the exercises he recommended for those who seek God’s encouragement as one of His beloved make this a book I will recommend.
May 15, 2017
If you are someone who is looking for a little reassurance that you are not the only one who feels like they do not know everything about what God wants/has planned for them, but would like to know more. This would be a good book for you.
February 3, 2019
Having read several other books on Ignatian discernment, this one felt the most practical. I expect to return to this book again and again when faced with actual decisions. This also finally helped me understand the distinctions between consolation & desolation in a straight forward way.
December 29, 2019
Practical and easy to read
Thibodeaux is an excellent teacher. He explains concepts with many examples and anecdotes. His writing is backed up with scripture, other authors, and experience.
Thibodeaux is an excellent teacher. He explains concepts with many examples and anecdotes. His writing is backed up with scripture, other authors, and experience.
March 31, 2020
Thank you Mark!
This book helped me discern God's call, I finally know my vocation and serve at St. Stephen First Martyr Catholic Church. I look forward to the Permanent Diaconate and serving the people of God, Amen! God bless you.
This book helped me discern God's call, I finally know my vocation and serve at St. Stephen First Martyr Catholic Church. I look forward to the Permanent Diaconate and serving the people of God, Amen! God bless you.
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