Scruples and moderation: understanding the advice of Saint Ignatius of Loyola
Towards the end of the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola there is a curious section entitled "Some notes concerning scruples". Scrupulousness is one of those annoying spiritual problems that we don't always recognize but that can give us a lot of pain if left unchecked. Believe me, I know!
Ever heard of scrupulousness? How about Catholic blame? Scrupulousness is guilty of Catholic fault or, as Sant'Alfonso Liguori explains:
“A conscience is scrupulous when, for a frivolous reason and without rational basis, there is a frequent fear of sin even if in reality there is no sin. A scruple is a defective understanding of something "(Moral Theology, Alphonsus de Liguori: Selected Writings, ed. Frederick M. Jones, C. Ss. R., p. 322).
When you are obsessed with something being done "well", you may be scrupulous.
When a cloud of anxiety and doubt hovers over the minutiae of your faith and moral life, you may be scrupulous.
When you fear obsessive thoughts and feelings and use prayer and the sacraments compulsively to get rid of them, you may be scrupulous.
The advice of Saint Ignatius to face the scruples could surprise the person who lives them. In a world of excess, greed and violence, in which sin is transmitted publicly and without shame, one might think that we Christians must practice more prayer and penance to be effective witnesses of God's saving grace. I could not agree more .
But for the scrupulous person, asceticism is exactly the wrong approach to living a joyful life with Jesus Christ, says St. Ignatius. His advice points the scrupulous person - and their directors - towards a different solution.
Moderation as a key to holiness
St. Ignatius of Loyola emphasizes that in their spiritual and moral lives, people tend to be relaxed in their faith or to be scrupulous, that we have a natural inclination in one way or another.
The devil's tactic, therefore, is to further attempt the person in laxity or scrupulousness, according to their inclination. The relaxed person becomes more relaxed, allowing himself too much tiredness, while the scrupulous person becomes more and more enslaved by his doubts and his perfectionism. Therefore, the pastoral response to each of these scenarios must be different. The relaxed person must practice the discipline to remember to trust God more. The scrupulous person must exercise moderation to let go and have more trust in God. Saint Ignatius says:
“A soul who wishes to progress in the spiritual life must always act contrary to that of the enemy. If the enemy tries to relax consciousness, one must strive to make it more sensitive. If the enemy strives to make consciousness delicate in order to bring it to excess, the soul must strive to settle firmly in a moderate course so that in all things it can preserve itself in peace. "(No. 350)
Scrupulous people stick to such high standards and often think they need more discipline, more rules, more time for prayer, more Confession, to find the peace that God promises. This is not only a wrong approach, says St. Ignatius, but a dangerous trap set by the devil to keep the soul enslaved. Practicing moderation in religious practice and clemency in making decisions - do not sweat the little things - is the path to holiness for the scrupulous person:
“If a devoted soul wishes to do something that is not contrary to the spirit of the Church or to the mind of superiors and which may be for the glory of God our Lord, a thought or temptation from outside may come without saying or doing it. In this regard, apparent reasons can be put forward, such as the fact that it is motivated by vainglory or some other imperfect intention, etc. In such cases one should raise his mind to his Creator and Lord, and if he sees that what he is about to do is in accordance with the service of God, or at least not the other way around, he should act directly against temptation. "(N. 351)
Spiritual writer Trent Beattie summarizes St. Ignatius' advice: "If in doubt, it doesn't count!" Or in dubiis, libertas ("where there is doubt, there is freedom"). In other words, we scrupulous are allowed to do the normal things that others do as long as they are not explicitly condemned by the teaching of the Church, as expressed by the Church itself.
(I will note that the Saints also had opposing views on some controversial topics - for example modest clothing. Don't get bogged down in debates - if you are unsure, ask your spiritual director or go to the Catechism. Remember: when in doubt, it doesn't count!)
In fact, not only do we have permission, but we scrupulous are encouraged to do just what is causing our scruples! Again, as long as he is not explicitly sentenced. This practice is not only the recommendation of St. Ignatius and other saints, but it is also consistent with the practices of modern behavior therapy for the treatment of people with obsessive compulsive disorder.
Moderation is difficult because it seems to be lukewarm. If there is one deeply repugnant and frightening thing for the scrupulous person, it is being lukewarm in the practice of faith. It could also make him doubt the orthodoxy of even the trusted spiritual director and professional advisers.
The scrupulous person must resist these feelings and fears, says Saint Ignatius. He must be humble and submit to the guidance of others to let go. He must see his scruples as temptations.
The relaxed person may not understand it, but this is a cross for the scrupulous person. No matter how unhappy we can be, it makes us feel more comfortable getting stuck in our perfectionism than accepting our limits and entrusting our imperfections to the mercy of God. Practicing moderation means letting go of any deep fear we have to trust in God's abundant mercy. When Jesus says to the scrupulous person: "Deny yourself, take your cross and follow me", this is what he means.
How to understand moderation as a virtue
One thing that could help the scrupulous person to understand that practicing moderation leads to growth in virtue - true virtue - is to reimagine the relationship between scrupulousness, laxity and the virtues of faith and right judgment.
St. Thomas Aquinas, following Aristotle, teaches that virtue is the "means" between the extremes of two opposing vices. Unfortunately, when many scrupulous people feel means, extremes or moderation.
The instinct of the scrupulous person is to behave as if being more religious is better (if he can see his compulsions as unhealthy). Following the Book of Revelation, it associates "hot" with being more religious versus "cold" with being less religious. Therefore, his idea of the "bad" is linked to his idea of "lukewarm". For him, moderation is not virtue, but presumption, turning a blind eye to one's sin.
Now, it is entirely possible to become lukewarm in the practice of our faith. But it is important to realize that being "hot" is not the same as being scrupulous. "Hot" is drawn near the devouring fire of God's love. "Hot" is giving us entirely to God, living for him and in him.
Here we see virtue as dynamic: while the scrupulous person learns to trust God and releasing his grip on his perfectionist tendencies, he moves away from scrupulousness, ever closer to God. At the opposite end, while the relaxed person grows in discipline and zeal, in the same way is getting closer to God. The "bad" is not a confused medium, a mix of two vices, but an exponential striving towards union with God, which (first of all) is attracting us towards himself same.
The wonderful thing about growing in virtue through the practice of moderation is that, at some point and with the guidance of a spiritual director, we can offer God a greater sacrifice of prayer, fasting and works of mercy in a spirit of freedom rather than in a spirit of compulsory fear. Let us not abandon penance all together; rather, these acts are rightly ordered the more we learn to accept and live God's mercy.
But first, moderation. Sweetness is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. When we scrupulously practice kindness towards ourselves by acting in moderation, we act as God would like. He wants us to know his gentle kindness and the power of his love.
Saint Ignatius, pray for us!