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Office Of Readings | Week 4, Wednesday, Ordinary Time | A Reading From The Treatise On Spiritual Perfection By Diadochus Of Photice | The Art Of Discernment Of Spirits Is Acquired By A Spiritual Taste
‘The mind has a spiritual sense which teaches us to distinguish between good and evil.’
In this reading from On Spiritual Perfection, Diadochus of Photiké reflects on discernment, presenting it as a spiritual capacity formed by stillness, grace, and love. The mind, he argues, has a spiritual sense that enables it to distinguish reliably between good and evil when it is illuminated by true knowledge.
Diadochus begins by linking discernment to light. True knowledge brings clarity, allowing the mind to recognise the difference between what leads towards God and what draws away from him. This knowledge is not abstract information but a way of seeing shaped by love for God. The path of justice leads the mind into a light that does not diminish, because it is sustained by confident seeking of God.
A key condition for this clarity is interior stillness. Even in struggle, the mind must be kept calm. Diadochus explains that stillness allows a person to recognise the origin of thoughts. Thoughts inspired by God are to be welcomed and remembered, while those arising from evil are to be rejected. His comparison with the sea illustrates this clearly: when the sea is calm, its depths are visible; when it is stormy, even skill is of no use. In the same way, agitation clouds judgement, while peace reveals what lies beneath.
Diadochus then emphasises the role of the Holy Spirit. Discernment is not achieved by human effort alone. Only the Spirit can purify the mind and restore what has been taken by deception. For this reason, peace of soul is essential, as it provides a dwelling place for the Spirit. When the Spirit abides, the light of knowledge exposes temptation and weakens its influence.
Diadochus warns that this light can be lost if the Spirit is grieved. Drawing on the Apostle Saint Paul, Diadochus explains that while the Spirit himself is not diminished, his withdrawal leaves the mind in darkness. Discernment depends on a living relationship with the Spirit, sustained by right action and thought.
The reading concludes by returning to the image of spiritual perception. Just as physical taste discerns what is nourishing when the body is healthy, so the mind, when strengthened and free from anxiety, can recognise what truly consoles and leads to life. Love preserves the memory of this experience and guides future choice. Discernment, therefore, grows where love deepens, enabling the believer to choose what is best with confidence.
A Reading From The Treatise On Spiritual Perfection By Diadochus Of Photice | The Art Of Discernment Of Spirits Is Acquired By A Spiritual Taste
The light of true knowledge makes it possible to discern without error the difference between good and evil. Then the path of justice, which leads to the sun of Justice, brings the mind into the limitless light of knowledge, since it never fails to seek the love of God with all confidence.
Therefore, we must maintain great stillness of mind, even in the midst of our struggles. We shall then be able to distinguish between the different types of thoughts that come to us: those that are good, those sent by God, we will treasure in our memory; those that are evil and inspired y the devil we will reject. A comparison with the sea may help us. A tranquil sea allows the fisherman to gaze right to its depths. No fish can hide there and escape his sight. The stormy sea, however, becomes murky when it is agitated by the winds. The very depths that it revealed in its placidness, the sea now hides. The skills of the fisherman are useless.
Only the Holy Spirit can purify the mind: unless the strong man enters and robs the thief, the booty will not be recovered. So by every means, but especially by peace of soul, we must try to provide the Holy Spirit with a resting place. Then we shall have the light of knowledge shining within us at all times, and it will show up for what they are, all the dark and hateful temptations that come from demons, and not only will it show them up: exposure to this holy and glorious light will also greatly diminish their power.
This is why the Apostle says: Do not stifle the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of goodness: do not grieve him by your evil actions and thought, and so deprive yourself of the defense his light affords you. In his own being, which is eternal and life-giving, he is not stifled, but when his is grieved he turns away and leaves the mind in darkness, deprived of the light of knowledge.
The mind is capable of tasting and distinguishing accurately whatever is presented to it. Just as when our health is good we can tell the difference between good and bad food by our bodily sense of taste and reach for what is wholesome, so when our mind is strong and free from all anxiety, it is able to taste the riches of diving consolation, and to preserve, through love, the memory of this taste. This teaches us what is best with absolute certainty. As Saint Paul says: My prayer is that your love may increase more and more in knowledge and insight, and so enable you to choose what is best.
Christian Prayer With Jesus Christ
God of light and wisdom,
you have given the mind a desire for truth
and the heart a longing for what is good.
Grant us stillness of soul
in the midst of our struggles,
that we may recognise what comes from you
and turn away from what leads us astray.
Send your Holy Spirit to dwell within us.
Purify our thoughts,
enlighten our judgement,
and strengthen us against temptation.
May your light remain with us always,
guiding our choices
and teaching us to love what is best.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Glossary Of Christian Terms
True knowledge | Spiritual understanding that leads the mind towards God
Discernment | The ability to distinguish between good and evil
Sun of Justice | A title for Christ as the source of righteousness and light
Stillness of mind | Interior calm that allows clear spiritual judgement
Thoughts | Inner movements of the mind, either good or evil
Holy Spirit | God’s Spirit, who enlightens and purifies the mind
Peace of soul | Inner freedom from anxiety and disturbance
Temptation | Thoughts or impulses that lead away from God
Light of knowledge | Clarity given by the Spirit to recognise truth
Grieve the Spirit | To resist or reject the Spirit through wrong action or thought
Divine consolation | Spiritual comfort given by God
Spiritual sense | The mind’s capacity to perceive and judge spiritual realities
Insight | Deep understanding that guides right choice
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