Book Review: Temptation & Discernment By Segundo Galilea
A missionary priest of the diocese of Santiago, Chile, Fr Galilea was born in 1928 and died in 2010. He was responsible for the formation of many missionary priests in Latin America, United States, and the Philippines. He authored several books in Spanish that were later translated into English. However, Temptation & Discernment remains one of his best and most famous works.
When I was ordained subdeacon, a priest and friend gifted me this little book. In the cover he scribbled: “may this little book (a great favorite of mine) be a help for you on the path to holiness on this joyful day.” I did not know what to expect of such a small book of 80 pages.
Seldom when faced with a choice do we, well-intended people, choose the one where evil is obvious. However, the most dangerous of evils are the ones that are camouflaged as good deeds. Christ warns of such evil and such work of the devil that is clothed in sheep and does great signs and wonders (Mat7:15 and Mat24:24). No greater place do we experience those temptations and require good discernment than in ministry; rigidity and fanaticism masquerading as Christian zeal or neglect of prayer justified as pressing pastoral needs for examples. Father Segundo brings to the forefront many ministry-specific temptations and presents means to discern them.
Temptation & Discernment is built on the teaching of three main mystics: St John of the Cross, Ignatius of Loyola, and Theresa of Avilla. Their work is synthesized in the first few pages of the book where the author presents criteria for discerning temptations. He then exposes the Demons of Ministry and the Demons of Prayers in two distinctive sections, each containing a one page presentation of a particular demon. Activism, making a farce out of trusting God, entrenchment, losing the feel for persons, motivation, depersonalized prayer, not nourishing faith, neglecting the Humanity of Christ are all but a short list of demons that we face in ministry and in prayer.
One of the subtle temptations of ministry described by Galilea is “preferring some people over others”. In the name of grooming, or mentoring, and while in its most debased form it is a discrimination based on race or ethnicity, Galilea describes its subtlety this way:
“Giving more time and taking more interest and being more available to people and members of the Christian community who have better human qualities: those who are more intelligent, more interesting and entertaining, more pleasant and attractive. Subtly relegated to second place, by contrast, are those who are less gifted: those who are dull, bland, less intelligent, and less attractive and charming… Ministry should not be guided only by the criterion of effectiveness, which seeks to invest preferentially in the highly gifted…It should give equal witness to the primary of fraternal charity, which prefers the shunned and forgotten.” (p.33)
The ease of read, and the depth of its short reflections made it also a favorite of mine, the temptations and discerning them will always be a challenge especially in ministry. However, our continuous progress in spirituality is an essential of our faithfulness. We were not called to be successful only to be faithful, and this short book shed some lights on the way to Christ.
Joseph Chebli (Pharmacist) 