When the Spirit Moves Fast: Discernment, Peace, and the Quiet Strength of the Church
Last night in our study group, something happened that reminded me how important it is to anchor ourselves in the Church when things get spiritually intense. A young woman came in late, breathless from a nearby worship service, full of emotion, full of questions. She had recently felt what she believed were strong movements of the Holy Spirit. People had prayed prophetic words over her. She spoke quickly about visions, diamonds, denominations, and how God “can’t be boxed in.” Underneath her excitement, I could also hear confusion. A kind of spiritual whirlwind.
Then she shared something that shifted the whole room:
She used to read tarot so knows how that felt.
She said this felt different
She knew—she thought—it was all from God.
The moment someone mixes past occult practices with new “prophetic” experiences, every saint in the tradition would say the same thing:
Go to confession. Let a priest discern it. Return to sacramental grounding.
I said exactly that—twice. Not to shame her. Not to “shut down the Spirit.” But because the Church has spent two thousand years distinguishing light from counterfeit light. It surprised me when the group moderator gently redirected her away from the confessional, saying priests “don’t always understand these things,” and recommending instead a radio apologist. Good man, good heart—but this is exactly the moment we need clarity:
A layperson, no matter how sincere, cannot discern visions.
A YouTube talk cannot break spiritual residue.
Only the Church—through the sacraments—can.
This tension is something many Catholics feel today: the desire for spiritual experience without the guardrails of tradition.
But the guardrails aren’t there to cage the Spirit—they exist to protect the sheep.
St. John of the Cross: The Master of Discernment
The Carmelite doctor of the Church lived during a time flooded with visions, locutions, and spiritual explosions. And his teaching remains the gold standard:
“Anything that disturbs the soul, agitates it, or leaves it confused does not come from God.”
God’s Spirit is fire, yes. But it is ordered fire. It warms; it does not burn the house down.
St. John is clear:
sudden consolations can be false
spiritual enthusiasm can be self-generated
emotional highs can masquerade as grace
and the devil can imitate lights, sweetness, and prophecy
His answer every time?
Humility. Sacraments. Silence. A good confessor.
This is not spiritual caution—it is spiritual strength.
What the Church Actually Teaches
The Church, through saints and councils, repeats the same principles:
No private revelation is binding.
All spiritual phenomena must be submitted to Church authority.
The sacraments—especially Confession—are the first line of discernment.
Past occult involvement requires deliberate renunciation and confession.
Authentic charisms produce peace, clarity, and obedience.
If someone says:
“Priests don’t understand these things…” that is not the Holy Spirit speaking. The Spirit never bypasses the sacraments He Himself instituted.
What I Saw Last Night
I didn’t see malice.
I saw hunger, confusion, and a heart genuinely seeking God.
But I also saw:
spiritual emotions running faster than formation
prophetic language without discernment
an unclear bridge between past occult practices and present “visions”
a leader hesitant to send a soul to confession
These are not judgments.
They are signs that the soul is vulnerable—and needs safety.
Why Confession Is the True Doorway
Confession is not just forgiveness.
It is discernment, detachment, and deliverance.
A priest can:
break occult residue
test the spirits
check for psychological or emotional instability
protect from deception
re-anchor the soul in the Church
That is why I said it.
Not to be rigid.
Not to control.
But because nothing is more loving than placing a confused soul back into the arms of the Church.
Our Mission at Saint Joseph Workshop
We are not anti-charism.
We are not anti-prophecy.
We are not anti-mystical.
We are pro-discernment, pro-peace, pro-sacrament, and pro-truth.
We believe:
The Spirit moves.
God speaks.
Charisms exist.
Miracles happen.
But we also believe what the saints taught: not every spirit is holy, not every vision is true, and not every light is light.
Real discernment is not fear.
It is fatherhood.
It is Joseph—quiet, obedient, steady—guiding Mary and Jesus through dreams, visions, and danger with the confidence that comes from obedience, not excitement.
In a World of Diamonds, Lights, and Prophetic Words—
Stay Rooted. Stay Sober. Stay in the Church.
If the Spirit is truly speaking,
He will lead us not into frenzy, but into confession,
peace, order, and truth.
That is how you recognize Him. That is how you stand firm.
And that is why last night reminded me why the Church, not our emotions, remains the safest home for any soul seeking God.