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I Try to Pray, but I’m So Discouraged – Struggles in the Spiritual Life with Fr. Timothy Gallagher O.M.V.
Fr. Timothy Gallagher and Kris McGregor continue their conversation on struggles in the spiritual life, using the example of a spiritual struggle faced by a woman named Beth. After moving to a new city and starting a new job as a physical therapist, Beth encounters emotional and spiritual challenges, particularly due to a difficult relationship with a coworker named Susan, who is critical and overbearing. This criticism deeply affects Beth, causing her to feel discouraged, isolated, and distant from her prayer life.
Beth’s experience highlights the impact of emotional pain on one’s spiritual life and the importance of not being alone with such struggles; with Fr. Gallagher suggesting that Beth might benefit from counseling, in addition to maintaining healthy habits and seeking support from friends and family. He also reminds us about bringing emotional pain to Jesus, as it is precisely in such vulnerability that one can find deeper connection with God.
The theological principle that “grace presupposes and perfects nature,” means that God’s grace works within our humanity, elevating it. Fr. Gallagher and McGregor explore how both spiritual and human resources, such as counseling and prayer, can help individuals like Beth navigate their struggles. They also touch on how similar issues can affect people in more personal relationships, such as within families, and the importance of seeking both spiritual and practical support.
You can pick up a copy of the book here.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
- Recognizing Emotional Wounds: Do I identify any past or present emotional wounds that might affect my ability to receive criticism or engage in relationships?
- Understanding Triggers: What specific situations or individuals trigger feelings of defenselessness or discouragement in me?
- Approaching Prayer Amid Struggles: How do I approach prayer when I’m feeling emotionally drained or discouraged, and do I bring my pain to Jesus?
- Seeking Support: Am I open to seeking help, such as counseling or talking to a trusted friend, when I recognize that my emotional struggles are overwhelming?
- Balancing Human and Spiritual Resources: How well do I balance using both human means (like exercise and counseling) and spiritual practices to navigate emotional pain?
- Avoiding Isolation: When faced with emotional or spiritual struggles, do I tend to isolate myself, or do I seek community and support?
- Embracing Vulnerability: Do I view my weaknesses and struggles as barriers to spiritual growth, or do I see them as opportunities to draw closer to God?
An excerpt from the book:
“Yes, the spiritual life is easier when we take wise care of the body. If you struggle in the spiritual life, ask first: How is my physical energy? Do I get enough sleep? Do I exercise sufficiently? Does my diet sustain my energy? If the answers are positive, you may presume that spiritual struggles, should you experience them, arise from a different cause. But it is wise to ask these questions before you presume this.
Sometimes, life simply makes demands on our energy. If John’s pace at work increases still more, if his wife’s illness grows more serious and long-lasting, if he himself faces physical issues, if the children’s needs increase, and the like, then his energy for prayer will be less. God never asks the impossible! John, or any one of us in similar circumstances, can only do our best to care for our energy. Such expenditures of energy, accepted out of love for our vocation — in this case, marriage and fatherhood — bring us closer to God, though our prayer may be more tired. Even in such situations, however, God asks us to care for the body as best we can. And this will bless our prayer.”
Gallagher O.M.V, Fr. Timothy ; Gallagher O.M.V, Fr. Timothy. Struggles in the Spiritual Life: Their Nature and Their Remedies (p. 17). Sophia Institute Press. Kindle Edition.
To find more episodes from this series, visit the Struggles in the Spiritual Life Podcast
From the book’s description: “Here is a powerful, life-changing book that will help you understand and conquer the struggles you face in your spiritual life. It’s a book for those who love the Lord and desire holiness yet often feel adrift or stagnant in their search for spiritual growth.
All of us encounter valleys on our journey with the Lord — those periods of spiritual desolation that are a painful yet unavoidable feature of our prayer life. Spiritual desolation is as complex as we are, so understanding what is happening and responding to it properly are critical to reaching the heights of holiness.
With warmth and understanding, Fr. Gallagher carefully identifies in this book the various forms of spiritual and nonspiritual desolation and supplies the remedy for each. You’ll learn how to discern whether your struggles derive from medical or psychological conditions or whether those struggles are spiritual and permitted by the Lord for reasons of growth. In each case, you’ll be given the remedy for the struggle. You’ll also learn the forms of spiritual dryness and of the Dark Night — and how to respond to them.
In chapter after chapter, Fr. Gallagher presents a particular struggle as experienced by fictional characters and then provides the advice he gives to those who come to him for spiritual direction about that struggle. You’ll gain confidence as you journey through desolation, and you’ll learn to reject the enemy’s ploys to infect you with a sense of hopelessness.”
Did you know that Fr. Timothy Gallagher has 14 different podcast series on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts?
Visit here to discover more!
