SD10 – Recalling the Responses to Spiritual Desolation – Spiritual Desolation: Be Aware, Understand, Take Action with Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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Recalling the Responses to Spiritual Desolation – Spiritual Desolation: Be Aware, Understand, Take Action with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

In this episode, Fr. Timothy Gallagher explains that physical weakness, illness, lack of sleep, and emotional grief can make a person more susceptible to spiritual desolation. Such suffering often leads to exaggerated worries about the future, making desolation heavier than reality. In these moments, one must bring the struggle to prayer, share it with the Lord rather than keeping it inward, and remember that Christ and the Father are always near. Fr. Gallagher relates this to the Psalms, which model honest conversation with God. He also reflects on the importance of patience through trials, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, and the need to open these experiences to divine companionship rather than isolation.

St. Ignatius of Loyola’s practical steps for confronting spiritual desolation (Rules 5–14) are as follows: remain steadfast in prior spiritual commitments, pray and reflect, practice patience, and recall that desolation is temporary and providentially permitted for growth. Personal journal examples illustrate how awareness and prayer can break the false narratives that desolation creates—especially the tendency to project darkness into the future. Through experiences of illness, fatigue, grief, and post-ministry exhaustion, Fr. Gallagher shows how prayer, truth, and grace restore peace. He concludes that both desolation and consolation are part of God’s providence: consolation strengthens joy and love, while desolation deepens spiritual maturity.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions:

How does recognizing the Eucharist as the “wellspring of divine charity” reshape your understanding of moral goodness?
In what ways can you make your offertory—both spiritual and material—a more authentic act of self-giving?
What does the mingling of water and wine at Mass teach you about humility and participation in Christ’s divinity?
How do you discern whether an encounter with God has truly moved you toward serving the poor and those in need?
When you witness the priest’s hand-washing ritual, how might you join interiorly in his prayer for purification?
What does the shift in prayer “through Christ to the Father” invite you to consider about obedience and dependence on God?
How can you support your parish priest in living out his vocation as a spiritual father rather than a mere leader or administrator?
What does Deacon Keating’s reflection reveal about your own attitude toward authority and obedience in the Church?
How might you respond when the truth of Church teaching challenges your comfort or cultural assumptions?
In what concrete ways can you pray for priests and help strengthen their courage to proclaim the Gospel faithfully?

From Setting the Captives Free: Personal Reflections on Ignatian Discernment of Spirits:

“The Enemy Claims Power over the Future”

“I wrote this next entry after a further surgery, when I could not yet see what lay ahead. The following are notes on a conversation of spiritual direction:

Ed spoke of the fear about the “what-ifs.” This is the taunting of the enemy, meant to discourage you, claiming power over the future. You’ll never return to active ministry, never be able to share community life as before. The enemy wants you to focus on what is dark, and to pull you into the future seen in this way.

The Holy Spirit is helping you to pray in this, and Mary is present to you. Turn quickly to the Lord, ask Mary’s intercession, in such times.

The enemy is all about the negatives, the “nos.” The truth, even on a medical level, is that there is progress, and you are getting stronger. The medical situations are moving ahead. There is real hope, and the Lord with his love is with you. So, be quick to turn away from the negative thoughts. Don’t even open the door! Renounce the lies. Even imagining what might happen is a temptation. Be in the present, be open to his grace today, surrender to his will today. As Ed said this, I realized that this I could do.

Surrender to his Heart as best you can today. The surrender is not a surrender to “the worst” but to his faithful love for you. This is the one you surrender to.

I found it very helpful to talk about this spiritual desolation and receive guidance regarding the enemy’s discouraging tactics (rule 13). This was a nonspiritual vulnerability after a surgery that gave the enemy an opening for spiritual desolation. A common trait of spiritual desolation—the enemy’s claim of power over the future, always seen in a dark light— was also evident that day. Ed’s advice to reject this tactic of the enemy immediately reflected Ignatius’s counsel in rule 12: resist in the very beginning, before the burden can grow. Ed was right, too, that objectively things were improving on the medical level. In the nonspiritual and spiritual desolation, I found it hard to see that on my own, and it was encouraging to hear Ed and recognize the truth of what he said.”

Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series “Living the Discerning Life: The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola”. For more information on how to obtain copies of Fr. Gallaghers’s various books and audio which are available for purchase, please visit his website: frtimothygallagher.org

For the other episodes in this series check out Fr. Timothy Gallagher’s “Discerning Hearts” page

WOM9 – The Liturgy of the Eucharist, pt. 1 – The Way of Mystery with Deacon James Keating – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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The Liturgy of the Eucharist, Part 1 – The Way of Mystery with Deacon James Keating

Deacon James Keating explores how the Eucharist shapes moral life by transforming our conscience through divine charity. He explains that the Eucharist is the source of goodness because it is the wellspring of God’s love. By placing ourselves before this mystery, we are drawn into holiness and made capable of authentic charity. The offertory is not merely a financial gesture but a response to being filled with the Word of God—an act that symbolizes giving of self. The mingling of water and wine is a sign of our union with Christ’s divinity through humility and service, reminding us that true communion with Christ sends us toward those in need. The priest’s quiet prayer for purification before consecration reveals a deep awareness of human unworthiness and the immense grace of God’s invitation to holiness.

The shift in the Mass from prayers directed to Christ to those offered with Christ to the Father mirrors Jesus’ self-offering on the Cross and our participation in His obedience. He also reflects on the priest’s vocation as a sacramental presence of Christ—the bridge between God and His people. The priest’s role is not managerial but paternal, called to spiritual fatherhood that demands holiness, humility, and courage to teach truth even when unpopular. We shouldn’t reduce priesthood to leadership models devoid of spiritual depth: the priest must feed his people with truth rather than cultural opinions. The faithful, in turn, are called to pray fervently for their priests, that they may live their vocation with integrity and draw their communities into deeper communion with Christ.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

How does recognizing the Eucharist as the “wellspring of divine charity” reshape your understanding of moral goodness?
In what ways can you make your offertory—both spiritual and material—a more authentic act of self-giving?
What does the mingling of water and wine at Mass teach you about humility and participation in Christ’s divinity?
How do you discern whether an encounter with God has truly moved you toward serving the poor and those in need?
When you witness the priest’s hand-washing ritual, how might you join interiorly in his prayer for purification?
What does the shift in prayer “through Christ to the Father” invite you to consider about obedience and dependence on God?
How can you support your parish priest in living out his vocation as a spiritual father rather than a mere leader or administrator?
What does Deacon Keating’s reflection reveal about your own attitude toward authority and obedience in the Church?
How might you respond when the truth of Church teaching challenges your comfort or cultural assumptions?
In what concrete ways can you pray for priests and help strengthen their courage to proclaim the Gospel faithfully?

Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., is a professor of Spiritual Theology and serves as a spiritual director at Kenrick Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, MO.

Check out Deacon Keating’s “Discerning Heart” page

St. Teresa of Avila, Part 2 – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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St. Teresa of Avila, Part 2 – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson

Born: March 28, 1515, Gotarrendura, Spain
Died: October 4, 1582, Alba de Tormes, Spain
Nationality: Spanish

Dr. Matthew Bunson and Kris McGregor continue their look into the life, spirituality, and teachings of St. Teresa of Avila; her profound insights on prayer and the Christian journey towards holiness, and her view of prayer as an “exercise of love,” wherein true prayer entails a deep, loving relationship with God. St. Teresa, often misunderstood as simply mystical, rooted her spirituality in the Church and its sacraments. She sought not only personal sanctity but also communal guidance, sharing her wisdom with family, laypeople, and her Carmelite sisters.

St. Teresa’s progression from the “four waters” in her early work, The Life, to the “interior castle” in her later years reflects an evolving understanding of the spiritual life. This journey, as she outlines, requires humility, persistence, and a deep commitment to the sacraments. Teresa’s experiences, particularly her “interior castle” model, demonstrate that as one grows in prayer, there’s a structured journey with different stages of spiritual development, each needing discipline and grace.

For more on St. Teresa of Avila and her teachings, visit her Discerning Hearts page

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

How can you approach prayer as an exercise of love and deepen your relationship with God in your daily life?
Reflect on the Trinitarian nature of God’s love; how does this inspire you to share love with others?
In what ways do the sacraments of the Church support your spiritual journey and deepen your prayer life?
How can you cultivate humility as you strive to grow closer to God, avoiding pride in your prayer life?
What steps can you take to begin or deepen your practice of prayer using St. Teresa’s guidance?
As you reflect on Teresa’s stages of spiritual growth, where do you feel you are in your journey, and how can you continue to grow?
How can you surrender your desires to align more closely with God’s will for you?
What insights from Teresa’s “Interior Castle” can help you recognize and appreciate the stages of your own spiritual life?
How do you protect yourself from spiritual pride, especially when experiencing deeper moments in prayer?
How can you use the strength you gain from prayer to serve others, as Teresa encourages?

From Vatican.va, an excerpt from the teachings of Pope Benedict XVI

From the General Audience on St. Teresa of Avila

“It is far from easy to sum up in a few words Teresa’s profound and articulate spirituality. I would like to mention a few essential points. In the first place St Teresa proposes the evangelical virtues as the basis of all Christian and human life and in particular, detachment from possessions, that is, evangelical poverty, and this concerns all of us; love for one another as an essential element of community and social life; humility as love for the truth; determination as a fruit of Christian daring; theological hope, which she describes as the thirst for living water. Then we should not forget the human virtues: affability, truthfulness, modesty, courtesy, cheerfulness, culture.

Secondly, St Teresa proposes a profound harmony with the great biblical figures and eager listening to the word of God. She feels above all closely in tune with the Bride in the Song of Songs and with the Apostle Paul, as well as with Christ in the Passion and with Jesus in the Eucharist. The Saint then stresses how essential prayer is. Praying, she says, “means being on terms of friendship with God frequently conversing in secret with him who, we know, loves us” (Vida 8, 5). St Teresa’s idea coincides with Thomas Aquinas’ definition of theological charity as “amicitia quaedam hominis ad Deum”, a type of human friendship with God, who offered humanity his friendship first; it is from God that the initiative comes (cf. Summa Theologiae II-II, 23, 1).

Prayer is life and develops gradually, in pace with the growth of Christian life: it begins with vocal prayer, passes through interiorization by means of meditation and recollection, until it attains the union of love with Christ and with the Holy Trinity. Obviously, in the development of prayer climbing to the highest steps does not mean abandoning the previous type of prayer. Rather, it is a gradual deepening of the relationship with God that envelops the whole of life.

Rather than a pedagogy Teresa’s is a true “mystagogy” of prayer: she teaches those who read her works how to pray by praying with them. Indeed, she often interrupts her account or exposition with a prayerful outburst.

Another subject dear to the Saint is the centrality of Christ’s humanity. For Teresa, in fact, Christian life is the personal relationship with Jesus that culminates in union with him through grace, love and imitation. Hence the importance she attaches to meditation on the Passion and on the Eucharist as the presence of Christ in the Church for the life of every believer, and as the heart of the Liturgy. St Teresa lives out unconditional love for the Church: she shows a lively “sensus Ecclesiae”, in the face of the episodes of division and conflict in the Church of her time.

She reformed the Carmelite Order with the intention of serving and defending the “Holy Roman Catholic Church”, and was willing to give her life for the Church (cf. Vida, 33,5).

A final essential aspect of Teresian doctrine which I would like to emphasize is perfection, as the aspiration of the whole of Christian life and as its ultimate goal. The Saint has a very clear idea of the “fullness” of Christ, relived by the Christian. At the end of the route through The Interior Castle, in the last “room”, Teresa describes this fullness, achieved in the indwelling of the Trinity, in union with Christ through the mystery of his humanity.”

For more visit Vatican.va

For more from Dr. Matthew Bunson, check out his Discerning Hearts page.

Dr. Matthew E. Bunson is a Register senior editor and a senior contributor to EWTN News. For the past 20 years, he has been active in the area of Catholic social communications and education, including writing, editing, and teaching on a variety of topics related to Church history, the papacy, the saints and Catholic culture. He is faculty chair at Catholic Distance University, a senior fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, and the author or co-author of over 50 books including The Encyclopedia of Catholic History, The Pope Encyclopedia, We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI, The Saints Encyclopedia and best-selling biographies of St. Damien of Molokai and St. Kateri Tekakwitha.

St. Teresa of Avila, Part 1 – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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St. Teresa of Avila, Part 1– The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson

Born: March 28, 1515, Gotarrendura, Spain
Died: October 4, 1582, Alba de Tormes, Spain
Nationality: Spanish

Dr. Matthew Bunson and Kris McGregor discuss the life and legacy of St. Teresa of Ávila, a Spanish Carmelite nun and one of the first female Doctors of the Church. St. Teresa was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI in 1970, recognizing her profound teachings on prayer and the mystical life. Her autobiography reveals her early influences, like her father’s piety and her desire to become a martyr, as well as her struggles with pride and materialism. Despite these challenges, she entered the Carmelite convent and later reformed the Carmelite order, emphasizing a return to simplicity, prayer, and devotion.

Her encounter with the Inquisition was due to her family’s Jewish heritage and how, like many saints of her time, she submitted to Church authority, deepening her commitment rather than rebelling. St. Teresa’s relationship with other saints, including St. John of the Cross, was instrumental in establishing the Discalced Carmelites, a reformed branch of the Carmelites devoted to austerity and contemplative prayer. Her death in 1582 marked the culmination of a life dedicated to mystical union with Christ, evident in her final words expressing her readiness to meet her Lord.

For more on St. Teresa of Avila and her teachings, visit her Discerning Hearts page

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

How does St. Teresa’s teaching that holiness and deep prayer are accessible to everyone challenge your view of your own spiritual life?
In what ways could reflecting on your own life’s journey, including your struggles and triumphs, bring you closer to God?
How might you open yourself to a deeper understanding of mystical prayer and contemplation, as modeled by St. Teresa?
What does Teresa’s respect for the Church’s authority, even amid the Inquisition, teach you about obedience and trust in your own faith?
Where do you see a need for personal or communal reform in your life, and how can you bring about positive change with humility and dedication?
How can you foster a prayer life that allows you to experience God’s presence more deeply, as Teresa did through her devotions?
In what areas of your life might you be called to abandon personal pride and embrace a deeper, self-giving humility?
How can you draw inspiration from Teresa’s writings to enrich your own journey toward spiritual growth and understanding?

From Vatican.va, an excerpt from the teachings of Pope Benedict XVI

From the General Audience on St. Teresa of Avila

”St. Teresa, whose name was Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada, was born in Avila, Spain, in 1515. In her autobiography she mentions some details of her childhood: she was born into a large family, her “father and mother, who were devout and feared God”, into a large family. She had three sisters and nine brothers.

While she was still a child and not yet nine years old she had the opportunity to read the lives of several Martyrs which inspired in her such a longing for martyrdom that she briefly ran away from home in order to die a Martyr’s death and to go to Heaven (cf. Vida, [Life], 1, 4); “I want to see God”, the little girl told her parents.

A few years later Teresa was to speak of her childhood reading and to state that she had discovered in it the way of truth which she sums up in two fundamental principles.

On the one hand was the fact that “all things of this world will pass away” while on the other God alone is “for ever, ever, ever”, a topic that recurs in her best known poem: “Let nothing disturb you, Let nothing frighten you, All things are passing away: God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices”. She was about 12 years old when her mother died and she implored the Virgin Most Holy to be her mother (cf. Vida, I, 7).

If in her adolescence the reading of profane books had led to the distractions of a worldly life, her experience as a pupil of the Augustinian nuns of Santa María de las Gracias de Avila and her reading of spiritual books, especially the classics of Franciscan spirituality, introduced her to recollection and prayer.

When she was 20 she entered the Carmelite Monastery of the Incarnation, also in Avila. In her religious life she took the name “Teresa of Jesus”. Three years later she fell seriously ill, so ill that she remained in a coma for four days, looking as if she were dead (cf. Vida, 5, 9).

In the fight against her own illnesses too the Saint saw the combat against weaknesses and the resistance to God’s call: “I wished to live”, she wrote, “but I saw clearly that I was not living, but rather wrestling with the shadow of death; there was no one to give me life, and I was not able to take it. He who could have given it to me had good reasons for not coming to my aid, seeing that he had brought me back to himself so many times, and I as often had left him” (Vida, 7, 8).

In 1543 she lost the closeness of her relatives; her father died and all her siblings, one after another, emigrated to America. In Lent 1554, when she was 39 years old, Teresa reached the climax of her struggle against her own weaknesses. The fortuitous discovery of the statue of “a Christ most grievously wounded”, left a deep mark on her life (cf. Vida, 9).

The Saint, who in that period felt deeply in tune with the St Augustine of the Confessions, thus describes the decisive day of her mystical experience: “and… a feeling of the presence of God would come over me unexpectedly, so that I could in no wise doubt either that he was within me, or that I was wholly absorbed in him” (Vida, 10, 1).

Parallel to her inner development, the Saint began in practice to realize her ideal of the reform of the Carmelite Order: in 1562 she founded the first reformed Carmel in Avila, with the support of the city’s Bishop, Don Alvaro de Mendoza, and shortly afterwards also received the approval of John Baptist Rossi, the Order’s Superior General.

In the years that followed, she continued her foundations of new Carmelite convents, 17 in all. Her meeting with St John of the Cross was fundamental. With him, in 1568, she set up the first convent of Discalced Carmelites in Duruelo, not far from Avila.

In 1580 she obtained from Rome the authorization for her reformed Carmels as a separate, autonomous Province. This was the starting point for the Discalced Carmelite Order.

Indeed, Teresa’s earthly life ended while she was in the middle of her founding activities. She died on the night of 15 October 1582 in Alba de Tormes, after setting up the Carmelite Convent in Burgos, while on her way back to Avila. Her last humble words were: “After all I die as a child of the Church”, and “O my Lord and my Spouse, the hour that I have longed for has come. It is time to meet one another”.

Teresa spent her entire life for the whole Church although she spent it in Spain. She was beatified by Pope Paul V in 1614 and canonized by Gregory XV in 1622. The Servant of God Paul VI proclaimed her a “Doctor of the Church” in 1970.

Teresa of Jesus had no academic education but always set great store by the teachings of theologians, men of letters and spiritual teachers. As a writer, she always adhered to what she had lived personally through or had seen in the experience of others (cf. Prologue to The Way of Perfection), in other words basing herself on her own first-hand knowledge.

Teresa had the opportunity to build up relations of spiritual friendship with many Saints and with St John of the Cross in particular. At the same time she nourished herself by reading the Fathers of the Church, St Jerome, St Gregory the Great and St Augustine.

Among her most important works we should mention first of all her autobiography, El libro de la vida (the book of life), which she called Libro de las misericordias del Señor [book of the Lord’s mercies].”

For more visit Vatican.va

For more from Dr. Matthew Bunson, check out his Discerning Hearts page.

HSE12 – Contemplation to Attain the Love of God, pt. 1 – The Heart of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola with Fr. Anthony Wieck S.J. – Discerning Hearts Podcasts

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Contemplation to Attain the Love of God, Part 1 – The Heart of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola with Fr. Anthony Wieck S.J.

Fr. Anthony Wieck, SJ, reflects with Kris McGregor on how St. Ignatius’ spirituality finds its deepest meaning through a Marian lens. St. Ignatius, often seen as a soldier and organizer, was in fact a man profoundly moved by God’s love to the point of tears. His spiritual path teaches a Marian “magnanimity” — a large-hearted openness that allows God to act within the soul. Rather than relying on human initiative, St. Ignatius shows that authentic transformation begins “from above,” through divine inspiration received in prayer. This inner receptivity is what grounds discernment of spirits and anchors the Ignatian call to serve God with one’s entire being.

Fr. Wieck then explores the “Contemplation to Attain Love,” the final exercise in Ignatius’ retreat. This prayer leads the soul to recognize creation, redemption, and every grace as expressions of divine generosity, stirring wonder and gratitude. True love, he says, manifests in deeds and self-gift — modeled perfectly by Mary and exemplified by saints like Maximilian Kolbe. Through this contemplation, one learns that surrender is the highest form of freedom: offering memory, understanding, and will back to God for purification and renewal. The fruit of the Exercises is a life centered on Christ’s heart, detached from self-will, and fully oriented toward God’s glory — a path open to all the faithful, not just Jesuits, as a gift for the entire Church.

Discerning Hearts Catholic Reflection Questions:

How do I allow God to work within me rather than trying to control or direct my own spiritual growth?
In what ways can I imitate Mary’s openness and receptivity to God’s will in my daily life?
When have I experienced the kind of tears or deep emotion that come from encountering God’s love?
Do I tend to act from my own plans and desires, or do I wait for divine inspiration before taking action?
How can I cultivate the humility to let God take the initiative in my vocation or ministry?
What concrete ways has God shown His love for me through creation, redemption, and personal gifts?
How might gratitude deepen my ability to recognize God’s love at work in my life?
What does it mean for me personally to “surrender” my memory, understanding, and will to God?
How can I become more of a self-gift to others, as Mary and the saints were?
Where in my life am I being invited to detach from false securities and place Christ at the center?

Fr. Anthony Wieck is a Jesuit priest of the Central & Southern province. Sixth of nine children, raised on a farm in Oregon, Fr. Anthony began religious life in 1994, spending his first five years of formation in Rome, Italy, studying at the Casa Balthasar and the Gregorian. The former was under the watchful patronage of Pope Benedict XVI (then-Card. Joseph Ratzinger). Fr. Anthony currently acts as retreat master at White House Jesuit Retreat in St. Louis, Missouri. He also offers spiritual direction at the St. Louis diocesan seminary for 25 future priests there.

SD9 – Overcoming Pre-Event Desolation – Spiritual Desolation: Be Aware, Understand, Take Action with Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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Overcoming Pre-Event Desolation – Spiritual Desolation: Be Aware, Understand, Take Action with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

Fr. Timothy Gallagher introduces the concept of “pre-event desolation”—a form of spiritual discouragement that often arises right before someone undertakes a spiritually fruitful activity, such as a retreat, ministry project, or renewed commitment to prayer. He describes how this heaviness, doubt, or reluctance can disguise itself as logical reasoning (“I’m too tired,” “It won’t make a difference,” etc.) but is in fact a subtle tactic of the enemy meant to deter growth. Fr. Gallagher draws from his own experience of recognizing this pattern and explains that when this resistance appears, it often signals that something grace-filled lies ahead.

This spiritual dynamic can affect family life and parish participation. Some people may feel a gradual disinterest in Mass or prayer life. Such moments are normal trials, not moral failings. Fr. Gallagher advises responding to loved ones experiencing this kind of desolation—whether a spouse or child—not with anger or pressure, but with patience, compassion, and steadfast prayer. Drawing from the example of St. Monica and St. Augustine, he offers three guiding principles for parents: pray persistently, live an authentic life of faith, and show unconditional love. These, he explains, are the ways through which God continues to work in the hearts of those who have drifted, even when outward signs of faith have waned.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions:

When have I experienced “pre-event desolation,” feeling sudden reluctance or discouragement before something spiritually good?
How might I better recognize the difference between genuine obstacles and the enemy’s attempts to hold me back from grace?
In moments of spiritual heaviness, what practical steps can I take to remain faithful to prayer or my commitments?
How do I typically respond when a loved one loses interest in attending Mass or practicing their faith?
What can I learn from St. Monica’s patient love and perseverance in praying for her son, St. Augustine?
Do I see moments of desolation as personal failure, or as opportunities to trust more deeply in God’s presence?
How can I cultivate compassion rather than frustration toward those who seem spiritually distant?
In what ways might the enemy try to discourage me from engaging in apostolic or ministry work?
How does remembering that desolation is a normal part of the spiritual journey bring me peace and perspective?
What practices help me stay aware, understand what’s happening spiritually, and take faithful action in response?

From Setting the Captives Free: Personal Reflections on Ignatian Discernment of Spirits:

“Through the years, as I have studied and taught these rules, received the sharing of many, and experienced the rules personally,
I have noted various qualities of spiritual desolation. I will share and discuss them here:

A Sense of Irreparable Disaster

If it is strong enough, spiritual desolation may bring a sense of irreparable disaster. Its message is this: “Things are going badly for you. You are in a bad way spiritually, and things will continue to go badly. It’s all over. The harm can’t be undone. Even if it could, you won’t take the necessary steps. You won’t change. Don’t think it’s ever going to be different.”This is simply one more lie of the enemy.

Spiritual Desolation Presents Itself as Our Spiritual Identity

This quality of spiritual desolation touches the heart of its burden. If we believe the lie that equates our experience of spiritual desolation with our spiritual identity, the desolation will grow very heavy.

There Is No Shame in Experiencing Spiritual Desolation

This point—that there is no shame in experiencing spiritual desolation—cannot be repeated too often. When I present the rules, I repeat it many times. No one has yet told me that I say it too often!”

For the other episodes in this series check out Fr. Timothy Gallagher’s “Discerning Hearts” page

Gratitude – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr John Esseff – Discerning Hearts Podcasts

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Gratitude – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr John Esseff – Discerning Hearts Podcasts

Msgr. John Esseff reflects on the healing of the ten lepers in Luke 17, highlighting the one Samaritan who returned to thank Jesus. Through this story and the example of Naaman from 2 Kings, he teaches that gratitude opens the soul to a deeper healing—faith in God and salvation itself. Physical cures are signs pointing toward the greater miracle: redemption from sin and eternal death through Christ. He invites us to examine how often we take God’s gifts for granted—life, faith, loved ones—and cultivate a heart that constantly thanks God for both ordinary blessings and the gift of eternal life.

Msgr. Esseff and Kris McGregor also discuss the anxiety and moral confusion of modern times. He interprets this unrest as a revelation of spiritual sickness that had long been hidden. By bringing darkness to light, God gives humanity the chance to turn back through faith and prayer. He encourages listeners not to despair but to give thanks even amid turmoil, for awareness of sin and evil allows conversion.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

How do I show genuine gratitude to God for the countless blessings in my daily life?
In what ways have I taken my faith and salvation for granted?
Like the Samaritan leper, when have I returned to Jesus with thanksgiving after receiving His mercy?
What “leprosy” of sin in my life needs Christ’s healing touch today?
How does awareness of my own weakness lead me to deeper faith and trust in God?
Do I thank God for spiritual healings as readily as I do for physical or material ones?
How can I cultivate a daily habit of gratitude in prayer and relationships?
What gifts or moments have I failed to recognize as signs of God’s love?
How does the current darkness or confusion in the world invite me to renewed faith and hope in Christ?
What specific things can I thank God for right now as a response to His saving love?

Msgr. John A. Esseff is a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Scranton. He was ordained on May 30th 1953, by the late Bishop William J. Hafey, D.D. at St. Peter’s Cathedral in Scranton, PA. Msgr. Esseff served a retreat director and confessor to Blessed Mother Teresa. He continues to offer direction and retreats for the sisters of the missionaries of charity around the world. Msgr. Esseff encountered St. Padre Pio, who would become a spiritual father to him. He has lived in areas around the world, serving in the Pontifical missions, a Catholic organization established by Bl. Pope John Paul II to bring the Good News to the world especially to the poor. Msgr. Esseff assisted the founders of the Institute for Priestly Formation and continues to serve as a spiritual director for the Institute. He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests and sisters and seminarians and other religious leaders around the world.

WOM8 – The Liturgy of the Word, pt. 2 – The Way of Mystery with Deacon James Keating – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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The Liturgy of the Word, Part 2 – The Way of Mystery with Deacon James Keating

Deacon James Keating and Kris McGregor explore how the Liturgy of the Word forms hearts for mission. Proclamation should be prayerful, sober, and transparent so the assembly meets Christ rather than the reader’s performance; “let the Word do the work.” Receiving Scripture at Mass shapes conscience for public witness—at home, work, and civic life—supported by friendships in the Church that foster courage. Moving attention from a book-as-object to the living power of God’s Word active in the Church, Catholics should carry that Word into culture with humility and clarity.

They also consider the deacon’s vocation—revived at Vatican II—as a bridge between altar and everyday life, helping extend the Liturgy of the Word through retreats, catechesis, and social teaching so the laity can transform culture. The Creed is the community’s “we believe,” sealing the revelation just heard, and the Prayer of the Faithful awakens eyes to the needs of the poor, the sick, and all wounded by sin. From hearing to living, the pattern is clear: contemplation at Mass blossoms into service and witness in the world.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

In what ways has my understanding of the Mass grown or matured over time, like a marriage deepening in love?
Do I approach the Eucharist as a precious gift, or do I sometimes take its accessibility for granted?
How am I being called to prepare more intentionally before receiving the Eucharist?
What does meditating on the Paschal Mystery reveal to me about the purpose of my life?
Where in my life do I still struggle to trust God’s providence, and how might the sacraments heal this wound?
How do I respond to God’s desire for communion with me in my daily choices?
In what ways does Christ’s invitation to friendship change the way I live my discipleship?
How do I experience the drama of redemption—continuing to surrender to grace—in my own spiritual journey?
What practical step can I take this week to cherish the Eucharist more deeply?

Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., is a professor of Spiritual Theology and serves as a spiritual director at Kenrick Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, MO.

Check out Deacon Keating’s “Discerning Heart” page

HSE11 – Rules of the Second Week – The Heart of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola with Fr. Anthony Wieck S.J. – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

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Rules of the Second Week – The Heart of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola with Fr. Anthony Wieck S.J.

Fr. Anthony Wieck and Kris McGregor continue their look at St. Ignatius’s second-week rules for discernment. They discuss how both God and evil spirits can influence a person’s thoughts and emotions, and how one can distinguish their origins by examining the course of one’s thoughts—their beginning, middle, and end. God and His angels bring peace, joy, and clarity, while the enemy uses false reasoning, subtle deceptions, or even apparent goodness to lure a person into confusion or pride. The enemy often disguises itself as an “angel of light,” encouraging overactivity or spiritual burnout under the guise of doing good. The key is to maintain balance, simplicity, and prayerful awareness of how inner movements affect one’s peace.

They also reflect on consolations—those moments of spiritual joy. True consolation without a clear cause comes from God alone, while consolation that arises from external factors must be discerned carefully, since even apparent blessings can be twisted to selfish ends. Fr. Wieck advises patience in decision-making, noting that God confirms His will over time through consistent peace and harmony, not haste or impulsivity. He encourages listeners to study St. Ignatius’s rules directly and practice them, growing in freedom and the ability to recognize divine inspiration while rejecting spiritual deception. The goal of discernment is freedom—the freedom to love and serve God wholeheartedly.

Discerning Hearts Catholic Reflection Questions:

How do I recognize when a thought or feeling leads me toward peace and joy rather than confusion or restlessness?
In what ways might I be mistaking overactivity or busyness for genuine service to God?
When have I experienced consolation without a clear cause, and how did I respond to that grace?
Do I take time to pause and pray before making decisions that feel spiritually inspired?
How can I better notice the “tail of the serpent” — signs that something good may have turned subtly self-centered or prideful?
What helps me maintain a healthy rhythm between serving others and allowing myself to rest and be formed by God?
Have I ever confused emotional satisfaction or human praise with spiritual consolation?
How can I become more attentive to the beginning, middle, and end of my thought patterns when discerning the spirits?
When faced with choices, do I seek repeated confirmation from God over time, or act on initial enthusiasm?
How does living with greater spiritual awareness lead me to the true freedom to love and serve God more fully?

SD8 – Confronting Desolation with Faith – Spiritual Desolation: Be Aware, Understand, Take Action with Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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Confronting Desolation with Faith – Spiritual Desolation: Be Aware, Understand, Take Action with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

Fr. Timothy Gallagher continues exploring St. Ignatius of Loyola’s teaching on spiritual desolation by distinguishing it from the cross. Using various examples, he illustrates that the cross refers to life’s trials—illness, family troubles, or hardship—that, when carried faithfully with Christ, lead to growth and peace. Spiritual desolation, however, consists of discouragement, loss of spiritual energy, or a sense of distance from God that originates from the enemy. While we grow by embracing the cross, we grow by resisting spiritual desolation. God never asks us to endure spiritual desolation passively but to actively reject it through prayer, perseverance, and trust.

Fr. Gallagher also describes several “qualities” of spiritual desolation. It lies by disguising itself as one’s spiritual identity (“you are not a true disciple”), provoking shame, isolation, or a false sense that something is deeply wrong within us. It can distort the past and future—convincing us that darkness has always been and always will be—and even whisper that failure is permanent. Recognizing these as lies brings freedom. He explains that self-knowledge grounded in God’s love helps dismantle these illusions, and caring for one’s emotional or physical health can limit their power. True self-understanding means knowing we are beloved sons and daughters of the Father. Spiritual maturity brings integration and peace to the whole person—spiritually, emotionally, and physically—allowing one to carry the cross with joy, like St. Ignatius himself, “a tiny Spaniard, a bit lame, with joyful eyes.”

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions:

How can I discern whether I am carrying a cross with Christ or experiencing spiritual desolation that needs to be resisted?
In what ways might I have mistaken discouragement or dryness in prayer as part of my spiritual identity?
When I feel distant from God, how can I actively turn to Him rather than passively accept the heaviness?
What lies or negative self-beliefs tend to surface during moments of spiritual desolation?
How can I remind myself of my true identity as a beloved son or daughter of the Heavenly Father?
Are there emotional or physical vulnerabilities in my life that might open the door to spiritual desolation?
How might I support others who are experiencing discouragement or isolation in their faith?
What spiritual “tools” or Ignatian practices help me most when I notice desolation taking hold?
How can I cultivate gratitude for the crosses in my life that lead me closer to Christ?
In what concrete ways can I strengthen my trust that Good Friday always leads to Easter Sunday?

From Setting the Captives Free: Personal Reflections on Ignatian Discernment of Spirits:

“Through the years, as I have studied and taught these rules, received the sharing of many, and experienced the rules personally,
I have noted various qualities of spiritual desolation. I will share and discuss them here:

A Sense of Irreparable Disaster

If it is strong enough, spiritual desolation may bring a sense of irreparable disaster. Its message is this: “Things are going badly for you. You are in a bad way spiritually, and things will continue to go badly. It’s all over. The harm can’t be undone. Even if it could, you won’t take the necessary steps. You won’t change. Don’t think it’s ever going to be different.”This is simply one more lie of the enemy.

Spiritual Desolation Presents Itself as Our Spiritual Identity

This quality of spiritual desolation touches the heart of its burden. If we believe the lie that equates our experience of spiritual desolation with our spiritual identity, the desolation will grow very heavy.

There Is No Shame in Experiencing Spiritual Desolation

This point—that there is no shame in experiencing spiritual desolation—cannot be repeated too often. When I present the rules, I repeat it many times. No one has yet told me that I say it too often!”