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I Don’t Feel God’s Love – Struggles in the Spiritual Life with Fr. Timothy Gallagher O.M.V.

Fr. Timothy Gallagher and Kris McGregor discuss the spiritual journey, focusing on the experience of spiritual consolation and desolation using  the story of Kathy, a participant in a six-week parish prayer program, as an example of how these experiences manifest in the life of prayer.

Kathy begins her prayer journey with moments of spiritual consolation, feeling God’s presence and love. As she engages deeply with scripture, she experiences a growing intimacy with God. However, as time progresses, she faces spiritual desolation, feeling abandoned and struggling with past pain, specifically related to her experience of cancer and the loss of the ability to have children. This leads to feelings of anger toward God, and she questions why she should continue praying.

Such desolation is a normal part of spiritual growth and not a sign that something is going wrong. Rather, it is often an invitation to deeper healing, as God touches painful areas of the soul that need to be addressed. In times of desolation, one should seek guidance from a spiritual director or a trusted companion in the faith to help make sense of the experience.

Spiritual desolation, while difficult, can lead to significant spiritual growth, helping individuals become more rooted in their relationship with God and opening them to new forms of healing and grace.

You can pick up a copy of the book here.

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Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

1. How do you handle spiritual desolation?
   Reflect on how you respond when you feel distant from God, and whether you seek guidance or attempt to push through on your own.
2. Are you open to spiritual growth through challenges?
   Consider if you view spiritual desolation as an opportunity for growth and healing, even when it feels painful.
3. Do you seek spiritual support when needed?
   Think about whether you reach out to spiritual directors, friends, or companions during times of desolation to help understand what God may be doing in your life.
4. Can you recognize God’s presence in both consolation and desolation?
   Reflect on whether you are able to see God’s hand at work during moments of consolation and desolation, understanding that both are part of the spiritual journey.
5. Do you maintain faith during difficult spiritual moments?
   Consider if you hold on to trust in God’s love and purpose even when you feel abandoned, and how you might cultivate resilience in your prayer life.

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An excerpt from the chapter, “I Don’t Feel God’s Love”:

“This is yet another form of spiritual desolation: times when we feel no sense of God’s love, of His closeness, of warm love for others in God, but rather, we feel a kind of spiritual distance and coldness. As we’ve said so often, there is no shame in experiencing this. To feel this form of spiritual desolation does not mean that God does not love us, that we do not love Him, or that we do not desire to love others.

It simply means that God is permitting us to undergo a time of spiritual desolation because of the growth we gain when we go through it well (see the final paragraph of chapter 8). Cathy’s spiritual desolation as she prays with the calming of the storm is actually a sign that her prayer is progressing richly. For ten years, a wound in her heart has remained unhealed. God loves her too much to allow this to continue unaddressed. Almost inevitably, as she grows closer to God in prayer, this wound is touched. When it is, spiritual desolation results: pain, anger, a sense of distance from God, and an absence of all warmth. If Cathy finds wise counsel to help her understand this and if she does not stop praying, then, for the first time in ten years, deep spiritual healing can occur. Like the disciples in the boat and like Lazarus’s sisters, she will find that if Jesus slept and if he delayed two days, it was because he loved them and had a greater gift to give.”

Gallagher O.M.V, Fr. Timothy ; Gallagher O.M.V, Fr. Timothy. Struggles in the Spiritual Life: Their Nature and Their Remedies (pp. 66-67). Sophia Institute Press. Kindle Edition.

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To find more episodes from this series, visit the Struggles in the Spiritual Life Podcast

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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.“

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Did you know that Fr. Timothy Gallagher has 14 different podcast series on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts?
Visit here to discover more!

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Living in the Sacred Heart of Jesus – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff

Msgr. John Esseff and Kris McGregor discuss the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a spiritual tradition stemming from revelations to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in Paray-le-Monial, France. Jesus revealed His Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary, describing it as a symbol of His immense love for humanity, a heart aflame with love yet surrounded by thorns, symbolizing human sin and ingratitude. He instructed her to spread devotion to His Sacred Heart and introduced practices like the First Fridays and the Holy Hour, promising blessings for those who honor His Sacred Heart.

Tthe “enthronement” of the Sacred Heart as an invitation for individuals and families to welcome Jesus as the king of their hearts. By enthroning Jesus in our hearts, we allow Him to dethrone ego and sin, creating a space for His love, peace, and truth to reign. This devotion encourages Christians to emulate the first-century apostles who recognized Jesus as the Messiah, not in earthly terms but as a king of hearts, leading through love and sacrifice.

This kingship is not limited by geography; it’s a universal calling to every individual, regardless of faith or nationality, to invite Jesus into their hearts and experience His transformative love. He shares that this enthronement reflects an interior act of faith, symbolized by displaying an image of the Sacred Heart at home. Through this devotion, families are encouraged to embody and spread Christ’s love, establishing His kingdom in their homes and communities.

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Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

1. Encounter with the Sacred Heart: How do I personally experience and understand the love that Jesus expresses through His Sacred Heart?
2. Embracing Enthronement: Am I willing to invite Jesus to reign as the king of my heart, dethroning my own ego and desires?
3. Living the Promises: In what ways can I incorporate the Sacred Heart devotions, such as First Fridays and Holy Hours, into my spiritual life?
4. Spreading the Devotion: How can I encourage my family and community to honor the Sacred Heart, creating a space for His love and peace?
5. Recognizing True Kingship: Do I fully grasp Jesus’ kingship as a spiritual reality rather than an earthly one, and how does this impact my faith?
6. Witnessing in the World: How am I called to share the love of the Sacred Heart with others, extending its influence beyond my personal devotion?
7. Responding to the Call: How can I deepen my relationship with Jesus by inviting Him into my heart daily, and what changes might this bring to my life?

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In 2011, Paray le Monial, France, I had the chance to speak with Msgr. John Esseff at the First Sacred Heart World Congress.  Msgr. Esseff is one of the founders of the Sacred Heart Apostolate, sponsor of this event which brought laity, religious, and priests from around the world.  Talks were given by Cardinal Raymond Burke, Bishop Robert Herman, Christendom College President Timothy O’Donnell, and EWTN show host and author Fr. Mitch Pacwa, as well as many others  Why did they come to this small French community nestled in Eastern France?  Because our Lord choice this place and two very remarkably humble saints to communicate the message of his Sacred Heart.

He said to St. Margaret Mary:

 “My Divine Heart is so inflamed with love for mankind … that it can no longer contain within itself the flames of its burning charity and must spread them abroad by your means.” She described that His Heart was on fire and surrounded by a crown of thorns. Our Lord told her that the flames represented His love for humanity, and the thorns represented man’s sinfulness and ingratitude. Jesus informed her that her mission was to establish the devotion to His Most Sacred Heart, and He revealed twelve promises that He would bestow upon all those who practice the devotion.

She had three more visions over the next year and a half in which Jesus instructed her in a devotion that was to become known as the Nine Fridays. Christ also inspired Margaret Mary to establish the Holy Hour and to receive Holy Communion on the first Friday of every month. In the final revelation, the Lord asked that a feast of reparation be instituted for the Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi.

Blessed Claude de la Colombiere, a holy and experienced Jesuit, arrived as confessor to the nuns, and in him Margaret Mary recognized the understanding guide that had been promised to her in the visions. He became convinced that her experiences were genuine and adopted the teaching of the Sacred Heart that the visions had communicated to her.”

Msgr. Esseff talks about that message, what it means for us today, and how we can live it out.

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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.

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Episode 7 – Entering the Fifth Mansion – St. Teresa, Spiritual Warfare, and the Progress of the Soul with Dan Burke

Dan Burke and Kris McGregor discuss spiritual progress and the challenges faced in St. Teresa of Avila’s Interior Castle, particularly through the fifth mansion and the spiritual journey as one of growth toward union with God; this path is neither solitary nor self-sufficient. They discuss the necessity of spiritual guidance and community, even for hermits, to maintain spiritual health and avoid isolation’s pitfalls.

There’s also critical virtues of humility and self-awareness. These act as shields against the enemy, especially at higher levels of spiritual development, where temptation becomes subtler and more insidious. Burke highlights the importance of a spiritual director who genuinely listens, able to discern God’s unique work in each soul, rather than adhering strictly to systematic approaches. He warns against overly programmatic spiritual direction, suggesting that the Holy Spirit should be the primary guide, with spiritual directors acting as humble servants to aid the soul’s unique journey.

We can have experiences of spiritual desolation and consolation, particularly the disorientation that can come with transitioning between the purgative and illuminative stages. Through these transitions, having a spiritual director to offer support and interpret the soul’s experiences is invaluable. Burke and McGregor conclude by stressing the importance of daily practices, such as examination of conscience, which keep one grounded and attuned to God’s direction, helping to avoid the small attachments that can subtly lead one away from God.

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Discerning Hearts Discussion Questions

1. Union with God as Life’s Purpose – How does recognizing our purpose as union with God shape the way you approach daily decisions and relationships?
2. Spiritual Companionship – Who are the spiritual companions or guides in your life, and how do they help you stay grounded in your faith journey?
3. Humility and Self-Awareness – In what ways do you cultivate humility and self-awareness in your spiritual practices, and how do these virtues protect you against temptation?
4. Role of Spiritual Direction – How do you discern the right spiritual guide, and how open are you to letting the Holy Spirit work through that relationship?
5. Daily Examination of Conscience – What role does examining your day play in your spiritual life, and how does it help you grow closer to God?
6. Detachment from Worldly Comforts – Are there small attachments in your life that might be subtly distancing you from God, and how can you work towards releasing them?
7. Understanding Stages of Spiritual Growth – How well do you recognize the transitions between spiritual stages in your own life, and what resources do you use to navigate them?
8. Sustaining Faith During Spiritual Dryness – How do you maintain faith and commitment to God during periods of spiritual dryness or desolation?

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You can find the book here.

An excerpt from the book:

“Have you ever considered that the devil is active in your prayer life? In the parish church where you attend Mass? In the lives and actions of people of goodwill all around you? The saints remind us of a key aspect of living the spiritual life that we are wont to forget simply because we can’t see it and because we have been conditioned by the media and popular culture to think the devil works visibly only in “bad” people or in extraordinary ways, as in the movies. And although demons are certainly capable of extravagant or extraordinary manifestations, their ordinary work flies under our radar because it just isn’t that spectacular, though it is deadly.

In fact, subtlety, illusion, and deceit are their preferred methods of attack. An invisible battle for souls is being waged in and around us without reprieve, and we remain ignorant of it to our peril. St. Teresa of Avila, great mystic and Doctor of the Church, is best known for her writings on the way God leads souls along the path to union with Him through prayer. What many do not know about St. Teresa is that she also observed the actions of demons working with militant force to lead even good souls astray in ways that might surprise you. She shares these experiences freely in her autobiography, which she was commanded to write under obedience to her spiritual director.“

Burke, Dan; Burke, Dan. The Devil in the Castle: St. Teresa of Avila, Spiritual Warfare, and the Progress of the Soul (p. 12). Sophia Institute Press. Kindle Edition.

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For more episodes in this series visit Dan Burke’s Discerning Hearts page here:

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Dan Burke is the founder and President of the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation, which offers graduate and personal enrichment studies in spiritual theology to priests, deacons, religious, and laity in 72 countries and prepares men for seminary in 14 dioceses.

Dan is the author and editor of more than 15 books on authentic Catholic spirituality and hosts the Divine Intimacy Radio show with his wife, Stephanie, which is broadcast weekly on EWTN Radio. Past episodes can be found, along with thousands of articles on the interior life, at SpiritualDirection.com.

In his deep commitment to the advancement of faithful Catholic spirituality, he is also the founder of Apostoli Viae, a world-wide, private association of the faithful dedicated to living and advancing the authentic spiritual patrimony of the Church.

Most importantly, Dan is a blessed husband, father of four, grandfather of one—and grateful to be Catholic.

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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. Dr. Bunson points out that 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.

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

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Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

1. Understanding Prayer as Love: How can you approach prayer as an exercise of love and deepen your relationship with God in your daily life?
2. Love in the Trinity: Reflect on the Trinitarian nature of God’s love; how does this inspire you to share love with others?
3. Role of the Sacraments: In what ways do the sacraments of the Church support your spiritual journey and deepen your prayer life?
4. Humility in Spiritual Growth: How can you cultivate humility as you strive to grow closer to God, avoiding pride in your prayer life?
5. Following Teresa’s Path of Prayer: What steps can you take to begin or deepen your practice of prayer using St. Teresa’s guidance?
6. Spiritual Progression: 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?
7. Active Participation in God’s Will: How can you surrender your desires to align more closely with God’s will for you?
8. Lessons in the Interior Castle: What insights from Teresa’s “Interior Castle” can help you recognize and appreciate the stages of your own spiritual life?
9. Avoiding Spiritual Pride: How do you protect yourself from spiritual pride, especially when experiencing deeper moments in prayer?
10. Finding Strength in Service: How can you use the strength you gain from prayer to serve others, as Teresa encourages?

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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

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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.

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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. 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.

They discuss her encounter with the Inquisition 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. 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

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Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

1. The Universality of Holiness – How does St. Teresa’s teaching that holiness and deep prayer are accessible to everyone challenge your view of your own spiritual life?
2. Value of Spiritual Autobiography – In what ways could reflecting on your own life’s journey, including your struggles and triumphs, bring you closer to God?
3. Role of the Mystical Life – How might you open yourself to a deeper understanding of mystical prayer and contemplation, as modeled by St. Teresa?
4. Embracing Church Authority – What does Teresa’s respect for the Church’s authority, even amid the Inquisition, teach you about obedience and trust in your own faith?
5. The Call to Reform – 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?
6. Encounter with Christ in Prayer – How can you foster a prayer life that allows you to experience God’s presence more deeply, as Teresa did through her devotions?
7. Living for God’s Glory, Not Your Own – In what areas of your life might you be called to abandon personal pride and embrace a deeper, self-giving humility?
8. Legacy of Spiritual Writing – How can you draw inspiration from Teresa’s writings to enrich your own journey toward spiritual growth and understanding?

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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

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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.

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Episode 6 – Obstacles to Contemplative Spirituality – St. Teresa, Spiritual Warfare, and the Progress of the Soul with Dan Burke

Dan Burke and Kris McGregor explore spiritual growth through St. Teresa of Ávila’s fourth mansion in The Interior Castle. They discuss how God uses perceived absences to deepen our relationship with Him, removing consolations to cultivate selfless love. This “aridity” — where one might feel God’s presence less tangibly — is actually a time of spiritual purification. Burke emphasizes that while these moments can be challenging, they are essential to detaching from “mercenary love” (love driven by self-interest) and moving toward love that reflects God’s worthiness.

The enemy often tries to exploit these times of dryness by sowing doubt, attempting to make believers question past spiritual experiences. Saints like John of the Cross and Catherine of Siena encourage recognizing such trials as opportunities to grow in humility, reaffirming our dependence on God. He highlights the importance of maintaining spiritual virtues and a disciplined “rule of life” to resist temptations and strengthen virtues, much like keeping physical fitness.

Reflecting on the wisdom of the Desert Fathers, especially regarding battling vices with corresponding virtues, they mention the importance of practices like fasting, which help one gain control over appetites and attachments, allowing for a more disciplined spiritual life. St. Teresa’s practical approach, such as avoiding spiritual pride and learning to respond to wandering thoughts in prayer with humility.

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Discerning Hearts Discussion Questions

1. Understanding Spiritual Dryness: How can I embrace moments of perceived absence from God as opportunities to grow in faith and selfless love?
2. Recognizing the Enemy’s Tactics: In what ways might the enemy try to create doubt in my spiritual journey, and how can I guard against these thoughts?
3. The Importance of Virtues: Which virtues in my life need consistent reinforcement, and how can I establish daily practices to cultivate them?
4. The Role of Humility in Prayer: How can I respond humbly when my mind wanders in prayer, acknowledging my dependence on God?
5. Developing a Rule of Life: What specific spiritual disciplines or rules can I incorporate into my daily routine to strengthen my relationship with God?
6. Detachment from Consolations: How can I shift my focus from seeking consolations in prayer to seeking a deeper, more selfless love for God?
7. Striving for Union with God: In what ways is God calling me to deeper purification, and how can I open myself more fully to His transforming love?
8. Healing Through Awareness: How can I allow my wounds to become channels for God’s healing grace, rather than opportunities for the enemy to lead me astray?
9. Learning from the Saints: Which insights from St. Teresa of Ávila and other saints can I apply to my own spiritual struggles and growth?
10. Trusting in God’s Patience and Mercy: How can I more fully appreciate and rely on God’s ongoing patience, forgiveness, and love in my daily life?

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You can find the book here.

An excerpt from the book:

“Have you ever considered that the devil is active in your prayer life? In the parish church where you attend Mass? In the lives and actions of people of goodwill all around you? The saints remind us of a key aspect of living the spiritual life that we are wont to forget simply because we can’t see it and because we have been conditioned by the media and popular culture to think the devil works visibly only in “bad” people or in extraordinary ways, as in the movies. And although demons are certainly capable of extravagant or extraordinary manifestations, their ordinary work flies under our radar because it just isn’t that spectacular, though it is deadly.

In fact, subtlety, illusion, and deceit are their preferred methods of attack. An invisible battle for souls is being waged in and around us without reprieve, and we remain ignorant of it to our peril. St. Teresa of Avila, great mystic and Doctor of the Church, is best known for her writings on the way God leads souls along the path to union with Him through prayer. What many do not know about St. Teresa is that she also observed the actions of demons working with militant force to lead even good souls astray in ways that might surprise you. She shares these experiences freely in her autobiography, which she was commanded to write under obedience to her spiritual director.“

Burke, Dan; Burke, Dan. The Devil in the Castle: St. Teresa of Avila, Spiritual Warfare, and the Progress of the Soul (p. 12). Sophia Institute Press. Kindle Edition.

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For more episodes in this series visit Dan Burke’s Discerning Hearts page here:

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Dan Burke is the founder and President of the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation, which offers graduate and personal enrichment studies in spiritual theology to priests, deacons, religious, and laity in 72 countries and prepares men for seminary in 14 dioceses.

Dan is the author and editor of more than 15 books on authentic Catholic spirituality and hosts the Divine Intimacy Radio show with his wife, Stephanie, which is broadcast weekly on EWTN Radio. Past episodes can be found, along with thousands of articles on the interior life, at SpiritualDirection.com.

In his deep commitment to the advancement of faithful Catholic spirituality, he is also the founder of Apostoli Viae, a world-wide, private association of the faithful dedicated to living and advancing the authentic spiritual patrimony of the Church.

Most importantly, Dan is a blessed husband, father of four, grandfather of one—and grateful to be Catholic.

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I’m Troubled and I’m Tempted; I’m Going to Fail – Struggles in the Spiritual Life with Fr. Timothy Gallagher O.M.V.

Fr. Timothy Gallagher and Kris McGregor discuss spiritual desolation and temptation, focusing on how these challenges manifest in everyday life. They revisit the character of John, a man experiencing anxiety while awaiting medical results, and struggling to find peace in prayer. Despite his efforts, he faces the pull of temptation and the discouraging thoughts that stem from spiritual desolation. Such temptations are “garden variety” tactics of the enemy, common experiences in the spiritual life, and challenges for us to resist by turning to prayer and trusted support.

We are then introduced to Julie, who, after a spiritually uplifting retreat, finds herself slipping into desolation due to relational difficulties and self-doubt. She begins to question her spiritual growth, underlining how desolation can distort one’s perception of their relationship with God and progress in the faith. It’s important to recognize and reject these lies of the enemy, who uses such tactics to undermine confidence and encourage discouragement.

The Biblical teaching that the enemy is “the father of lies” and an accuser. He encourages listeners to reject feelings of inadequacy and spiritual defeat by holding onto truths of God’s constant presence, support, and love. Through examples and Ignatius’ teachings, Gallagher assures us that desolation is temporary, and spiritual growth often emerges through these struggles.

You can pick up a copy of the book here.

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Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

1. Awareness of Spiritual Desolation: How can you become more mindful of when spiritual desolation is affecting your thoughts and actions?
2. Identifying Lies of the Enemy: What are the common lies you recognize in your life that lead to feelings of inadequacy or spiritual defeat?
3. Resisting Temptation: When you face temptations in moments of vulnerability, what strategies can you use to remain faithful to your spiritual commitments?
4. Seeking Support in Desolation: Who are the people in your life that you can talk to about spiritual struggles, and how might they help you find clarity?
5. Remembering God’s Presence: In moments of discouragement, how can you remind yourself of God’s enduring presence and love?
6. Using Prayer as a Source of Strength: How can you incorporate prayer more intentionally when feeling anxious or troubled by spiritual desolation?
7. Learning from Spiritual Desolation: Reflect on a time when you grew spiritually after enduring a period of desolation—what did you learn, and how did it strengthen your faith?
8. Understanding God’s Purpose in Allowing Desolation: How might God be using your current struggles to deepen your spiritual resilience and reliance on Him?

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An excerpt from the chapter “I’m Troubled and I’m Tempted”:

“John experiences a form of spiritual desolation that Ignatius describes as “disquiet from various agitations and temptations.” If John can identify his experience as the tactic of the enemy that it is — spiritual desolation — peace will begin to return, and he will be strengthened to resist it. If John is further aware that there is no shame in undergoing such spiritual desolation, that all do from time to time, he will be additionally encouraged in his struggle.

The enemy brings this spiritual desolation into a nonspiritual vulnerability in John: a place of worry — his understandable concern about the growth on his face and his anxiety as he awaits the results of the second biopsy. John deals well with this: he speaks with his wife, and he is faithful to prayer. Texts of the Bible help him. But even as he turns to the Lord, the enemy brings spiritual desolation, “disquiet from various agitations and temptations.” This need not surprise John or us! Ignatius helps us understand this experience and points the way to freedom.”

Gallagher O.M.V, Fr. Timothy ; Gallagher O.M.V, Fr. Timothy. Struggles in the Spiritual Life: Their Nature and Their Remedies (p. 45). Sophia Institute Press. Kindle Edition.

An except from the chapter “I’m Going to Fail”:

“Julie’s experience permits an important observation. If the enemy ordinarily brings spiritual desolation into areas of nonspiritual vulnerability (tiredness, discouragement, depression, and the like), then whatever you do to reduce or eliminate that nonspiritual vulnerability will greatly ease your spiritual life. If, for example, Julie and Bob communicate and resolve their tension, Julie will find herself much less susceptible to the “lack of confidence” described here. The same is true for all of us when we experience nonspiritual vulnerabilities. Julie also writes, “I’m up, then so quickly down. You and the others seem so much more stable and so faithful. I must be different.” A further lie of desolation is this: “It’s just you. Other people don’t go through this. You’re up, then down. Other people are steady. It’s only you.” Again, emphatically no!

When Julie knows the others better, and they share on a deeper level, she will find that all undergo these ups (times of spiritual energy, of feeling God’s closeness — that is, of spiritual consolation) and downs (times without spiritual energy, of not feeling God’s closeness — that is, of spiritual desolation). If you experience times of spiritual consolation and times of spiritual desolation, then you share the experience of every man or woman who has ever loved the Lord. What matters is — by now you can tell me! — to be aware, understand, and take action. Take action: that is, to accept God’s gift of spiritual consolation and to reject the enemy’s discouraging lies in spiritual desolation.”

Gallagher O.M.V, Fr. Timothy ; Gallagher O.M.V, Fr. Timothy. Struggles in the Spiritual Life: Their Nature and Their Remedies (pp. 52-53). Sophia Institute Press. Kindle Edition.

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To find more episodes from this series, visit the Struggles in the Spiritual Life Podcast

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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.“

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Did you know that Fr. Timothy Gallagher has 14 different podcast series on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts?
Visit here to discover more!

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Entering the Fourth Mansion – St. Teresa, Spiritual Warfare, and the Progress of the Soul with Dan Burke

Dan Burke and Kris McGregor explore the journey through the fourth mansion and the challenges that arise in discerning spiritual progress. St. Teresa’s teachings caution against pride and self-deception in the spiritual life, especially as one begins to experience deeper spiritual consolations and encounters.

At the fourth mansion, the devil shifts tactics, no longer tempting the soul with obvious sins, but rather with pride and complacency. Souls at this stage might believe they are more advanced than they truly are, which can lead to a dangerous sense of superiority or false humility. The key to avoiding this trap is to assess oneself through the lens of God’s love and the example of Jesus, not by comparing oneself to others.

Even advanced souls can be tempted by subtle forms of pride: St. Teresa warns that experiences of consolation must be tested for their fruits, as true spiritual joy leads to lasting peace, while false consolations leave the soul feeling empty and unsettled. God allows minor temptations or challenges to help keep the soul awake and vigilant. The podcast concludes with the reminder that this spiritual journey is about preparing for eternal union with God, and that we should expect constant purification and humility along the way.

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Discerning Hearts Discussion Questions

1. Assessing Spiritual Progress
   How do I discern whether my spiritual experiences are leading me closer to humility and love, rather than pride and complacency?
2. Avoiding Comparisons
   Do I evaluate my spiritual journey by comparing myself to others, or by striving to become more like Jesus?
3. Testing Consolations
   When I experience spiritual consolations, do I test their fruits to ensure they lead to lasting peace, joy, and love?
4. Embracing Humility
   Am I willing to accept that even in advanced stages of my spiritual life, I must remain humble and aware of my weaknesses?
5. Responding to Temptations
   How do I respond when God allows minor temptations or trials—do I view them as opportunities to grow in vigilance and trust?
6. Understanding the Enemy’s Subtleties
   Am I attentive to the more subtle temptations of pride and self-deception as I progress in my spiritual life?
7. Remaining Vigilant
   Do I remain spiritually alert, recognizing that the devil prowls even more subtly as I grow in my relationship with God?
8. Measuring Love
   How do I measure my spiritual progress—by my own standards or by the depth of love I show toward God and others?

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You can find the book here.

An excerpt from the book:

“Have you ever considered that the devil is active in your prayer life? In the parish church where you attend Mass? In the lives and actions of people of goodwill all around you? The saints remind us of a key aspect of living the spiritual life that we are wont to forget simply because we can’t see it and because we have been conditioned by the media and popular culture to think the devil works visibly only in “bad” people or in extraordinary ways, as in the movies. And although demons are certainly capable of extravagant or extraordinary manifestations, their ordinary work flies under our radar because it just isn’t that spectacular, though it is deadly.

In fact, subtlety, illusion, and deceit are their preferred methods of attack. An invisible battle for souls is being waged in and around us without reprieve, and we remain ignorant of it to our peril. St. Teresa of Avila, great mystic and Doctor of the Church, is best known for her writings on the way God leads souls along the path to union with Him through prayer. What many do not know about St. Teresa is that she also observed the actions of demons working with militant force to lead even good souls astray in ways that might surprise you. She shares these experiences freely in her autobiography, which she was commanded to write under obedience to her spiritual director.“

Burke, Dan; Burke, Dan. The Devil in the Castle: St. Teresa of Avila, Spiritual Warfare, and the Progress of the Soul (p. 12). Sophia Institute Press. Kindle Edition.

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For more episodes in this series visit Dan Burke’s Discerning Hearts page here:

---

Dan Burke is the founder and President of the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation, which offers graduate and personal enrichment studies in spiritual theology to priests, deacons, religious, and laity in 72 countries and prepares men for seminary in 14 dioceses.

Dan is the author and editor of more than 15 books on authentic Catholic spirituality and hosts the Divine Intimacy Radio show with his wife, Stephanie, which is broadcast weekly on EWTN Radio. Past episodes can be found, along with thousands of articles on the interior life, at SpiritualDirection.com.

In his deep commitment to the advancement of faithful Catholic spirituality, he is also the founder of Apostoli Viae, a world-wide, private association of the faithful dedicated to living and advancing the authentic spiritual patrimony of the Church.

Most importantly, Dan is a blessed husband, father of four, grandfather of one—and grateful to be Catholic.