Spiritual Comfort

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homewardangel

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I have been doing alot of thinking and struggling. And I really would appreciate some thoughts of others.

While I am sitting here wanting to go to the website of a home improvement store to spend some money, or eat half of what’s in the cupboard - I know that those things will not help me. I know that spending money and eating help me with my internal struggle temporarily, but its just a cheap coverup. What I am in need of, truly, is spiritual comfort. Not the hamburger or cookies or a new power tool.

My problem is, that while I realize I need spiritual comfort I don’t know how to get that. I do attend mass regularly, pray the rosary daily (or as often as I remember), go to confession semi-regularly, and weekly attend the adoration chapel. But I still have this discomfort that I can’t put into words or find comfort for.

Does anyone else know what I mean? What do other people do?

Terry
 
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homewardangel:
… I do attend mass regularly, pray the rosary daily (or as often as I remember), go to confession semi-regularly, and weekly attend the adoration chapel. But I still have this discomfort that I can’t put into words or find comfort for.

Does anyone else know what I mean? What do other people do?
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I think this is normal, and that it means you are being called to give more of your heart. It is in giving that we receive. Have you consecrated yourself to Jesus and Mary?

I think you may be ready for what Jesus refers to here:

Matthew 19:20 The young man saith to him: All these I have kept from my youth, what is yet wanting to me? 21 Jesus saith to him: If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come follow me.

I think you are being called to a higher perfection, and you won’t be happy until you give more of yourself via the desires of your heart.

2 Corinthians 3:15 But even until this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart. 16 But when they shall be converted to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away. 17 Now the Lord is a Spirit. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all beholding the glory of the Lord with open face, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord.

I encourage you to persevere in prayer, mental prayer and contemplation, desiring God.

Now the soul who wishes to rise above imperfection should await My Providence in the House of Self-Knowledge, with the light of faith, as did the disciples, who remained in the house in perseverance and in watching, and in humble and continual prayer, awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit. She should remain fasting and watching, the eye of her intellect fastened on the doctrine of My Truth, and she will become humble because she will know herself in humble and continual prayer and holy and true desire.

The Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena (p. 71)
catholicprimer.org/catherine/catherine_dialog.pdf

hurst
 
Thank you for your replies.

I will look into the St. Bridgett prayers. I just finished 3 novenas, so timing would be good to start a new prayer routine.

Spiritual depression??? I’m not sure that I understand what is meant by that. Is there a difference between the average depression that so many take anti depressants for and “spiritual depression”?
I think you are being called to a higher perfection, and you won’t be happy until you give more of yourself via the desires of your heart.
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What do you mean “via the desires of your heart”? Human earthly desires?? An example may help my thick head.

Terry
 
Hurst,
Have you consecrated yourself to Jesus and Mary?
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What does that mean? Is it some sort of special prayers??? I don’t know what you mean.

Terry
 
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homewardangel:
What do you mean “via the desires of your heart”? Human earthly desires??
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No.

Titus 2:12 Instructing us, that, denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live soberly, and justly, and godly in this world, …

1 Peter 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, to refrain yourselves from carnal desires which war against the soul, …
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homewardangel:
An example may help my thick head.
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I am speaking of the desire of your soul, your will-power, towards things of God. It is one thing to pray occasionally, but another to pray continuously. To pray continuously is to pray by desire. This is mental prayer.

For the more the soul tries to loosen her affection from herself, and fasten it in Me with the light of the intellect, the more she knows; and the more she knows, the more she loves, and, loving much, she tastes much. You see then, that perfect prayer is not attained to through many words, but through affection of desire, the soul raising herself to Me, with knowledge of herself and of My mercy, seasoned the one with the other. Thus she will exercise together mental and vocal prayer, for, even as the active and contemplative life is one, so are they.

The Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena (p. 70)
catholicprimer.org/catherine/catherine_dialog.pdf

The desire of our soul is what God is really responding to.

Thus is your desire infinite, otherwise it would be worth nothing, nor would any virtue of yours have any life if you served Me with anything finite. For I, who am the Infinite God, wish to be served by you with infinite service, and the only infinite thing you possess is the affection and desire of your souls.

The Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena (p. 82)
catholicprimer.org/catherine/catherine_dialog.pdf

Daniel was one such person:

Daniel 9:23 From the beginning of thy prayers the word came forth: and I am come to shew it to thee, because thou art a man of desires …

David also:

Psalms 36:4 Delight in the Lord, and he will give thee the requests of thy heart.

Psalms 37:10 Lord, all my desire is before thee, and my groaning is not hidden from thee.

We cannot serve two masters. If we are delighting in something besides God, then serving Him can seem tedious.

Matthew 6:21 For where thy treasure is, there is thy heart also.

We are called to become saints, not in order to be famous, but in order to please God. Besides, anything outside of heaven is ultimately intolerable. It is folly to desire imperfection.

hurst
 
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homewardangel:
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hurst:
Have you consecrated yourself to Jesus and Mary?
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What does that mean? Is it some sort of special prayers??? I don’t know what you mean.
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It is an act of giving yourself to them, and binding yourself to their will. It is done via prayer, of course.

Here is a link to a prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus:

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, to Thee I consecrate and offer up my person and my life, my actions, trials, and sufferings, that my entire being may henceforth only be employed in loving, honoring and glorifying Thee. This is my irrevocable will, to belong entirely to Thee, and to do all for Thy love, renouncing with my whole heart all that can displease Thee. …

ewtn.com/devotionals/heart/consecration.htm

Others can be found that also include Mary, who is good leverage for keeping us close to Jesus.

hurst
 
Just a suggestion…volunteer! You have no idea how you will see God work in your life when you begin to help those less fortunate. If it is tutoring children, working in a soup kitchen or PADS shelter with the homeless or poor. Visiting a nursing home and reading to those who are blind…Rock cocaine babies in a hospital nursery…you name it. You will be filled with the love and mercy of God by those acts.

For myself, I am part of a team that teaches marriage and baptism prep. It is the best opportunity to do adult catechesis. I also minister to the sick and homebound…and do a listening ministry for them. It is incredible.

Keep praying, adoration and weekday masses help me amazingly!

You are on the right track!
 
Thanks for your posts. I have a lot of info to digest now.

I think I struggle alot with “worldly desires” because sometimes its not that easy to discern which is truly worldly desires. I have to work, need a car, clothes, food, ect…

Terry
 
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