Spiritual stagnation. What's your take on it?

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CaptJalopy

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I’ll be honest, my relationship with the church is incredibly stagnant and spiritually unfulfilling. It’s not at a point where I’m looking to turn away from the church, by no means (and I have high doubts that is ever going to happen), but it’s almost like being a Catholic has just become work and only work, you know what I mean? I do my prayers, journal a lot, try to keep my faith with me everywhere I go, but every time I get into any of these things, they just more or less eventually become repetitive tasks that are simply around to keep me afloat. Attending mass and going to confession has pretty much become habit to the point where it’s just weekly routine; I just kind of show up now out of sheer obligation rather than seriously wanting to now, and so all of this has led me to think that perhaps I need to hit the restart button and get a fresh perspective on everything. I think I can say that I love God (if I didn’t, I don’t think I’d care about this situation), but only just enough, if that makes sense, and we all know what happens when we’re luke warm. So I pose this question to you: Have any of you gone through an experience like this, a spiritual stagnation if you will? And if so, what things did you try to get your faith life firing on all cylinders again? What worked for you?
 
If going to Mass seems routine, you need to do something to break the routine. Is there a different sort of Mass you can attend in your area, such as the Extraordinary Form, Ordinariate Usage, or maybe an Eastern-rite Liturgy? Any of these would be different enough to make you pay more attention. Same goes with prayer routines. If you always say the Rosary every day for instance, try a different devotion for a while.
 
CaptJalopy said:
I’ll be honest, my relationship with the church is incredibly stagnant and spiritually unfulfilling. It’s not at a point where I’m looking to turn away from the church, by no means (and I have high doubts that is ever going to happen), but it’s almost like being a Catholic has just become work and only work, you know what I mean? I do my prayers, journal a lot, try to keep my faith with me everywhere I go, but every time I get into any of these things, they just more or less eventually become repetitive tasks that are simply around to keep me afloat. Attending mass and going to confession has pretty much become habit to the point where it’s just weekly routine; I just kind of show up now out of sheer obligation rather than seriously wanting to now, and so all of this has led me to think that perhaps I need to hit the restart button and get a fresh perspective on everything. I think I can say that I love God (if I didn’t, I don’t think I’d care about this situation), but only just enough, if that makes sense, and we all know what happens when we’re luke warm. So I pose this question to you: Have any of you gone through an experience like this, a spiritual stagnation if you will? And if so, what things did you try to get your faith life firing on all cylinders again? What worked for you?
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Get out there and put your faith in action.
At the end of Mass we are told to go forth and put the Gospel in action.
Do it.
Volunteer. Navel gazing and dotting you “i’s” and “crossing your t’s” gets old and stale in any part of our lives. To fix that? Mix it up. Plenty of kids to catechize, hungry to feed, sick to visit, and poor to help.
Go through the list of ministries in your parish and sign up for one, and jump in with both feet. It’s the most joyful work you’ll ever do. And it doesn’t even feel like work, because of the blessing that are to be had in the process.
God bless.
 
CaptJalopy said:
I’ll be honest, my relationship with the church is incredibly stagnant and spiritually unfulfilling. It’s not at a point where I’m looking to turn away from the church, by no means (and I have high doubts that is ever going to happen), but it’s almost like being a Catholic has just become work and only work, you know what I mean? I do my prayers, journal a lot, try to keep my faith with me everywhere I go, but every time I get into any of these things, they just more or less eventually become repetitive tasks that are simply around to keep me afloat. Attending mass and going to confession has pretty much become habit to the point where it’s just weekly routine; I just kind of show up now out of sheer obligation rather than seriously wanting to now, and so all of this has led me to think that perhaps I need to hit the restart button and get a fresh perspective on everything. I think I can say that I love God (if I didn’t, I don’t think I’d care about this situation), but only just enough, if that makes sense, and we all know what happens when we’re luke warm. So I pose this question to you: Have any of you gone through an experience like this, a spiritual stagnation if you will? And if so, what things did you try to get your faith life firing on all cylinders again? What worked for you?
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I do not want to say frequent confession is bad. I have felt similarly about the idea of weekly confession. I understand weekly mass. I think confession should be based on sincere conviction. I do not mean to lead people astray with my statement. What I have tried is praying for others, even then my prayers start to feel calculated. Maybe try to do something kind for someone each day. Do not make it the same thing. You could challenge yourself to be merciful to someone you find difficult. Following Christ is very difficult.
 
Quite a few great suggestions here already-hopefully I can add a bit more. Have you tried a retreat? There is a retreat house near where I live that offers daily, weekly and month long retreats. Day retreats can be on your own or something they have on the calendar.
I have never gone as I prefer my retreat days to be at home/alone. One day a week my wife goes out with her friends(bingo) and I use the time as retreat time. Silence-no tv, music, only spiritual reading, maybe fasting or abstaining from certain foods or something else I usually do day to day. Maybe go for a longer walk than usual or bicycle, swim, etc. sometimes I go to adoration. Take my mother or a friend to lunch.
All of these things have helped to get me out of a spiritual stagnation from time to time. They say conversion is a process and never ending. If our practice gets stale we should endeavor to freshen it up. Blessings.
 
CaptJalopy said:
I’ll be honest, my relationship with the church is incredibly stagnant and spiritually unfulfilling. It’s not at a point where I’m looking to turn away from the church, by no means (and I have high doubts that is ever going to happen), but it’s almost like being a Catholic has just become work and only work, you know what I mean? I do my prayers, journal a lot, try to keep my faith with me everywhere I go, but every time I get into any of these things, they just more or less eventually become repetitive tasks that are simply around to keep me afloat. Attending mass and going to confession has pretty much become habit to the point where it’s just weekly routine; I just kind of show up now out of sheer obligation rather than seriously wanting to now, and so all of this has led me to think that perhaps I need to hit the restart button and get a fresh perspective on everything. I think I can say that I love God (if I didn’t, I don’t think I’d care about this situation), but only just enough, if that makes sense, and we all know what happens when we’re luke warm. So I pose this question to you: Have any of you gone through an experience like this, a spiritual stagnation if you will? And if so, what things did you try to get your faith life firing on all cylinders again? What worked for you?
Click to expand...
Spiritual stagnation can mean that one is not advancing spiritually, or a spiritual life is without any human/spiritual consolation, dry, formal, repetitious, routine. It is understood that in the spiritual life, if you are not moving forward, your are moving backward. This may come from neglecting prayer and good works, receiving the Sacraments. If all of this is done, it may be what is called “spiritual aridity” We must realize that we are not angels, but flesh, blood and spirit. With many there is a lacking of the sentiments of Faith, even though the convictions of Faith are the most important in the final analysis, our spiritual life should experience religious sentiment also, sentiments of Faith, Hope and Love. I have a prayer that helps me to achieve this balance, it’s actually the Prayer before the Crucifix.

Look down upon me Oh Good and gentle Jesus,while before Thy Face I humbly kneel with burning soul I beseech Thee to fix deep with in me the convictions and “sentiments” of Faith, Hope and Love. While I call to mind the words of David thy Prophet said of Thee,my Jesus, " They have pierced My hands and My feet, they have numbered all of my bones." Also seek an affection for God by praising Him for the good, and the painful, something human nature is adverse to do. Think of those things that bring you joy and see God in them. You can expect spiritual dry spells, just move on as usual, all things change in time.
 
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