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josephback
Guest
Does anyone know?
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Mary_Ellen
Guest
Personal fatigue may be due to any number of reasons, including medical ones. One struggling with personal fatigue may wish to consult a physician if it is a chronic condition. In the meantime simply commit yourself to do what needs to be done despite the fatigue.
Spiritual fatigue, or acedia, is best cured by digging in and doing the work (prayer, devotion, study, etc) despite the lack of enthusiasm. John Cassian advised his monks about what to do when plagued with thought of acedia, He told them to rededicate themselves to work in every sense. It is also important to let go of negative thoughts and recommit ourselves to the One who is the source of our strength and with whom is our most important relationship.
Spiritual fatigue, or acedia, is best cured by digging in and doing the work (prayer, devotion, study, etc) despite the lack of enthusiasm. John Cassian advised his monks about what to do when plagued with thought of acedia, He told them to rededicate themselves to work in every sense. It is also important to let go of negative thoughts and recommit ourselves to the One who is the source of our strength and with whom is our most important relationship.
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ClearWater
Guest
With the fatigue, there are a lot of causes.
I have someone I know who is tired, seemingly due to her diabetes. I used to have hypothyroidism, and that helped to tire me out. I used to be anemic due to a hemorrhage, and that did, too. I’ve had times I’ve had insomnia, and that did, too. Sometimes, I’ve been sort of anemic due to a medication I take, and I need to take folic acid. Dehydration can make one tired, if one’s not consuming enough water. There are these conditions and many more not listed.
You need to get to the cause, and that sounds like a medical issue rather than a spiritual one. Would you consider talking to your doctor? If you are physically tired, it will be harder for you to feel like praying. Once the fatigue is dealt with, you might be able to move on more easily to the spiritual. Best of luck!
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pianistclare
Guest
Joy.
If one is constantly worried about exterior things, and interior feelings…one gets bogged down into a state of near despair.
Take time to be joyful. Thankful for health, a job, grandchildren, flowers, rain, sunny days, Mass, your talents.
You get the idea. Step outside of yourself. Be joyful. Discover what you can do for others to lift THEM, and you will find yourself uplifted.
When you feel the urge to just sit and do nothing, go for a walk.
Look at the stars. Ask your guardian angel to show you someone in need, and then help them. Even if it’s only a listening ear. That’s a big gift to a teen who feels misunderstood, or an elderly person who feels abandoned.
See Christ around you. And love Him.
Be joyful. It doesn’t come naturally to everyone, but it can be achieved.
Peace.
If one is constantly worried about exterior things, and interior feelings…one gets bogged down into a state of near despair.
Take time to be joyful. Thankful for health, a job, grandchildren, flowers, rain, sunny days, Mass, your talents.
You get the idea. Step outside of yourself. Be joyful. Discover what you can do for others to lift THEM, and you will find yourself uplifted.
When you feel the urge to just sit and do nothing, go for a walk.
Look at the stars. Ask your guardian angel to show you someone in need, and then help them. Even if it’s only a listening ear. That’s a big gift to a teen who feels misunderstood, or an elderly person who feels abandoned.
See Christ around you. And love Him.
Be joyful. It doesn’t come naturally to everyone, but it can be achieved.
Peace.
A
Antegin
Guest
How do you define spiritual fatigue?
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josephback
Guest
It seems like there’s no reward for trying to take faith seriously and you’re always in the minority, or so it seems. Besides that I converted a few years ago, but never dealt with the fact that most of what I learned before was a lie and God allowed it—in fact still does. It makes it hard to trust Him as a being of love and have any joy or enthusiasm. I’m frustrated in other areas of my life, which doesn’t help, etc…
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pianistclare
Guest
Faith is not contingent on feelings.
I don’t care what others think…if they think I’m a looney Catholic, whatevs.
I know what is right. It’s about MY soul, not whether or not people reward me with their approval.
I think you’re coming at it backwards.
As I said before, be thankful. Everything before was a lie? Be thankful God led you out of darkness.
God is the ONE who can be trusted.
Pray for acceptance, perseverance, and enlightenment as to God’s will for you.
Everyone goes through periods of spiritual dryness. It’s normal, and common.
But it should not cause you to stop seeking out Christ. Be attentive at Mass, let the Gospel penetrate deeply into your heart, maybe meet with your priest for coffee and a frank chat,
read some good books on prayer. If you like to pray in short bursts, try www.sacredspace.ie
It has a brief (5-10 min) daily reflection that is very calming and beautiful.
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InNomineDomini
Guest
This is so true! Scripture has a lot to say about wanting to be loved more by men than by God.
I’ll tell you another way to go about this, and I’m going to use a graphic image. Ready? Stop sitting in a bathtub full of your own vomit. Don’t constantly regurgitate all of your sins, weaknesses, problems, annoyances, wishes, and desires. Learn to take them to God, and to then let go of them. Then, go serve someone with the spiritual or corporal works of mercy.
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pianistclare
Guest
Yes. Nothing engenders peace like the service to others.
Be the hands and feet of Christ and see if you don’t feel really good about life.
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Antegin
Guest
The honeymoon’s over. The joy of coming into the Church is giving way to spiritual desert. Your right, those who understand and live by the teachings of Christ, are the minority. Matthew 22:14 Many are called, few are chosen.
Some populations have not received the truth. Some are relying on distortions of Christ’s message and don’t know any better. Some have nothing but natural law to guide them. The Lord God of all creation is the one true judge. Matthew 20:1-16 tells of how God’s Mercy will be applied. It doesn’t matter when you got in or how, when you accept Jesus, you are His and you are precious to Him. As for those who don’t get the message Jesus said ‘Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? (Matthew 20:14-15)
Don’t let emotions guide your faith. Jesus wasn’t God because he felt like it. And when thing got hairy in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus didn’t pack up His marbles and go home. If you are going to develop a mature spirituality, you must commit to your faith working through trust issues and spiritual deserts with prayer and faith.
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