What to Do About Feeling Far from God (Desolation) (feat. Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P.)
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- Опубліковано 21 вер 2022
- Listen to the entire translation of “Introduction to the Devout Life” by St. Francis de Sales read by Fr. Gregory Pine and Fr. Jacob Bertrand Janczyk!
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We think feeling far from God (desolation) is bad, and feeling close to God (consolation) is good, but St. Francis de Sales has a different take.
Even if desolation doesn’t go away, and consolation doesn’t last forever, God allows these periods to draw us closer to Him.
How?
Periods of desolation can be opportunities to turn away from sin.
St. Francis recommends:
1. Eradicate any and all habitual mortal sin
2. Address lingering attachments to sin
3. Eliminate distractions
4. Let go and trust that God loves you, even if you don’t feel it
What about consolation?
🔸Give thanks to God
🔸Acknowledge that this isn’t something you accomplished
🔸Consider confiding in a trusted friend or spiritual director to keep you grounded
🔸Remember that consolation is not the goal of the spiritual life
In the end, St. Francis reminds us that you are not the sum total of your emotional experiences, you are the sum total of the Father’s love for you.
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"You are not the sum total of your emotional experiences. You are the sum total of your Father's love for you." 🙂
4:22
“The spiritual life is about growing in hope, faith and charity.”
"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13 NKJV
Struggling with the 1st two 😞
Okay, I’m 55 year old women with grown sons - my search for meaning and purpose so often manifest in showing up someplace with a lasagna - the need to feed is real, thanks for understanding 😉
Oh, Fr. Gregory, you’re going to be an amazing professor when you start teaching. You make everything so clear. Thank you!
I was talking about this with a protestant friend of mine a couple of weeks ago, and he told me to try putting the books down and just pray. I tried it and it was awesome. I had become so wrapped up in my own head and intellect that I forgot to love God with my heart. I went a week without picking up a book, not even the Bible, during my normal Bible study time and just used it to connect with our Lord in prayer.
I say this as a reminder that our own pride in knowledge can also be a stumbling block. All the books and routines in the world won't amount to anything without love.
Seriously needed this right now, fighting internally my myself and reverting to old habits. Thank you, Father. ¡God Bless you, Father Gregory!
I pray to Him for help in the battle. But the reinforcements don't come. The enemy breaks down my defences, gets closer and closer. I look to the hills. But help doesn't come. I stand alone, against satan and his demons. What chance do I stand? Why doesn't He help me? I guess there are those thrown into the fire. Those who are locked out of the kingdom of God. I always thought that wasn't me. Perhaps I am mistaken.
@@alphabeta8284 Dear friend, I am not wise or well versed enough to know what words can aid and hug you. But I am truly sorry you feel betrayed and alone. I have felt the same. I’ve returned to returning to the faith, to Him, for my third time because I realized that this world is simply unjust, and we have to suffer the selfish decisions of others for no reason sometimes. But it is bearable when I allow myself to be honest and unguarded, and allow myself to be loved by Him although I often feel worthless. I often cry when I pray, fear in my heart that He isn’t there, but I feel less alone and stupid when I just let the tension go and ask Him to please make things new and purify me. My personal experience may not be helpful but it’s the closest I can offer to a reassuring hug, although I understand, too, how maddening it feels when the only advice is “just keep believing”. Sorry if this is just rambling to you. I wish you the best, friend, for you are not alone. ¡God bless you!
@@cielolelo thank you brother for your kind words. I just feel drained from my continual struggle with sin and the lack of help from God. „ask and you shall receive“, I keep asking, yet I don’t receive. And I know that ultimately the blame lies with me: lack of faith, lack of hope, lack of charity. By definition, God is all good and all love - and I am not. But that gets frustrating, I am imperfect and weak, yet He who is perfect and omnipotent doesn’t help me. Why not? „God has his own time“ and I wasn’t there when He made Heaven and Earth. So in my ignorance I don’t understand. That is true, but it’s also very frustrating. Through all of this, though, I do love God. Although at this stage it is purely intellectual. My heart is desiccated.
I’ve always felt that if all we received was consolation, how would we know that we truly loved God, and not just for how good he made us feel? Praising God for desolation and knowing He is there with us as much as ever is a blessing.
Amen
Please pray for me and my family. 🙏 With everything that's happening in our life, I feel like giving up at any moment. 😞 Im just really holding on to a thin thread for quite a long time. Problems after problems. Im so exhausted. 💔
I like that editing. "It's not a big deal right? NO. It IS a big deal". Telling the truth.
Just got the right timing, got the first like, watching right now, thank you so much for sharing 🙏🙏🙏
I drive about 3 hours per day and I'm about to be BLESSED in the new year with Ascension podcasts. Praise God
Thank you so much. This is really timely for me.
God bless you so much Fr Gregory! So awesome to see you here at Ascension, keep doing God’s work 🙏🏻❤️✝️
Love Saint Francis de Sales. Fascinating Dominicans are teaching his works.
Father pine explains everything clearly
I find it so hard to say the rosary, pray., Every morning I forget to pray almost every time. Almost feel empty like why can't I just feel close to God. I cry and pray and I feel like maybe my past sinful like has made God blind me.
Thank you May God Bless
Beautiful! Thank you for this video! May God Bless
I need to read more about St. Francis DeSales; I love everything I hear and read from him. Thanks for this helpful presentation!!
I just got admitted into postulancy to be a consecrated lay missionary and this is exactly what I need, thank you
So great to have you with such necessary words for us to grow with the virtues to be saints.you will be having a huge audience of souls. See you again too.
Greetings Father Gregory,
Thanks for the Valuable Sermon about The Discernment with Mortal Sin and Spiritual Life with HolyBible in Particular Concern.
Thoughts :
I have Given up The Thoughts on Forbidden Love and accepts that The Sacrament of Marriage is Blessed Gift from Lord Jesus Christ .
With regards with Prayers for Everyone,
RanjithJoseph (R.J)
Thank you Fr. Gregory
Praise God! This is exactly what I needed to see and hear this morning. Looking forward to your podcast Fr. Pine.
Thank you , enjoyed the message!
Thank you Fr. Gregory-Pine
"It comes from you & its destined for you", wonderful explanation Fr. Thank you!
Looking forward to hear from you more, I need to nourish my soul with all these talks/homilies to keep me on track as evil tries so hard to pull me away from God's way!
Thank you for this talk on desolation and consolation as aspects of the spiritual path. Here is a quote from the book Steps to Knowledge about wanting to have answers when there is an opportunity beyond this desire to question "why?"
"I seek experience not answers. Seek experience today for experience will answer all questions and make questioning unnecessary. Seek experience today so that it may lead you to greater and greater experience. It is better for you to ask questions of Knowledge and then receive the experience that Knowledge can give you. You are accustomed to receiving so little in response to your inquiries. An answer is so very little. A true answer must be an invitation to participate in a greater preparation, in a preparation you have not prepared for yourself, but which has been prepared for you. Therefore, seek not for little things that give you momentary relief or comfort. Seek for that which is the foundation of your life, which can provide life to you as never before.... Do not seek for answers. Ideas will come to you in their own time and in their own way. You can be assured of that. As your mind is prepared, it will become truly receptive and truly capable of carrying out what it receives.... Your mind is full of answers, and they have not answered your questioning thus far." (Marshall Vian Summers, Steps to Knowledge)
Thank you for sharing.
Thank you 🙏🏼
Father I am so excited about the book club! I’ve signed up and ordered the book! Thank you Monica
Can't wait to start, looking forward to learn about my faith!
Very much looking forward to your new series. ✝️
Desolation (the feeling of being far from God) is a very common feeling with me. I have to keep on debating with myself that this is the the work of the devil and not God who is never far from me inspite of what I am experiencing at that moment
Thank you so much for your explanations they are very helpful in reaching a better understanding of our spiritual walk with God! Thank you for all that you do! May God bless you and your family! And may God bless your church and may God bless everyone in Ascension Presents! Thank you!
Very interesting...looking forward to it
Amazing insight! Thank you!
Count it all joy 🙏🙌🙏
“You are the sum total of the Father's love for you” --JPII
“God be praised - that's awesome...arrive at Him on a daily basis and in the end unto ages of ages.” ~Fr. Gregory Pine
Thank you Fr! From desolation to consolation. Thank you for your words. Thank you Lord. God be praised
Excited for the new podcast!
Thank you..First time I have listened to you. Looking forward to more with you and St. Francis de Sales.
Amen remember me in your prayers 🙏
I fell again to sin. After turning to God and trusting He would help. But no help came. I feel alone in the darkness.
Cool ! Looking forward to it !!!
Great video!!!! Thank you!!
Thanks Father!
Such wise words thank you
Standing in the way of my relationship with God?: Many, many, losses in my life, most recently, the loss of my husband of 41 years. After he convinced me to take an early retirement…..
I'm sorry. I wish I could ease your pain somehow.
Funny, my entire life has felt like one of spiritual desolation.
Timely
HISPANIC MALE OF 50 …!!! BOOMMMM FOR REALL .. The spirit Of God is talking to me here ..!!wowo ..!!
🙏🏼❤️
At this point, I guess I would rather be in the dark night of the soul, then in a perpetual suffering Job.
❤️
🔝❤🙏
when does the first podcast come out
Distraction and dispersion - yup, big problem. Avoidance and an attention span of a fly is keeping me from good podcasts and books and prayer, and reading news headlines and watching cat videos. Now I'm praying more because I need God's help SO BAD. In other words, shame on me.
Is keeping secrets a sin?
It depends on context. In some cases, we can be justly bound to keep secrets - think of the priest who must keep the seal of confession. It may also be that a friend has trusted us with a hurtful experience and doesn’t want it spread.
On the other hand, sometimes we are bound to not keep a secret. Think of the witness to a murder called to the stand. There are some occasions where a sense of justice, whether to society, specific individuals, or even to the person themselves, requires that we divulge secrets.
A good rule of thumb is to see if there is a strong reason to reveal the secret and if it can be done without malice or self-importance.
All of this rests on the presumption that God loves you in the first place. He doesn't love me. And please, don't try to tell me He does.
Slow down, be still, and breathe. You will eventually feel his presence and love I promise
@@jimmorton4436 I'm 64 years old. If I haven't felt it by now I don't think I ever will. Scripture says "Many are called but few are chosen." I'm just not of the chosen.
@@jimmorton4436, it is dangerous to promise people they will perceive God's presence and love. Some never do, and the Faith has never guaranteed they will.
@@wvmontani, being loved by God is an objective state of being that exista regardless of whether or not we feel loved. The Gospel does not promise us that we will feel loved or experience any sort of consolation. I don't know why some people go through what you're going through. I sometimes wonder if it is because God is so close to them that they are in His shadow, so to speak.
@@tryingnottobeasmartass757 ok just being encouraging. If stillness does not help……It might be a case of checking to see if one is in a state of mortal sin then, repent, repent, repent!
I m not feelıng far from God ı make a good poınt that you re far from God wıth youre actıons!
The persons ın the dıscutıon are exonereted
May I ask why you wear a table cloth? Thank you! 🙏
Its a cowl a bit like a cloak over shoulders.
@@kwkw5711 I see. They must be farmers if they have cows.
THE GOSPEL
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also
ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
- 1 Corinthians 15: 1-4 KJV
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. - John 15:13 KJV
SAVALATION
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
- John 3:16 KJV
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. John 3:17
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
- John 14:6 KJV
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Acts 4:12
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. Romans 5:10
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. - Isaiah 53:5
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
- Mark 1:15 KJV
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
- John 3:36 KJV
Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. 2 Timothy 1:9
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19:10
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. Mark 16:16
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:22
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:7-8
I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. John 10:9
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
- Romans 10:9-11 KJV
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
- Romans 10:13 KJV
Wouldn't it be easier for me if god ended my life to save me from my flesh ?
Tired of being mediocre... Tbh
How about a 64 year- old woman?😂😂
Have to leave it on the stove…I work the night-shift
Spiritual life is imaginary.
Well I’m a 43 year old woman and I’m thinking what the heck man, how insulting. This cradle Catholic can’t bring herself to watch the rest of the video now
It was quite obviously a touch of humor. I’d give the video and Fr Pine another chance.