Episode Details

How Can I Be Drawn to Such Things? – Struggles in the Spiritual Life with Fr. Timothy Gallagher O.M.V.

Fr. Timothy Gallagher and Kris McGregor reflect on spiritual desolation through Beth’s story. After a draining day, she feels too discouraged to pray and instead turns to gossip, television, and social media, ending the night ashamed. Ordinary fatigue can open the door to deeper discouragement and a pull toward “low and earthly” things.

The pull itself isn’t sinful; what matters is recognizing it and choosing how to respond. Desolation often whispers “I can’t,” yet God always provides the grace needed for the next step. Resisting early brings freedom and peace. With insight from St. Francis de Sales and St. Thomas Aquinas, that strong spiritual friendships help us persevere and grow through such trials.

You can pick up a copy of the book here.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

1. When I feel tired or discouraged, how do I usually respond, and what patterns do I notice in my choices?
2. Can I identify moments of spiritual desolation in my life, and how do I name them honestly before God?
3. What “low and earthly” distractions most often draw me away from prayer or fidelity to my commitments?
4. Do I believe that God always gives me the grace I need for the next faithful step, even when I feel I cannot act?
5. How might resisting discouragement at its beginning change the course of my day or evening?
6. In times of desolation, am I tempted to think something is wrong with me spiritually, and how can I reject that lie?
7. What small, concrete first step can I take when I feel resistance to prayer?
8. How do my friendships influence my spiritual life, and who encourages me to grow in love of God?
9. Do I approach leisure and rest from a place of peace, or from avoidance and discouragement?
10. How is God inviting me to deeper freedom and trust through the trials I experience?

An excerpt from the book:

Into this vulnerable space the enemy brings the further burden of spiritual desolation, and specifically what Ignatius calls a “movement to low and earthly things.” Obviously, telephones, refrigerators, the Internet, and similar things serve in good ways: that is why we have them. But, like Beth, in time of spiritual desolation we may feel drawn to them in “low” and “earthly” ways — that