"Struggles in the Spiritual Life" with Fr. Timothy Gallagher O.M.V.

Photo: Sophia Institute Press

If you love and enjoy Catholic literature, and want to take part in discussion with authors, editors, and readers you can participate monthly in Sophia Institute Press’ New Virtual Book Club.

This past month I joined the virtual book club with an editor from Sophia Institute Press, a small group of readers, and the author of the book, “Struggles in the Spiritual Life,” Fr. Timothy Gallagher, O.M.V. Fr. Gallagher is mostly known for his writing on Ignatian Spiritual Direction and discernment, and has appeared on EWTN. 

Fr. Gallagher spoke of how his book, “Struggles in the Spiritual Life,”  begins with the everyday spiritual struggles of the human person and leads to the way to freedom from them. The first few chapters speak of spiritual struggles of various fictional characters in different situations, and then there is Fr. Reid, the figure of wisdom who they can turn to and he reveals to them the spiritual traditions of the Church. According to Fr. Gallagher, the character, “Fr. Reid acts as the depository of the Ignatian wisdom and the wisdom of the Carmelite tradition.”

The book addresses spiritual desolation and temptation, which are the basic tactics of Satan. It is a normal experience in the spiritual life, but it makes a huge difference when we are aware of the spiritual desolation. Spiritual desolation has become much more common because of the challenges that many of us are facing in our culture and even within our Church. Fr. Gallagher goes through St. Ignatius’s ten of fourteen rules which address what to do about spiritual desolation. They are practical guidelines to offer us spiritual consolation during these times of spiritual desolation.

Fr. Gallagher speaks of Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, and mentions how so often we feel that the knots do not seem to be becoming undone, but his hope is that by reading the book slowly those knots will begin to unwind. Father states, “These knots represent the basic struggles and confusion in our spiritual life, and so often we do not know what to do about these knots in our lives. These struggles are the result of our humanity being pushed too hard.”

Throughout the virtual book club Fr. Gallagher stresses the importance of becoming familiar with the fourteen rules of St. Ignatius, and his book will introduce the reader to all of these rules. It will help Catholics to understand that there is no shame in experiencing spiritual desolation, and to realize that we need to understand that it comes from the enemy, and to reject it. Fr. Gallagher’s main takeaway is how we need to remember that God always gives us and never takes away from us the grace that we need to resist the spiritual desolation.

Fr. Timothy Gallagher O.M.V.’s book, “Struggles in the Spiritual Life,” can be purchased at Sophia Institute Press.

Anyone who would like to join Sophia Institute Press’ Monthly Virtual Book Club can contact the editor directly at editor@catholicexchange.com.