The official web site of A.H. Lloyd

Since becoming Catholic, my vocabulary has gotten considerably larger. It’s not just the particular terminology of sacraments and liturgy, but entire theological concepts I never considered before. One of them is the notion of a “desolation.”

This is where one experiences a reduction in faith. The Mass loses its appeal. Prayer feels burdensome and unfruitful. Instead of active participation, one is just going through the motions – or just stops altogether.

I was cautioned about this when I entered the Church. Yes, it’s exciting and new now, but there would be times when it seemed old and burdensome. It happens to everyone, even saints.

But it never happened to me as a Protestant. Admittedly, I was never as conscientious about my faith then as I am now. That was in large part because Protestantism is Christianity’s “easy button.” Going to church isn’t a holy obligation that has to be confessed if it is not done, but instead just a nice thing to do. The service itself is more pep rally than sacred experience and the draw is clearly motivational speaking and singing songs. What’s not to like?

Pray when you feel like it. Do what you want. So long as you accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior, it’s all good. No need to confess, just believe. No need for a priest, you can cut out the middle man and talk directly to the boss.

With such lenient requirements, how is a desolation even possible? Do Protestants drag themselves to the service even though they aren’t “feeling it?” I honestly don’t know because if I didn’t feel it, I didn’t go. There was a certain social pressure to show up, but that’s all it was, and easy to dismiss such concerns with “Oh, I wasn’t feeling well,” or “the kids just wouldn’t cooperate.”

My grandparents were very active in the United Methodist Church, indeed their lives revolved around it. Coffee and donuts on Sunday, Bible study during the week, various auxiliary organizations doing volunteer work. I spoke with my grandmother a lot about this, but desolation was never mentioned, perhaps because her faith was also her entire social life.

Of course, they eventually were asked to leave their congregation, which was in the vanguard of the UMC’s decent into sin-excusing madness. That was indeed a desolation.