This week, Jake and Bob are joined by psychiatrist Dr. Christin McIntyre to discuss spiritual warfare and mental health. They discuss the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas on human psychology and why learning about how our minds were created to work helps us spiritually and emotionally. Dr. Christin also discusses the importance of hope in prayer, what constrains our ability to love, and the role of repentance in mental health.

Key Points:

Prayer is transformed when we focus on hope instead of worry
When we pray with hopes, we pray for the deep desires of our hearts. Real deep desire is suffering and can feel like Purgatory on earth
Fear and anger constrain the heart's ability to love
Spiritual warfare principles can provide valuable insights into mental health
Both physical surroundings and spiritual beings (whether angelic or demonic) affect mental health
Change involves a conscious act of the will and it can take time for our emotions to “feel” the results of these acts
Understanding the nature of how our minds were created as human beings helps us navigate emotional challenges and can lead to healing
We must cooperate with God’s grace to be transformed

Resources:

Mount Angel Abbey YouTube Channel
Dr. Christin’s Lectures on Thomistic Psychology (Part 1) (Part 2)
Introduction to the Science of Mental Health by Fr. Chad Ripperger

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