Today’s podcast focuses on a question submitted by someone living the monastic life. It is common and normal when past pain from traumatic or profoundly painful experiences has an effect on our prayer life. We might feel that we have lost something, or that somehow spiritually we are going in the wrong direction, regressing, or even failing. It is very important to reframe these experiences, and to realize this is all part of the path forward, and that we are not experiencing an abandonment of grace. It is important to be merciful with ourselves and to allow there to be changes to our prayer life or with it being harder to pray silently, as we are navigating the healing work. The reality is, that when we come out on the other side of the healing work, there will be more room for God’s grace and more potential for our prayer life. Indeed, the healing work is part of the ladder of divine ascent.