Don't Over-spiritualize Everything
It is really annoying when people over-spiritualize things. Whether it's over-spiritualizing clinical depression, overstepping by asking God to reveal someone else's spiritual wounds to their heart without their permission, or a proficient in the spiritual life criticizing others for having inordinate earthly attachments or even enjoying life, it doesn't matter to me.
A proficient in the spiritual life criticizing people who are beginners in the spiritual life about their inordinate earthly attachments and their enjoyment of life is tantamount to criticizing them for not being as advanced in the spiritual life as they are.
If you've gotten to the point that God has given you infused contemplation, I'm really happy for you and I can only imagine what an incredible gift that is. But chastising people who are not as further along as you are is not charitable. They're not there yet and they won't get there overnight. God is not asking them to have received infused contemplation and overcome their attachments by tomorrow. And neither should you.
If you are suffering from clinical depression or know some who does, don't over-spiritualize it. Clinical depression has nothing to do with a lack of faith in God, praying enough, or not making enough sacrifices. And if you're telling yourself that any of the above is the cause of your depression or you're telling someone else such things, knock it off right now.
It is not your fault and it is certainly not their fault. So STOP IT.
If you tell someone else that you're asking God to reveal their wounds to their heart, STOP. You are overstepping, especially if you don't have their permission. There are people I hope will repent, too, but I don't go asking the Holy Spirit to reveal their wounds to them. I pray for their conversion and repentenance, but I let God handle it in the fullness of His own perfect timing. God wants people to repent more than you and I do, but He dboes not force them to. God does not do things to us without our permission and our cooperation. He respects us. And we should respect others, too.
In fact, I am reminded of a letter that a Catholic teen girl wrote to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. The girl is a resident of South Bend, Indiana, the city Buttigieg was once the Mayor of.
The tone of the letter was very charitable. In fact, she starts off by thanking Secretary Buttigieg for his military service to our country in Afghanistan. But then she tells him a little about herself and addresses issues where she agrees with him before getting to the main reason and message of her letter: his permissive stance on abortion. Even in addressing this matter, she is very respectful and charitable. She says she hopes he will reconsider his position on abortion, but she does not go as far as revealing that she's asking the Holy Spirit to reveal his spiritual wounds to his heart. She then concludes her letter by thanking Secretary Buttigieg for all the good things he did for the people of South Bend as Mayor and wishes him luck in his future endeavours.
When you're sick or hurt, you go to the doctor. When there's a problem with your teeth, you go to the dentist. When you get into a legal problem, you get a lawyer. When you're tired, you rest. When you're hungry, you eat. When you're thirsty, you drink. When you're dirty, you bathe or shower. When there's an emergency, you call 9-1-1. When you're spent after serving God and His people, you might do a number of things: eat, drink, rest, play a game, read a book, etc.
In fact, when I was younger, I passed out in church once. And the solution to the problem was not spiritual because the problem wasn't spiritual. The priest celebrating Mass asked if there were any medical doctors in the congregation who could attend to me. And another person called the paramedics. Therefore, the best course of action was to make sure I received medical attention, which I did.
Even though the Christian life is garaunteed to be full of trials, God does not want bitter and joyless followers. The Gospels show me a God who made humanity's self-care a priority. Some of the most profound and theological statements Christ has ever made is after He's brought someone back from the dead and He says: "Get him or her something to eat."
Furthermore, St. Thomas Aquinas says eutrapelia or having fun is a Christian virtue. Sts. John Henry Newman and Francis De Sales both say that certain earthly pleasures are not intrinsically bad and are even healthy when they're enjoyed in moderation.
I garauntee you that a burnt-out, bitter, and joyless disciple is not holy and it is certainly not part of God's will. The people you serve need a joyful, happy, smiling you. You can't serve God and His people when you're exhuasted, bitter, and unable to function properly. So anyone who says reading a book, playing a game you enjoy or doing anything that gives you pleasure that is not God or His Will is inherently bad, they're not worth listening to and they probably sound more like a cultist, a Calvinist, or an Amish person than a Magisterium-adhering, discerning Catholic.
And if your problem is Vatican II, Bishop Barron has said that in order to be a Catholic in good standing, you have to accept its legitimacy and authority. Father Micheal Gaitley even made a strong case for the legitimacy of Vatican II. After hearing it, I was sold.
I approve Chris Stefanick's message when he says, "Are you taking time to rest, to watch a sunset, to work out, play a game, read a book? What are the things that make you feel rested, human, and alive? You need to start prioritizing self-care like it's urgent and important, because it is. Those basic needs are a priority to God, because He loves you! They've got to be a priority to YOU, too! So what makes you come to life? I need you to think about it, name it, and commit to it. God thinks you're worth it! You need to think that you're worth it, too."