Papal recipe to cure the blues: prayer not pills

Pope Francis recommends silence and prayer to vanquish inner darkness, rather than popping pills or resorting to drink. Speaking today (Tuesday, September 27), Pope Francis spoke of spiritual desolation, ''that feeling of spiritual darkness, of hopelessness, mistrust, of lacking the desire to live.''

Preaching during Mass at the Santa Marta residence, the Pope said that anyone at all could go through this sadness. He then asked the question: ''What should we do when we experience these dark moments, be it for a family tragedy, an illness, something that weighs us down?''

Taking sleeping pills or drinking several glasses of alcohol were not a solution, he said. The answer instead, was revealed by the story of Job, he said, alluding to the First Reading of the Mass.

Although Job had lost everything, he did not curse God. Rather his outburst was like that of a ''son in front of his father.'' Pope Francis suggested we emulate Job's unceasing prayer and laments day and night to God, begging for mercy.

''This is how we should pray in our darkest, most dreadful, bleakest moments when we feel really crushed,'' he said.

Speaking of times when a believer is trying to help a suffering friend, the Pope counselled surrounding the afflicted with a tender silence. He warned that words can sometimes be counterproductive.

''We must pray to the Lord like today's reading from Psalm 87 teaches us to pray during our dark moments. 'Let my prayer come before you, Lord.''