Before writing this post, I prayed to the Holy Spirit to guide me to the topic, and to speak through me as He wishes, so today I am going to talk about “Spiritual Dryness”
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Imagine you have hiked up a huge mountain, the sun beating down on you at around 30’C, there is no shade and not a pick of moisture in the air, and you realise you ran out of water half a mile back. Your tongue is dry, so dry it feels like velvet. But you see on your map that through the forest visible in the distance there is a small creek...can you make it? Can you go through the motions to get to that source of sustenance? Yes! The answer is always yes!
This analogy is a reflection of, and the answer to, spiritual dryness. In my faith journey there have been a number of occasions where I have been in a state of spiritual dryness. If you have ever felt distant from God or a sense of disbelief or uncertainty, if you have allowed yourself to fall deep in sin or you simply felt like giving up - then you have experienced what is known as spiritual dryness (AKA a crisis of faith). Let me begin by saying that EVERYONE experiences this once, twice, or even multiple times in their lifetime. The annoying thing is that not everyone wants to talk about it, it’s almost like Catholic taboo. Apart from seeking out spiritual guidance during that time, I told no one else, and therefore, unfortunately, at times felt alone and isolated in the situation that I was in, despite being amidst many Catholic friends and acquaintances.
Multiple saints and Catholic figures are noted to have experienced a crisis of faith in their lifetime, including Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, who is quoted as having said in a letter to Reverand Michael van der Peet just three months prior to receiving the Nobel Peace Prize: ‘Jesus has a very special love for you, but as for me, the silence and the emptiness is so great, that I look and do not see, listen and do not hear, the tongue moves in prayer but does not speak...I want you to pray for me - that I let Him have a free hand.” If you want to read more about saints and their struggles, here is a link to another article which details numerous saints and their dealings with spiritual dryness. Just know that in spiritual dryness you’re never alone in that experience, as these saints stories have proven. Christ Himself was even tested in this way, when He spend 40 days and 40 nights in the desert with Satan. But Christ was victorious, and we can be too!
So the question is: How do we tackle spiritual dryness?? If we look back to the analogy above - do you:
(a) sit down and wait for your death
(b) do you go Bear Grylls style and drink your own urine (YUCK!)
(c) persevere, go through the motions and get to the creek?
Answer: (c) YOU GET TO THE CREEK! It is a source of life, it is a source of sustenance, and you know you will feel so much better, despite the physical and mental hardships it will take to get there.
The answer is the same for spiritual dryness. The best advice I ever received when in a crisis of faith was to keep going and not give up. Two priests on two separate occasions advised this, and it was the best thing they could tell me. Partake in the sacraments - go to mass often, even more than normal; get regular confession; get spiritual advice; surround yourself with people of faith - friends or family; read religious books; study the saints; and lastly, pray. Even if your heart is not in it, pray pray pray. You might feel like God is not listening (He is), but that conversation is vitally important. Don’t cut the ties of the communication, even if it’s a standard prayer or a simple hello. Something has hardened your heart, and He will break through to you, but you have to meet Him halfway. It’s important to also talk it through with a priest, a sister or nun, or a close confidant. Having that support around you is vital - their advice and their prayers are priceless.
(a) sit down and wait for your death
(b) do you go Bear Grylls style and drink your own urine (YUCK!)
(c) persevere, go through the motions and get to the creek?
Answer: (c) YOU GET TO THE CREEK! It is a source of life, it is a source of sustenance, and you know you will feel so much better, despite the physical and mental hardships it will take to get there.
The answer is the same for spiritual dryness. The best advice I ever received when in a crisis of faith was to keep going and not give up. Two priests on two separate occasions advised this, and it was the best thing they could tell me. Partake in the sacraments - go to mass often, even more than normal; get regular confession; get spiritual advice; surround yourself with people of faith - friends or family; read religious books; study the saints; and lastly, pray. Even if your heart is not in it, pray pray pray. You might feel like God is not listening (He is), but that conversation is vitally important. Don’t cut the ties of the communication, even if it’s a standard prayer or a simple hello. Something has hardened your heart, and He will break through to you, but you have to meet Him halfway. It’s important to also talk it through with a priest, a sister or nun, or a close confidant. Having that support around you is vital - their advice and their prayers are priceless.
Just as Jesus carried His cross, so too are we called to carry ours. But in this Easter Season we are constantly reminded of the hope of the resurrection. We believe that Christ rose from the dead, and while carrying our cross right now is difficult, and at times we are ready to give up, we have that beacon of hope waiting at the finish line for us.
So what now?
Muster up all your energy, run through the forest, get to the creek and jump right in!! The water is pure, refreshing and completely worth the fight!
So what now?
Muster up all your energy, run through the forest, get to the creek and jump right in!! The water is pure, refreshing and completely worth the fight!
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