Dry Period

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Chica

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I’m suffering what my pastor calls a dry period. I can’t seem to get in touch with my spirituality. I haven’t been to mass in 3 weeks. I have met with a priest friend who told me that St. (Mother) Theresa suffered a 40-year dry period! I’m too old to go that long.

What do you all do when you just can’t seem to connect?

Many blessings to you all.

Chica:sad_bye:
 
Chica said:
I’m suffering what my pastor calls a dry period. I can’t seem to get in touch with my spirituality. I haven’t been to mass in 3 weeks. I have met with a priest friend who told me that St. (Mother) Theresa suffered a 40-year dry period! I’m too old to go that long.

What do you all do when you just can’t seem to connect?

Many blessings to you all.

Chica:sad_bye:
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You go to mass; don’t miss it! You set a schedule and pray – say words, read scripture, even complain to God re: dryness (Mother Teresa did).

You become more familiar with the virtues listed in the catechism and scripture and you practice them. And you call to mind that everything you do IS prayer if you wish it to be because prayer is simply communication in a relationship.

It may help to read the lives of the Saints too and other things others here will most likely refer you too.

But, in essence: persevere! 👍
 
Rest in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Don’t think about praying or reading or kneeling, just rest. You are weary and you need silence and rest and the presence of Jesus. Do not be anxious, do not be afraid, just come to rest in the presence of your Lord and God, and He will give you peace. You need not do anything. Just sit and rest.
 
It’s important that, at the very least, you go to Sunday Mass, regardless of how dry you feel! Not only is it a Commandment and a precept of the Church, but it is essential to our faith. How can you expect to receive grace if you leave the greatest source of grace there is? As a previous poster said, perseverence is the key. It is the habit, the virtue of religion that keeps us going until the dryness passes.

It also helps to be a part of a group. By that I mean, if your parish prays the rosary before Mass, arrive early to participate in the rosary. If you parish has a bible study, join it and listen to the discussion. Sometimes, being solitary is not stimulating enough to jump start your spirituality. Find a way to pray, discuss the faith, worship, participate in a charitable work, etc with others.
 
Sometimes when I feel a bit ‘dry’ it is more because I am in a rut in my prayer life rather than a genuine absence of God - in other words I’ve gotten into a nice comfortable routine with what I do, that doesn’t feed me spiritually after a while.

SO … shake things up a bit and see if it helps. Take up something that you don’t normally do. Some suggestions:

Read Scripture (especially try Lectio Divina if you haven’t before)
Try something new in place of the Rosary - the Divine Mercy Chaplet, or the beautiful Jesus Prayer our Eastern Catholic brothers use (you don’t need a prayer rope for that one, just count on ordinary Rosary beads)
Listen to Christian music, be it Gregorian chant, Mozart’s requiem, Taize or more modern stuff.
Pick up a new spiritual text to read by or about a saint you’ve never really gotten to know before, or on a Church teaching you’re having trouble with (might I suggest ‘The Lamb’s Supper’ by Scott Hahn to give you greater appreciation of the Mass and inspire you to start going again?
Try praying Liturgy of the Hours (I believe you can download a podcast of it somewhere, which helps - reading it from a prayer book can be a bit confusing at first).
 
LilyM said:
SO … shake things up a bit and see if it helps. Take up something that you don’t normally do.
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I’ve been praying a long time. This has got to be the best worded advice I’ve read and it made me smile… thanks!👍
 
LilyM said:
SO … shake things up a bit and see if it helps. Take up something that you don’t normally do. Some suggestions:

Read Scripture (especially try Lectio Divina if you haven’t before)
Try something new in place of the Rosary - the Divine Mercy Chaplet, or the beautiful Jesus Prayer our Eastern Catholic brothers use (you don’t need a prayer rope for that one, just count on ordinary Rosary beads)
Listen to Christian music, be it Gregorian chant, Mozart’s requiem, Taize or more modern stuff.
Pick up a new spiritual text to read by or about a saint you’ve never really gotten to know before, or on a Church teaching you’re having trouble with (might I suggest ‘The Lamb’s Supper’ by Scott Hahn to give you greater appreciation of the Mass and inspire you to start going again?
Try praying Liturgy of the Hours (I believe you can download a podcast of it somewhere, which helps - reading it from a prayer book can be a bit confusing at first).
Click to expand...
This is great advice. There is also a great blog series on this topic here…
 
Rest in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Don’t think about praying or reading or kneeling, just rest. You are weary and you need silence and rest and the presence of Jesus. Do not be anxious, do not be afraid, just come to rest in the presence of your Lord and God, and He will give you peace. You need not do anything. Just sit and rest.
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Julian you are very wise. Good advice
 
Chica said:
I’m suffering what my pastor calls a dry period. I can’t seem to get in touch with my spirituality. I haven’t been to mass in 3 weeks. I have met with a priest friend who told me that St. (Mother) Theresa suffered a 40-year dry period! I’m too old to go that long.

What do you all do when you just can’t seem to connect?

Many blessings to you all.

Chica:sad_bye:
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Hi Chica :hug1:

what you do, is you just love God anyways, with choices if not by feelings. And this actually pleases HIm even more! 👍 I’m going through a spiritually dry time right now too. Remember it’s not about feelings!! Go to Confession, Mass, and try to pray, even if it’s difficult to connect… God hasn’t left you, Im sure!

God bless!!
 
Julian0404 said:
Rest in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Don’t think about praying or reading or kneeling, just rest. You are weary and you need silence and rest and the presence of Jesus. Do not be anxious, do not be afraid, just come to rest in the presence of your Lord and God, and He will give you peace. You need not do anything. Just sit and rest.
Click to expand...
👍 🙂
 
Thanks to all for your responses to my dry period. I made an act of contrition, met with a priest friend of mine, read scripture daily, attend mass weekly. I know I am loved by our Lord. I just need to spend more time letting Him how much I love Him and praise his Holy name.

Chica
 
Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.

It may not feel like it right now, but God deeply loves you.

Romans 8:38-39 said:
38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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May God grant you strength, courage and spiritual vigor to do His will.

Oh Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. Have compassion on your loved ones who are enduring dry periods, or times of trial, especially those on these forums. Grant them courage and faith that God loves them. Please pray that they may be filled with Heavenly graces and do His will no matter what. Amen.

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
 
Thanks Lief, I needed some encouraging words. I suffer from a chronic illness which really gets me down a lot. However, I do pray for guidance to our Blessed Mother. I also pray the Divine Mercy chaplet daily. We have one cenacle in our parish who are in their third year. I’m’ trying to form a second one. So far, only two responses. Anyone who does not know about St. Faustina and the Divine Mercy should research it. Jesus spoke to St. Faustina about His second coming and that it will be soon. Here is a link to learn more: ewtn.com/devotionals/mercy/index.htm

God bless you for all you do,
Chica
 
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