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thinkandmull
Guest
How do you guys deal with dry spells in spirituality? How long is a typical dark night? Are your spiritual experiences intense?
Thanks for any comments
Thanks for any comments
- Status
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Neoplatonist
Guest
My sense of dryness is deep and prolonged. Will be curious to hear what others have to offer on the question.
However, I can’t imagine that there is such a thing as “typical” in a way that would console outliers.
However, I can’t imagine that there is such a thing as “typical” in a way that would console outliers.
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DaveBj
Guest
By analogy, some of my fountain pens have dry spells. The cure is to prime them by immersing their pointy little heads in ink. For ink, substitute Scripture or appropriate spiritual reading.
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thinkandmull
Guest
I think its important to not try and force a spiritual event to happen, but simply to be open to it as you can
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Cone
Guest
Would you mind explaining what you mean by dry spells? Thanks.
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Neoplatonist
Guest
What a facile answer. Do you, then, think people like St. John and Mother Theresa (whose dryness lasted for over 40 years) just weren’t engaged in enough spiritual reading?
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CHRISTINE77
Guest
Still, reading scripture is a good way to refresh yourself. I’m always amazed at what is in the Bible no matter how much I read it. I lot of people just don’t bother to read it.
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hazcompat
Guest
Abandonment to Divine Providence
Jean-Pierre de Caussade
“There is not a moment in which God does not present Himself under the cover of some pain to be endured, of some consolation to be enjoyed, or of some duty to be performed. All that takes place within us, around us, or through us, contains and conceals His divine action.”
The desert has many hidden treasures, and the oasis even more pleasant after.
“We already know from the Night of the Senses that a time arrives at which all taste for spiritual exercises as well as for all terrestrial things is taken away from the soul. She is put into total darkness and emptiness . Absolutely nothing that might give her a hold is left to her anymore except faith. Faith sets Christ before her eyes: the poor, humiliated, crucified one, who is abandoned on the cross even by his heavenly Father. In his poverty and abandonment she rediscovers herself. Dryness, distaste, and affliction are the “purely spiritual cross” that is handed to her. If she accepts it she experiences that it is an easy yoke and a light burden. It becomes a staff for her that will quickly lead her up the mountain. When she realizes that Christ, in his extreme humiliation and annihilation on the cross, achieved the greatest result, the reconciliation and union of mankind with God, there awakens in her the understanding that for her, also, annihilation, the “living death by crucifixion of all that is sensory as well as spiritual” leads to union with God.”
Stein, Edith (2011-03-17). The Science of the Cross (The Collected Works of Edith Stein Vol. 6) (Kindle Locations 2214-2217). ICS Publications. Kindle Edition.
Peace
Jean-Pierre de Caussade
“There is not a moment in which God does not present Himself under the cover of some pain to be endured, of some consolation to be enjoyed, or of some duty to be performed. All that takes place within us, around us, or through us, contains and conceals His divine action.”
The desert has many hidden treasures, and the oasis even more pleasant after.
“We already know from the Night of the Senses that a time arrives at which all taste for spiritual exercises as well as for all terrestrial things is taken away from the soul. She is put into total darkness and emptiness . Absolutely nothing that might give her a hold is left to her anymore except faith. Faith sets Christ before her eyes: the poor, humiliated, crucified one, who is abandoned on the cross even by his heavenly Father. In his poverty and abandonment she rediscovers herself. Dryness, distaste, and affliction are the “purely spiritual cross” that is handed to her. If she accepts it she experiences that it is an easy yoke and a light burden. It becomes a staff for her that will quickly lead her up the mountain. When she realizes that Christ, in his extreme humiliation and annihilation on the cross, achieved the greatest result, the reconciliation and union of mankind with God, there awakens in her the understanding that for her, also, annihilation, the “living death by crucifixion of all that is sensory as well as spiritual” leads to union with God.”
Stein, Edith (2011-03-17). The Science of the Cross (The Collected Works of Edith Stein Vol. 6) (Kindle Locations 2214-2217). ICS Publications. Kindle Edition.
Peace
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edward_george
Guest
It’s important to remember that there’s a difference between “being in love” and “loving.” One is the emotions and feelings and whatnot that come with love, and the other is an act of the will. The same is true, to some extent, with faith. It’s not always going to be the honeymoon, we can’t always expect fireworks–and that’s totally okay and even normal. When the dry times come, just keep loving–and keep praying. Even if prayer seems perfunctory or routine, don’t give it up. Just keep praying the way you have been, and realize that time spent with God always does us well, even if it doesn’t feel like it. This is the value to routines in prayer, like the Liturgy of the Hours or making a daily holy hour at the same time or whatever practices we might have–it’s easier to hold on to them when things aren’t as exciting, or even when things are bad.
-ACEGC
-ACEGC
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JosieN
Guest
Thank you for sharing this.
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fiftytwo
Guest
1 Kings 17 New Century Version (NCV)
Elijah Stops the Rain
17 Now Elijah the Tishbite was a prophet from the settlers in Gilead. “I serve the Lord, the God of Israel,” Elijah said to Ahab. “As surely as the Lord lives,
no rain or dew will fall during the next few years unless I command it.”
2 Then the Lord spoke his word to Elijah: 3 “Leave this place and go east and hide near Kerith Ravine east of the Jordan River. 4 You may drink from the stream, and I have commanded ravens to bring you food there.” 5 So Elijah did what the Lord said; he went to Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and lived there. 6 The birds brought Elijah bread and meat every morning and evening, and he drank water from the stream.
7 After a while the stream dried up because there was no rain.
8 **Then the Lord spoke his word to Elijah, **
9 “Go to Zarephath in Sidon and live there. I have commanded a widow there to take care of you.”
when was the last time the Lord - spoke to you –
and what followed?
if you are in active ministry-- then there is no dry spell–
there is just - spaces-- between–
Elijah Stops the Rain
17 Now Elijah the Tishbite was a prophet from the settlers in Gilead. “I serve the Lord, the God of Israel,” Elijah said to Ahab. “As surely as the Lord lives,
no rain or dew will fall during the next few years unless I command it.”
2 Then the Lord spoke his word to Elijah: 3 “Leave this place and go east and hide near Kerith Ravine east of the Jordan River. 4 You may drink from the stream, and I have commanded ravens to bring you food there.” 5 So Elijah did what the Lord said; he went to Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and lived there. 6 The birds brought Elijah bread and meat every morning and evening, and he drank water from the stream.
7 After a while the stream dried up because there was no rain.
8 **Then the Lord spoke his word to Elijah, **
9 “Go to Zarephath in Sidon and live there. I have commanded a widow there to take care of you.”
when was the last time the Lord - spoke to you –
and what followed?
if you are in active ministry-- then there is no dry spell–
there is just - spaces-- between–
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DaveBj
Guest
No, I don’t think that, but then on the other hand most Westerners going thru “dry spells” aren’t St. John of the Cross and Mother Theresa of Calcutta, either.
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Neoplatonist
Guest
Can you clarify? This could be taken several ways, so I’m not sure I quite hear you.
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hazcompat
Guest
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DaveBj
Guest
Okay, I’ll spell it out for you.
- My original post was to the effect that immersion in Scripture and spiritual reading was a good remedy for dry spells. I should have said “most of the time,” but I didn’t. My bad.
- You interpreted my meaning as indicating that the lengthy dry spells suffered by St. John of the Cross and Blessed Mother Theresa were caused by their not doing any spiritual reading.
- I denied that interpretation and noted that most Westerners are not of the spiritual stature of St. John and Bl. Mother Theresa. They endured years of dryness and came out the other side, whereas people of our generation seem like they want to give up after two weeks.
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oldgraymare2
Guest
Hi thinkandmull,
This happened to me years ago. I was in a phase of “spiritual dryness.” I recall being really distracted and unsettled in my spiritual life, where it was hard for me to focus when I was at Mass and while praying, for example.
I know that it lasted for quite awhile, but I remember that I kept on praying and going to Mass and Adoration. I did everything that one would normally do in their faith life.
I feel like that is the key–to just keep persevering in everything–don’t stop praying, and keep going to Mass, and do what you like to do. If you have any favorite devotions, keep doing them, too.
This happened to me years ago. I was in a phase of “spiritual dryness.” I recall being really distracted and unsettled in my spiritual life, where it was hard for me to focus when I was at Mass and while praying, for example.
I know that it lasted for quite awhile, but I remember that I kept on praying and going to Mass and Adoration. I did everything that one would normally do in their faith life.
I feel like that is the key–to just keep persevering in everything–don’t stop praying, and keep going to Mass, and do what you like to do. If you have any favorite devotions, keep doing them, too.
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Neoplatonist
Guest
Interesting. The people I have known who were faithful enough to struggle with dryness enough to want to talk about it or seek counsel were already deeply engaged in reading and an active prayer life.
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Neoplatonist
Guest
So we can see from cases like SJoC and MT that reading scripture won’t relieve you one bit until God is good and ready to relieve your dryness.
Likewise, we know from other cases that if God is ready to relieve your dryness before you have immersed yourself in reading scripture, He can.
God is timeless and unchanging, so cannot change—in fact, nothing we can do will sway God’s will (which would be a change), so it remains to wonder then: why promote the immersion of scripture when that doesn’t seem to be the independent variable and does not/cannot make a difference in when God wills for us to be healed or watered. ?]
Likewise, we know from other cases that if God is ready to relieve your dryness before you have immersed yourself in reading scripture, He can.
God is timeless and unchanging, so cannot change—in fact, nothing we can do will sway God’s will (which would be a change), so it remains to wonder then: why promote the immersion of scripture when that doesn’t seem to be the independent variable and does not/cannot make a difference in when God wills for us to be healed or watered. ?]
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CHRISTINE77
Guest
How do you know what God is going to do? I say some people can be relieved of spiritual dryness through immersion in scripture and prayer. Some people can’t. But nobody knows how God is going to act on each person.
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Neoplatonist
Guest
Ah, but if we go with the inscrutable-mystery line of thinking, why is it rational to think reading scripture is any more likely to help than, say, sitting in silent prayer or working in the soup kitchen or becoming a doctor, for that matter? No one can guess the path or the means through which God will reach him or her… Maybe God intends to reach me through my work with with high-net-worth investors in a hedge fund.
- Status