I've been experiencing spiritual dryness for a few years now. Is this normal?

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frettr00

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I was curious if what my spiritual life is like is typical for most Catholics. I pray the rosary and chaplet of divine mercy daily, usually multiple chaplets. I’ll attend mass multiple days a week, though not every day. I go to adoration a few days a week. I go to confession every few weeks and typically it’s just venial sins. Though I’m not perfect, I’m faithful to the lord. At the same time, I haven’t felt the Holy Spirit in years. When I pray I don’t feel any unusual feelings of peace or connection to God. It’s just dry recitation. I don’t experience anything in adoration or mass either. I still believe and know God is there because he has responded to me in the past, but the dryness is getting to me. I look at my father’s relationship with the lord by comparison and he receives words and visions from the lord regularly and receives annointings of the Holy Spirit. Is this typical or am I doing something wrong?
 
In my experience, it’s normal. Have you every read about Saint Theresa of Calcutta’s spiritual dry spell? It may help you to read up on that, especially the book of her letters (Come Be My Light).
 
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I think everyone goes through cycles and it’s hard to say what’s normal. But if you’re feeling enough spiritual dryness to ask about it, then maybe it’s a problem. You might consider talking with a spiritual director. Having someone who can focus on your spiritual life with you can be life-giving.
 
Yes it is normal. In fact, it is part of the journey in spiritual maturity; one of the steps along the way.
 
You know, there is an old saying, “if God seems farther away, guess who moved?” As others have said, dryness is normal. Maybe you need to infuse something else. Sounds like religion has become “routine” for you. Have patience, God does.
 
I stopped saying the rosary because I was so distracted during it, although my surroundings are quiet.

I almost envy Muslims and observant Jews who follow their respective rules. I don’t think Catholics have yet established any suggested routine, it’s so much up to each person.

I have MP3 recordings of the rosary but there’s some reason I don’t like each of them – too much music or I get tired of listening to the same commentary for each decade – they have lost their freshness. Even on EWTN TV, there are a couple rosary programs that, to me, are very stale. And, to fit a TV schedule, the prayers are said so fast – NOT like they’re talking to God or Mary or anybody. And, then, their rosary programs are instantly followed by advertising to PURCHASE that program – the bubble of meditation really POPS when they do that.

At the other extremes, I actually bought the books for the liturgy of hours, but I can’t figure out how to use them. There’s a lot of switching around and I find that so distracting, frustrating is what it is.

The news of the scandals has been very damaging to my spirituality – the scandals PLUS the inaction and delays. They delay these meetings like they had to travel by horseback or steamship to get there. WE still have priests and bishops hiding in plain sight and they are more distracting at Mass than ever – the Mass is not about THEM. The last thing I need at Mass is a priest telling jokes. There’s really nothing funny about the Mass to begin with, and certainly not in these days.
 
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It may be God is drawing you toward Contemplative Prayer ?

Most people who only do active prayer by rote, become bored. Note, this is not the Dark Night of the Soul as St John of the Cross teaches, but just a dry bordedum.

Contemplative prayer will begin to open you to God’s transforming grace at the very center of your being. You will become prayer, rather than just reciting prayers.

Anyway, something to be open to for the deepest form of prayer is interior prayer(contemplative prayer), according to St Teresa of Avila.

Jim
 
Idk if I’m ready for that though. I can barely manage to meditate on the mysteries of the rosary. I don’t seem to be good at that kind of prayer.
 
frettr00 said:
At the same time, I haven’t felt the Holy Spirit in years. When I pray I don’t feel any unusual feelings of peace or connection to God.
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I don’t know what the Holy Spirit feels like. I guess I feel peaceful at mass or adoration.

I don’t know if you are normal or not, but I am pretty much like you.
 
Dry recitation is ok if you’re still thinking and meaning the words your using imo. However I’d advocate just talking sometimes, I mostly do that and I find it helpful and quite satisfying.

I remember years ago my mother used to visit everyday and after a while she’d knock and enter as if she was going to work. Hard to explain but there was a big difference for both of us when she did it less often. Perhaps remind yourself that your prayer is actually heard. I’m not suggesting you pray less often, just to infuse some feeling into prayer again.
 
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Yup, you are doing something wrong and you feel it. Your expecting thunder and lighting and the voice of God speaking in your eat. Generally, it doesn’t work that way. While it may be what some rare saint experiences most of us kind of limp along and stay the course. After awhile praying seems to become routine and just drag along. We may be putting a lot of work into spiritual life, but maybe not enough ‘self.’
I guess that upon reaching that point we need to change our routines a little, freshen our souls and surprise ourselves with some spiritual awareness.
Most off us -those that can-try to make a yearly retreat and recharge our batteries. Is that enough? I don’t know. Each of are different thus have different needs. Everything YOU are doing sounds great, but pretty routine. Maybe try this. take a week-end off from the world and do your own self-directed retreat. A quiet week-end with just some good music and spiritual reading in a big soft chair or take your prayers into the country side and count the wonders of the world. There are all kinds of spiritual upgrades’ you can do. Don’t expect clashing cymbles or flashings of lighting. Take what is offered and give in return. Peace.
 
You’re atypical in that the amount of prayer and Mass-going you do is way more than the average person calling themself Catholic. It’s average for this forum, but this forum tends to draw Catholics who are far more interested in spiritual life and prayer than the norm.

You’re typical in not getting visions or special messages. Many if not most people don’t. The homilist at the Mass I attended this morning, who was an older and presumably holy monk from an abbey, mentioned how he would love to see an angel but this likely would never happen for him on earth or for any of us in the room.

If your father is having special interactions with the Lord, he may have a special charism, he may be more able to pick up on the Lord’s messages, or he may just be reading a lot of implications into ordinary events. In any event, all people’s spiritual lives are different, so your father’s will likely not be the same as yours. Focus on your own.

If you feel real dryness, like a lack of the Lord’s presence as opposed to just a lack of “feels” or a lack of visions or messages (lack of those things does not mean the Lord isn’t present), then consider changing your prayer routine, maybe talking to God in your own words, and ask him to help you know and love him and be closer to him.
 
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Some of the Desert Fathers ran from visions, calling them prelets (deceitful fake religious images coming from the devil) because they felt unworthy of ever receiving a true message.
But imho…maybe you need more honesty and less fear of God. Like if you are mad at Him tell Him not us here. Don’t say what we have to say but say how you feel. Jesus also said “because they had fear where there was no need to fear”. I know this is not text book advise but you asked. He said He loves us. So question Him. The clerics and the monks are different, they have made vows of obedience. They have reasonable srcuples of going against Him as long as they vowed never to do so.
Jesus doesn’t seem like He minds honesty. If you feel dry maybe you are holding back.
Again this may be bad advise but this is my honest 2 cents.
God bless.
 
You’re not alone. When I came back to the church about 4 years ago, after a zillion years away, I went to daily Mass. Every time I received Communion I would become emotional and tears would begin to run down my face. It was kinda embarrassing but I was so filled with the Holy Spirit that I couldn’t stop. That hasn’t happened in quite some time now and I kinda miss it. I too say the daily rosary and sometimes the Chaplet of Mercy mostly because I’ve made a commitment to do so. But often if not most times I feel like I’m just dryly reciting words. Either way I’m committed to the rosary and will continue no matter what. Sometimes I feel like my prayers are not being heard but somehow my earthly needs are always being met even when I feel like I’m stuck in quicksand and don’t know how I Will buy food or pay rent.
 
It is normal to have distractions in prayer. Every time you become aware that you have been distracted, just leave the distraction and go back to your prayer. Every time you do that you are choosing the Lord over the distraction.

Maybe it would help if you put yourself in the scene of the Rosary meditation you are thinking of. There are many ways we can use our imagination to pray. And then, stay quiet and listen for a while, knowing that the Lord hears you.

Yes, the scandals are disappointing to say the least. The best thing we can do is become holier ourselves, and then the Light of Christ will increase in the world. Our Blessed Mother is interceding, and the Lord is listening!
 
Also its good to make the Lord the center of your attention . The Rosary and Chaplet can seem repetitive or even mechanical until you focus on Whom you’re addressing your prayers to. Its helpful to slow down a bit before you start praying and rest in God’s presence. My favourite book about the Lord is ’ The Life of Christ’ by Ven. Fulton J Sheen . It gives so many insights into the heart of Jesus .
 
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