What do you do during a period of spiritual dryness?

[Kima]

I would suggest that you bring this issue to the attention of your priest. I remember getting good spiritual advice from Father in a season of my life where I struggled significantly with prayer.

And be honest with yourself, at this point, it´s probably not likely that you may develope as good prayer habits as you once did. It might have to come step by step. Personally, I´ve just come out of a season of spiritual dryness myself, and I´m really at peace if I may use 10 minutes in prayer and another 10 reading the Bible each day. So, I´d say, don´t have too high expectations → because that will likely lead to feeling bad about yourself. And don´t be too hard on yourself. Sometimes you´ll do well, and other days, it´ll be harder. That´s just how it is. Don´t give up, but perservere.

I have found the Mass and adoration to be highly beneficial for my spiritual life. To me, it´s always been tough to pray on my own, but going to church services does me good. Also, frequent confession may help.

Blessings to you my friend! And be certain that God loves you, also when you struggle.

 

[pulchraesamicamea]

I don’t have CFS, I have a degenerative disease called muscular dystrophy. It just comes with chronic fatigue as a result of degenerating muscles.

 

[carmelitequotes]

What should I do during this period of spiritual dryness?

Dear one, in the first case, don’t let despair and discouragement take over. When you say “Nonetheless I still love Him with all of my heart”, that is the proof of our love that he looks for in these very moments when our senses cannot feel his gentle touch.

In another topic I responded with wisdom from Saint John of the Cross to a similar question about dryness in prayer that began with the question, “am I going through the dark night of the soul?” You can read that answer here.

But in your case, Saint Teresa of Avila has a few words of wisdom dear @pulchraesamicamea

In Chapter 11 of the Book of Her Life, Saint Teresa begins her famous discussion of prayer by comparing it to 4 different ways to water a garden:

1. A well
2. A water wheel
3. A river or stream
4. A great deal of rain

She then says:

But what will they do here who see that after many days there is nothing but dryness, distaste, vapidness, and very little desire to come to draw water? […] But, as I am saying, what will the gardener do here? He will rejoice and be consoled and consider it the greatest favor to be able to work in the garden of so great an Emperor! Since he knows that this pleases the Lord and his intention must be not to please himself but to please the Lord, he gives the Lord much praise. For the Master has confidence in the gardener because He sees that without any pay he is so very careful about what he was told to do. This gardener helps Christ carry the cross and reflects that the Lord lived with it all during His life. He doesn’t desire the Lord’s kingdom here below or ever abandon prayer. And so he is determined, even though this dryness may last for his whole life, not to let Christ fall with the cross. The time will come when the Lord will repay him all at once. He doesn’t fear that the labor is being wasted. He is serving a good Master whose eyes are upon him. He doesn’t pay any attention to bad thoughts. He considers that the devil also represented them to St. Jerome in the desert.

Or as St. Teresa will tell you later in the Interior Castle (IV.1.7), "the important thing is not to think much but to love much."

It sounds like you are well on your way. Just remember that the foundation of all of St. Teresa’s prayer is found in this simple guidance: “Keeping Christ present is what we of ourselves can do” (Life, 12.4).

 

[Blacknblue]

Dryness is our opportunity to love God just for God’s sake. It’s a time to continue in trust that Jesus
and Mary are closer to me now than ever before. In a way, Jesus trusts me to love him more by sharing a small bit of his and Mary’s suffering. Sweetness and consolation in prayer are wonderful, but dryness is needful for growth. It hurts and Jesus knows this. He’s actually closer to us the more we suffer, especially if we ask for the grace of patience, resignation, and gratitude. Dryness is a gift of grace that aids in our sanctification. St. Mother Teresa suffered this for many years and she prayed hours each day.

 

[pulchraesamicamea]

This is a beautiful response. Thank you.

Thank you all for your responses.

 

[carmelitequotes]

This is a beautiful response. Thank you.

At your service! Anytime you or anyone has questions on Carmelite topics or questions where you think the Carmelite Doctors of the Church can be of assistance, I’m here to share excerpts from their writings and links to help you dig deeper. God reward you, and I promise to pray for you.

 

[srobi]

"“when you can do nothing at prayer, make acts of humility comparing your nothingness with God’s greatness, your ingratitude with His benefits, your lack of virtue with the purity and perfection of the saints.” St. Claude de la Colombiere.
don’t worry you are not alone. get a hold of lives of the saints, some spirtual books, (Living Faith and Magnificat are favorites of mine) and there are plenty more. if you have a Catholic bookstore near you go there because as you browse through often they’ll be something that will speak to you.

 

[Justinca]

I’ve been trying to follow the ways of Christ even amidst a mental illness, and later my genetic disease.

But now I’ve reached a period of spiritual dryness, in which I’m struggling to pray. Maybe I’m physically worn out, or I’m just exhausted due to fatigue- I’m not exactly sure why I feel so spiritually dry.

Find a ministry to get involved with at your church. a Eucharistic minister. Or ??

 

[oldgraymare2]

I just came across your post now, as I am trying to get caught up a bit with reading some of the posts on the forum.

I think that it can be especially difficult to pray in times of illness, especially when we have to deal with any type of a chronic illness and/or chronic pain.

I think that it can wear us down at times, and leave us with quite a bit of weariness and exhaustion where it’s even difficult just to do our every day chores/functions.

I’m sure that the good Lord is aware of this, as He already knows everything.

I have had to deal with lots of chronic health issues for years, and sometimes it’s all that I can do to pray what we would call short ejaculatory prayers, like, “Lord, have mercy,” or “Jesus, Mary, Joseph.”

Or sometimes I’ll pray our traditional Catholic prayers like The Lord’s Prayer or a Hail Mary or a Glory Be.

Sometimes, I’ll also pray a part of a Rosary or the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

The point is, you’re personally trying to do your best and to stay close to God, and I think that is what really counts.