Dryness of the Soul
Here, the good deeds we have been doing so easily in the past become really difficult to do. You find that you no longer have the strength to pray. And you see yourself falling into sin and running off to confession frequently.
Just as Jesus was so cast down in sorrow on the cross that He screamed in anguish “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me!” Matthew 27:46. So also are the children of God at some point overwhelmed by anguish and feel alone.
Oftentimes, we are overcome by the world and its worries and we feel alone in this world. At that point even the easiest virtue seems like a difficult task. This period when we feel alone and devoid of God’s presence is called dryness of the soul.
Here, the good deeds we have been doing so easily in the past become really difficult to do. You find that you no longer have the strength to pray. And you see yourself falling into sin and running off to confession frequently.
In the period of dryness, we feel empty while praying. And although we find ourselves kneeling and praying, we feel like no one is listening because we are devoid of that ecstatic feeling that comes with kneeling in God’s presence.
A lot of Christians get carried away at this state of dryness and do not return except by the power of God’s grace. However, some others, despite all the void and emptiness felt, remain true to the teachings of Christ.
Now that you feel Christ’s presence within you, enjoy it, and savour each moment. Now that you feel that ecstatic joy when in His holy presence savour it and worship Him eagerly. Now that you are able to practice virtues of holiness, practice them to the fullest, because a time will come, when you wouldn’t have the zeal to do a single good and you’ll feel devoid of God. When that time comes, it is all the good you carried out and the virtues you learned and practiced in the past that would sustain and keep you in check.
No matter how dry you feel though, always tell Jesus you love Him and want to live only for Him.
