Aridity and Spiritual Progress

By Father Gabriel of St Mary Magdalene, O.C.D.

Even without the presence of other causes, it is possible to pass from a state of sensible spiritual fervor to one of absolute aridity. This happens by the direct work of God which makes it impossible for the soul to pray with the help of the mind alone, or to practice acts of sensible love as we did before. The fact is that, whereas meditation or affection with God was formerly made with ease and comfort, the soul finds it impossible to connect even two ideas. Thoughts or reading which once moved the soul now leave it indifferent, the heart remains cold and hard as a stone.

Even though watching over itself carefully in order to be faithful in mortification and generosity; even though intensifying its preparation for prayer, and fervently beseeching the Lord for help, it no longer succeeds in wringing one drop of devotion from its heart.

Then the poor soul in darkness worries and is afraid, thinking that the Lord has abandoned it, perhaps because of some fault or other. What she does not realize is that this kind of aridity conceals a great grace: the grace of purification and of progress in the ways of prayer. In fact, by means of aridity, the Lord intends to free it from selfish feelings and to raise it to the purer, firmer level of the will.

When it was experiencing so much comfort in prayer and feelings the Soul, unknown to itself, it was becoming somewhat attached to these sensible consolations. Hence it loved and sought prayer not purely for God Himself, but also a little for itself.

Now, deprived of all attraction for prayer, the soul will henceforth learn to apply itself to it solely to give pleasure to the Lord. Furthermore, finding no help in beautiful thoughts and sweet emotions, it will learn to walk by strength of will alone, exercising itself in acts of faith and love which, it is true, are wholly arid, but are all the more meritorious because they are more voluntary. In this way, its love for God will become purer, because it is more disinterested; and stronger, because it is more voluntary.

Unto Humility

Through aridity, the soul also makes progress in humility. The inability to meditate, to fix its attention, to awaken good sentiments in its heart, all these convince the soul more and more of its nothingness. This state makes it realize, without effort or reasoning, that, apart from God’s help, it can really do nothing.

Thus, little by little, that high opinion of self, that feeling of confidence in its own strength, which had more or less secretly insinuated itself into the soul when all was easy and pleasant in prayer, now vanishes.

At the same time, seeing how poor and wretched it is in the presence of God, there is born in the soul a feeling of more profound respect and greater reverence before the infinite majesty of God.

When it could speak heart to heart with Him in prayer, the soul may have forgotten.somewhat the infinite distance which always separates God, the infinite One, from His creature.

It is true that God wants us to act toward
Him with great confidence and He invites us in thousands of ways. But it is very precious, this feeling of greater reverence which gradually ripens in the soul through the experience of its own nothingness, and which always, even in moments of the greatest loving intimacy, permit it to approach God with true humility of heart.

Offering This Nothingness

If, therefore, during the time of prayer we can do nothing but humble ourselves before God, by recognizing our own nothingness and showing Him our impotence, our incapacity, yes, even offering God this very nothingness in adoration of His infinite being we will have made very good use of suffering greatly from distractions.

We will often then feel as though we have done nothing during prayer. But let us not be disturbed, because as St. Peter of Alcantara says:

“He who does the little he can, does much before God.”

It is not difficult to persevere in prayer when we find consolation in it, but there is great merit in doing so when sensible devotion is reduced to a minimum.

Yet it is precisely then that prayer
becomes more meritorious and humility is increased, as well as patience and perseverance.

Prayer

“O Lord, blessed be Your Name forever, because You willed me to suffer this tribulation. I cannot escape it, so I have recourse to You, that You may help me to profit by it. O Lord, I am deeply afflicted, my heart can find no rest, and it suffers much on account of this hard trial.

What am I say to You, O beloved Father? I am in anguish. Lord, save me! This happens to me in order to glorify You by my very suffering and humiliation, but later, You will deliver me.

May it please You to deliver me, O Lord, Give me once more the grace of patience! Help me, Lord, and I shall fear nothing, even if the burden is heavy.

And now, what shall I say in all these misfortunes?

Lord, Your will be done. I well deserve the tribulation which is crushing me. I must bear it. May I do so patiently, until storm is past and calm re-established…

O Lord, make my darkness serve to enlighten souls.” — from Divine Intimacy

+ Do not permit the darkness to frighten me

+ The Lord speaks to us with two hands: the hand of attraction (light) and the hand of suffering (darkness). It is by means of each throughout our lives that we are made to grow in sanctifying grace unto salvation. We are called to trust and to give thanks for each, our fathers teach for good reason.

If God Calls the Soul By Means of Aridity

“If God invites the soul, by means of aridity, to a more simple and more profound form of prayer, it would be absurd to try to compel it to continue in meditation, which, moreover, it can no longer make. On the contrary, the soul ought to be encouraged to give up this form of prayer without scruple, and to apply itself to remaining calmly in the presence of God, attentive to Him by means of a simple glance of faith and love. It should stay there and keep Him company, glad to be with Him, even if it has no feeling of His presence.

The soul will see that it is gradually becoming accustomed to this new way of prayer and will notice that it is in contact with God in a way which is substantially better than that which it formerly had.

The thought that it no longer knows how to love should not disturb the soul. Of course, it can no longer love as tenderly as before, when the mere thought of God’s love for it could arouse its feelings; however, the soul must remember that the supernatural love of charity is not sense love, but a love of the will, which does not have to be felt. It consists solely in a decision of the will by which the soul gives God preference over all creatures and wills to consecrate itself entirely to His service. This is the real love which leads to the “sense of God”.

Moreover, St. John of the Cross  teaches that it is precisely in this period of obscure, initial contemplation, entered by way of the sufferings of purifying aridity, that there begins to develop in the soul what he calls infused passive love, that is, the love by which the soul goes to God, no longer merely by a decision of the will, but also by a secret drawing by God Himself. This explains why its love, although not felt at all, is in reality stronger than before; it urges the soul to give itself to God with increasingly strong resolve. It is God Himself who, drawing it secretly to Himself, awakens love in it.

Prayer

“O God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?

What shall I do, O Lord, in such aridity? My heart is like a stone. I shall disclose my misery to You; I shall show You my nothingness, my weakness, my lack of power, and I shall say to You:

Remember, O Lord, that I am wretchedness and You are Mercy, I, the patient and You, the Physician!

O Lord, do not permit the sight of my nothingness to cast me down, but let it draw me to You in humility, confidence, reverence and abandonment!

O Lord, let me know myself that I may know You! Let me know myself, that I may despise myself and know You, that I may love and bless You eternally

Although I am an arid and desolate land, and in my heart there is not one drop of devotion, yet I wish to remain here in Your presence, here, near You, to tell You that, in spite of everything, I desire and want nothing but You alone.

“O Lord, when I feel nothing, when I am incapable of praying or practicing virtue, then is the moment to look for small occasions, nothings, to give You pleasure…. a smile, a friendly word, when I should much prefer to say nothing at all or feel bored….

When I find no occasions, at least I want to keep telling You that I love You; it is not difficult and it keeps the fire of love going; even if that fire seems wholly out, I should throw little bits of straw on the ashes, little acts of virtue and of charity; and I am sure that, with Your help, the fire will be enkindled again” (T.C.J. L, 122).

O Lord, let Your presence be the light and strength of my soul.

Father Gabriel of St Mary Magdalene