Of Spiritual Droughts and Barrenness.
When you have consolations, my dear Philothea, conduct yourself as I have just told you. But this fair and pleasant weather will not last always. Sometimes you will be so deprived of all feeling of devotion that it will seem to you as though your soul were a desert land, fruitless and barren, where there is neither path nor way to go to God, nor any water of grace to moisten it amid the droughts that consume it and seem to reduce it utterly to waste. Alas! How worthy of compassion is the soul in this state, especially when this ill is severe! For then, after David’s example, it feeds on tears both day and night, while the enemy, by a thousand suggestions, mocks it to drive it to despair, and says to it: Ah, poor wretch, where is Thy God? By what way canst Thou find Him? Who can ever restore to thee the joy of His holy grace?
What then will you do at such a time, Philothea? Examine whence the ill comes: we ourselves are often the cause of our barrenness and droughts.
1. As a mother refuses sugar to her child who is subject to worms, so God takes away His consolations from us when we take some vain pleasure in them, and are subject to the worm of presumption. _It is good for me, O my God, that Thou hast humbled me_, said David; _for before I was humbled, I had offended Thee._
When you have consolations, my dear Philothea, conduct yourself as I have just told you. But this fair and pleasant weather will not last always. Sometimes you will be so deprived of all feeling of devotion that it will seem to you as though your soul were a desert land, fruitless and barren, where there is neither path nor way to go to God, nor any water of grace to moisten it amid the droughts that consume it and seem to reduce it utterly to waste. Alas! How worthy of compassion is the soul in this state, especially when this ill is severe! For then, after David’s example, it feeds on tears both day and night, while the enemy, by a thousand suggestions, mocks it to drive it to despair, and says to it: Ah, poor wretch, where is Thy God? By what way canst Thou find Him? Who can ever restore to thee the joy of His holy grace?
What then will you do at such a time, Philothea? Examine whence the ill comes: we ourselves are often the cause of our barrenness and droughts.
1. As a mother refuses sugar to her child who is subject to worms, so God takes away His consolations from us when we take some vain pleasure in them, and are subject to the worm of presumption. _It is good for me, O my God, that Thou hast humbled me_, said David; _for before I was humbled, I had offended Thee._
2. When we neglect to gather the sweetnesses and delights of the love of God at the time appointed by Him, He takes them away from us as a punishment for our sloth. The Israelite who did not gather the manna early in the morning could do so no longer after sunrise, for it was then all melted away.
3. Sometimes we rest idly amid the sensual pleasures and perishable consolations of this world, as did the bride in the Song of Songs. The Bridegroom of our souls comes and knocks at the door of our heart; He inspires us to return to our spiritual exercises; but we bargain with Him, because we are vexed at having to leave these vain amusements and renounce these false goods; therefore He passes on and leaves us to languish; then, when we wish to seek Him, we have great difficulty in finding Him: which is a most just punishment, since we have been so rebellious against His love as to reject its attraction in order to follow that of worldly things. Ah! poor soul, you have laid up a store of Egyptian flour; you shall not have the manna of Heaven. Bees hate all artificial scents; and the sweetnesses of the Holy Spirit are incompatible with the artificial delights of the world.
4. The duplicity and subtlety of mind that one brings to confessions and other spiritual communications with one’s director attract dryness and barrenness; for, since you lie to the Holy Spirit, it is no wonder if He withholds His consolations from you; you do not wish to be simple and guileless as a little child, and therefore you shall not have the sweetmeat of little children.
3. Sometimes we rest idly amid the sensual pleasures and perishable consolations of this world, as did the bride in the Song of Songs. The Bridegroom of our souls comes and knocks at the door of our heart; He inspires us to return to our spiritual exercises; but we bargain with Him, because we are vexed at having to leave these vain amusements and renounce these false goods; therefore He passes on and leaves us to languish; then, when we wish to seek Him, we have great difficulty in finding Him: which is a most just punishment, since we have been so rebellious against His love as to reject its attraction in order to follow that of worldly things. Ah! poor soul, you have laid up a store of Egyptian flour; you shall not have the manna of Heaven. Bees hate all artificial scents; and the sweetnesses of the Holy Spirit are incompatible with the artificial delights of the world.
4. The duplicity and subtlety of mind that one brings to confessions and other spiritual communications with one’s director attract dryness and barrenness; for, since you lie to the Holy Spirit, it is no wonder if He withholds His consolations from you; you do not wish to be simple and guileless as a little child, and therefore you shall not have the sweetmeat of little children.
5. Our heart has been sated with the pleasures of the world; should we wonder, then, if you have a distaste for spiritual delights? “Well-sated doves find cherries bitter,” says the old proverb. “God hath filled the hungry with good things,” saith the Blessed Virgin, “and the rich He hath sent away empty.” Those, therefore, who are rich in the pleasures of the world are not capable of the joys of the Holy Spirit.
6. Have you carefully preserved the fruit of the consolations you have received? You shall receive new ones; for to him that hath shall more be given; but from him that hath not what was given him, and hath lost it through his own fault, even that which he hath not shall be taken away—that is, he shall be deprived of the graces that were prepared for him. Rain gives life to plants that are green; but to those that have no verdure, it takes away even the little life they seem to possess, and utterly destroys them. For these and other like reasons, we lose the consolations of God and fall into a thousand spiritual droughts and barren states. Let us therefore examine our conscience, to see whether any of these faults be in us. But let us remember, Philothea, to make this examination without disquiet or curiosity. And if, after having faithfully considered our dispositions, we find in ourselves the cause of the evil, we must thank God; for the evil is half cured when its cause has been discovered. If, on the contrary, you see nothing in particular that seems to have caused this dryness, do not occupy yourself with a more curious search; but with all simplicity, do as I shall tell you.
6. Have you carefully preserved the fruit of the consolations you have received? You shall receive new ones; for to him that hath shall more be given; but from him that hath not what was given him, and hath lost it through his own fault, even that which he hath not shall be taken away—that is, he shall be deprived of the graces that were prepared for him. Rain gives life to plants that are green; but to those that have no verdure, it takes away even the little life they seem to possess, and utterly destroys them. For these and other like reasons, we lose the consolations of God and fall into a thousand spiritual droughts and barren states. Let us therefore examine our conscience, to see whether any of these faults be in us. But let us remember, Philothea, to make this examination without disquiet or curiosity. And if, after having faithfully considered our dispositions, we find in ourselves the cause of the evil, we must thank God; for the evil is half cured when its cause has been discovered. If, on the contrary, you see nothing in particular that seems to have caused this dryness, do not occupy yourself with a more curious search; but with all simplicity, do as I shall tell you.
1. Humble yourself greatly before God, in the knowledge of your nothingness and your misery. Say from the bottom of your heart: Alas! what am I, when I am abandoned to myself? Nothing, Lord, but a parched land, open on every side, in extreme need of rain, and reduced to dust by the wind.
2. Call upon God, and ask Him for the sweetness of His grace: _Restore unto me, O Lord! the joy of Thy salvation. My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me._ O Saviour Jesus! stay this burning wind that dries up my heart; and Thou, O precious breeze of consolations, come, breathe upon me, and the plants of my garden shall give forth a sweet and pleasant fragrance.
3. Go to your confessor, open your heart to him, show him clearly every fold of your soul, and receive all the counsel he gives you, with great simplicity and humility; for God, who loves obedience infinitely, often makes useful the counsel received from others, and especially from those He has appointed to guide souls, even when there is little likelihood of a happy outcome; thus did He make the waters of the Jordan profitable to Naaman, whose use Eliseus had enjoined upon him without any apparent reason according to human judgment.
2. Call upon God, and ask Him for the sweetness of His grace: _Restore unto me, O Lord! the joy of Thy salvation. My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me._ O Saviour Jesus! stay this burning wind that dries up my heart; and Thou, O precious breeze of consolations, come, breathe upon me, and the plants of my garden shall give forth a sweet and pleasant fragrance.
3. Go to your confessor, open your heart to him, show him clearly every fold of your soul, and receive all the counsel he gives you, with great simplicity and humility; for God, who loves obedience infinitely, often makes useful the counsel received from others, and especially from those He has appointed to guide souls, even when there is little likelihood of a happy outcome; thus did He make the waters of the Jordan profitable to Naaman, whose use Eliseus had enjoined upon him without any apparent reason according to human judgment.
4. But after all this, there is nothing so useful in such dryness and barrenness as not to desire too eagerly to be delivered from them. I do not say that we should not make simple wishes for deliverance, but I say that we should not be too attached to them, and that we must surrender ourselves to Providence, that it may set our trial’s end at such time as it shall please. Let us therefore say to God at such times: let us therefore say, with such desires as we may allow ourselves and amid such thorns as we must bear: _O my Father! if it be possible, let this cup pass from me_; but let us also add with great courage: _Nevertheless, Thy will be done, and not mine_; and let us abide in this with as much tranquillity as we can; for God, seeing us in this holy indifference, will favor us with many graces and consolations: as when He saw Abraham resolved to sacrifice his son to Him, He was content with that act of resignation and rewarded him with a most pleasing vision and with the blessing He bestowed upon him and his posterity. We must therefore, in all manner of afflictions, both bodily and spiritual, and amid the distractions or the privations of sensible devotion that befall us, say with all our heart and with deep submission: _the Lord hath given me consolations; the Lord hath taken them away; blessed be Thy holy name_; for, persevering in this practice of humility, He will restore His delightful favors to us, as He did to Job, who constantly used these same words in all his desolations.
5. Finally, Philothea, amid all our dryness and barrenness, let us not lose courage. But, awaiting with patience the return of consolations, let us ever go on our way. Let us on that account neglect no exercise of piety; on the contrary, let us multiply, if possible, our good works; and, being able to offer our Spouse nothing better, let us offer Him our heart, dry as it is; this homage will be no less pleasing to Him, provided we are firmly resolved always to love Him. When the spring is fair, the bees make more honey and fewer young; for, in the fine weather, they take such delight in gathering from the flowers that they forget to produce their young; but when the spring is harsh and cloudy, they make more young and less honey; for, being unable to go out to gather honey, they apply themselves more to multiplying their kind. It often happens also, Philothea, that the soul, finding itself in the fair springtime of spiritual consolations, takes such delight in gathering and savoring them that, amid the abundance of these sweet delights, it does far fewer good works; whereas amid spiritual harshness and barrenness, as it finds itself deprived of the pleasant feelings of devotion, it multiplies its solid works all the more, and abounds in the inward generation of the true virtues of patience, humility, contempt of self, resignation, and detachment.
It is therefore a great abuse among many people, and especially among women, to believe that the service of God, when it is without relish, sweetness, or sensible attraction, is for that reason less pleasing to His divine Majesty; since, on the contrary, our actions are like roses, which, while fresh, have more grace, but when dry, have more strength and fragrance: for although works done with relish are more pleasing to us, who look only to our own consolation, nevertheless, when done with dryness and distaste, they have more fragrance and worth before God. Yes, dear Philothea, in times of dryness our will carries us to the service of God as by sheer force; and consequently it must be more vigorous and constant than in times of consolation. It is no great thing to serve a prince amid the sweetness of peace and the delights of the court; but to serve him in the midst of the hardships of war, amid troubles and persecutions, is a true mark of fidelity and constancy. Blessed Angela of Foligno says that the prayer most pleasing to God is that which is made by force and constraint—that is, the prayer we make, not from relish or inclination, but purely to please God, our will being drawn to it only as if against its own will, and having continually to force and overcome the repugnance and weariness it encounters therein. I say the same of every kind of good work; for the more contradictions we find in them, whether external or internal, the more they are esteemed and prized by God. The less there is of our own particular interest in the pursuit of the virtues, the more brightly the purity of divine love shines therein. A child readily kisses his mother when she gives him sugar; but it is a sign that he loves her greatly if he kisses her after she has given him wormwood or aloes.