Dryness – although not mentioned in these Rules, St. Ignatius, in his Directory, mentions dryness of affect, as opposed to the tears experienced in spiritual consolation, as a quality of spiritual desolation.
Reasons for dryness – all of these are on the non-spiritual level:
- A lack of formation in prayer – try to pray but not aware of the methods the saints use.
- Negligence in prayer life.
- Physical and emotional depletion causes a sense of dryness in prayer.
- Inconsistency between a person’s prayer and life – contrary behaviours to the Gospel make a person feel dry.
- Sharing burdens with God and prayer and awaiting responses.
- Solid growth in prayer can cause dryness – God is calling a person to a more simplified form of prayer.
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