Spiritual Wintertime

[XIX]

I've heard about something called "spiritual wintertime," and I really don't know much about. So first of all, what is it? Is it something God gives to you as a grace, is it Satanic, or what? Is there something seriously wrong if your in spiritual wintertime? Is it ever God's will?

Those are the generaly questions. More specifically related to myself, could it ever be caused by feeling lonely or if somebody is missing in your life?

Thanks!!

[Pio Nono]

JMJ
10/27 - Thirtieth Wednesday

XIX,

Though I've never heard this phenomenon called "spiritual wintertime", I think I know what you're driving at - its more common name is a spiritual desert. These are periods in our prayer life where God feels incredibly distant from us and that our life of prayer is dry and uninspiring.

The source of this can be one of three things: (a) the devil can act on the physical processes of your mind to make you think that God is giving you no consolation, (b) certain actions which you are doing are making your prayer life dry, such as habitual sin or simply not praying regularly or © God can send dry times of prayer to see what you really love - the consolations of God or the God of consolations.

When in these situations, it is usually best to do three things:

1.) [i]Keep praying[/i]. Whatever you do, don't stop - that's exactly what the devil wants you to do.

2.) [i]Make sure you're praying for the right reason[/i]. Keep telling God that you're praying for His sake, not your own.

3.) [i]Receive the sacraments often[/i]. This one should be obvious.

Hope this helps.

Yours,
Pio Nono