The Baptism of the Lord

        I am frequently asked questions about dryness in prayer. In reading St Francis de Sales classic, An Introduction to the Devout Life, he beautifully addresses consolations and desolations in prayer. I thought I would share some excerpts of his sage advice. Perhaps, it will be of help to you as you foster Prayer in the new year.

Part IV – Chapter XIII: Of Spiritual and Sensible Consolations, and how to receive them

       1. Devotion does not consist in conscious sweetness and tender consolations, which move one to sighs and tears, and bring about a kind of agreeable, acceptable sense of self-satisfaction. No, my child, this is not one and the same as devotion, for you will find many persons who do experience these consolations, yet who, nevertheless, are evil minded, and consequently are devoid of all true Love of God, still more of all true devotion…

       2. Nevertheless these tender warm emotions are sometimes good and useful, for they kindle the spiritual appetite, cheer the mind, and infuse a holy gladness into the devout life, which embellishes all we do even externally. It was such a taste for holy things that made David cry out, “O how sweet are Thy words unto my throat, yea, sweeter than honey unto my mouth.” (Psalm 119:103) And assuredly the tiniest little comfort received through devotion is worth far more than the most abundant delights of this world. The milk of the Heavenly Bridegroom, in other words His spiritual favors, are sweeter to the soul than the costliest wine of the pleasures of this world, and to those who have tasted thereof all else seems but as gall and wormwood…

       3. But, perhaps you will say, if there are sensible consolations which are undoubtedly good and come from God, and at the same time others which are unprofitable, perilous, even harmful, because they proceed from mere natural causes, or even from the Enemy himself, how am I to know one from the other, or distinguish what is most profitable even among those which are good? It is a general rule, with respect to the feelings and affections, that their test is in their fruits. Our hearts are as trees, of which the affections and passions are their branches, and deeds and acts their fruits. That is, a good heart, of which the affections are good, and those are good affections which result in good and holy actions. If our spiritual tenderness and sweetness and consolation make us more humble, patient, forbearing, charitable and kindly towards our neighbors, more earnest in mortifying our own evil inclinations and lusts, more diligent in our duties, more docile and submissive to those who have a claim to our obedience, more simple in our whole manner of life, then doubtless, my daughter, they come from God…

        4. If we are favored with any such sweetness, we must humble ourselves deeply before God, and beware of being led to cry out “How good I am!” No indeed, such gifts do not make us any better, for, as I have already said, devotion does not consist in such things; rather let us say, “How good God is to those who hope in Him, and to the souls that seek Him!” If a man has sugar in his mouth, he cannot call his mouth sweet, but the sugar; and so although our spiritual sweetness is admirable, and God Who imparts it is all good, it by no means follows that he who receives it is good… As a general rule, we shall do well to receive all such graces and favors humbly, making much of them, not for their own importance, but rather because it is God’s Hand…

        Lastly, I advise you to take counsel with your director concerning any unusual flow of consolations or emotions, so that he may guide you in their wise usage; for it is written, “Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee” (Prov. 25:16).      https://www.catholicspiritualdirection.org/devoutlife.pdf

       God indeed gives Spiritual Consolations. Yet, being God, they are given to us only when and to what extent that they are truly for our good. Next time, we will hear St Francis de Sales on spiritual dryness.

Nothing Less than saints for the Holy Family of God.

Holy Family, Filled with Spiritual Consolations, Pray for us.

~ Fr Jeremy M. Gries