May 31, 2020

I do not understand the Holy Spirit at all.  I cannot smell Him, I cannot hear Him, I cannot see Him. 

I am told that I can feel Him.

“Do you mean with my paws?”

“No, Dash.”

"Do you mean with my nose?”

“No, Dash. Think of it this way.  You know the Spirit is with you when your tail tells you.”

“You mean, when I wag my tail and I am happy?”

“Yes, Dash! Good boy!"

Woof!

Of course, the above is an explanation given in the most child-like of ways.  It’s not entirely true.  There are indeed times in which we sense the Holy Spirit in our hearts in a palpable and wonderful way.  We call such spiritual phenomenon consolation. However, there are also many times – in fact, usually most of the time – when we do not sense the presence of the Holy Spirit at all.  We call that phenomenon desolation or dryness.  There are two reasons for this.  First: mortal sin or the neglect of prayer.  If you have allowed your soul to fall into these traps, the Holy Spirit will withdraw and you will experience dryness.  The cure? Go to confession. Pray.  The second reason: If you are reasonably certain that you are in a state of grace and if you are committed to prayer, then the dryness you feel is a “hiding” of the Holy Spirit, for the purpose of building up spiritual strength, so that you can learn to love not the “consolations of God,” but rather the “God of consolations.”  Just as we love another person not because that person gives us something we want (we love them because we love them!);  so, too, we love God for Who He is, and not for the good things He gives us.