靈魂的心堡-林順明神父主講
Third step: Aridities in prayer, good to be fearful of ourselves
In life we experience ups and downs. It also happens in the life of prayer, on our inward journey through our castles. The Lord, on seeing us determined to set out in search of him, gives consolations as encouragement on the journey. He can also remove the consolations and the soul feels alone and dry （aridity）.
Aridities in prayer, commonly termed as experiences of dryness by various spiritual authors, are usual encounters for anyone who has started to pray. These aridities can occur at any stage of the person’s prayer life and they are generally viewed as undesirable elements to be overcome at all costs.
There can be many reasons why aridities at prayer occur. They can be caused by human weakness and sin that can become obstacles to union with God. Conversely they can be trials given by God to the praying person for various reasons: as purifying moments or tests for virtue. Discernment through a spiritual director is helpful at these instances, as it may be difficult for the person to make sense of the experiences alone. There are various signs that can help assess the source of the aridity, be they divine or otherwise. St John of the Cross gave us three: 1） when the soul finds no comfort in God and neither in created things; 2） the memory dwells ordinarily upon God with a painful anxiety and carefulness; 3） inability to meditate or make reflections, no matter how hard the soul tries （The Dark Night, book 1, chapter 9）.
The person who has gradually advanced in prayer will be placed sooner or later by the Lord through aridity. This is in order for him to desire the Lord more and not be attached to the possible consolations given by Him. The person walks by faith through prayer even when there are no tangible rewards given: he may feel ‘dry’ during the time of prayer and still persevere in keeping the hours of prayer that he has dedicated to the Lord.
曾子曰：「吾日三省吾身：為人謀而不忠乎？與朋友交而不信乎？傳不習乎？」學而 （3）
The philosopher Zeng said, “I daily examine myself on three points: whether, in transacting business for others, I may have been not faithful; whether, in intercourse with friends, I mayhave been not sincere; whether I may have not mastered and practiced the instructions of my teacher.”
It is natural to notice that the truly praying person is distrustful of himself, especially of the good that others see in him. He knows his own weaknesses and sins when compared to the holiness of the Lord. It is the Lord’s merciful love that has preserved him from further deterioration. The praying person sees his own ‘ugliness’ while others see his progress in virtue. This is a sure sign of his progress in prayer as this is humility of heart, the person living in the truth that is the Lord. The soul takes great trouble to see that he is not responsible in placing obstacles in the path of prayer, and he may then arrive at the realization of Confucius as he states below:
子絕四：毋意，毋必，毋固，毋我。子罕 （4）
There were four things from which the Master was entirely free. He had no foregone conclusions, no arbitrary predeterminations, no obstinacy, and no egoism. The soul becomes more and more malleable to the working of God.
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