Daily Thought For March 23, 2015

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Helpful Advice For Spiritual Aridity

We should resign ourselves to God's will in interior sufferings, temptations, doubts, darkness, aridity, and in all difficulties of the spiritual life. God ordinarily sends sweetness and comfort to those who begin to embrace. virtue; in order to draw them entirely from all affection for the world; but when they have grown stronger in virtue, He withdraws His sensible presence to test their love. St. Teresa says, "While we live here, we must not so much seek to enjoy God, but rather to do His will." And again: "Those who love Him, God proves with dryness and temptations." 

 Hence, the soul should thank God when He caresses it with sweetness, but should not grow impatient or fret when left in desolation. Some persons, when deprived of sensible sweetness, imagine themselves abandoned by God. Then they neglect prayer and lose all that they have gained. There is no better time to exercise our resignation to God's will than the time of darkness and aridity. 

 from Conformity to the Will of God by St. Alphonsus Liguori pp.49-50

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