Prayer.
“We ought always to pray.” — St. Luke 18.1.
ELEVENTH DAY.
When a soul is oppressed with aridity or sterility it should make acts of abasement, of confidence, and of conformity to the will of God, standing in His presence as a poor subject before the king, making use of words to express loving submission to His divine will. — St. Jane Frances.
“I desire no other kind of prayer,” said St. Teresa, “than that which makes me grow in virtue. Therefore I regard as good prayer that made with dryness and temptation, because it makes me more humble. Can we say we do not pray if we offer to God our troubles, or if suffering, we conform to His holy will? It is a much better prayer than if the head is full of diverse reflections, and we persuade ourselves that we pray fervently if we succeed in shedding a few tears.”
“What do you do,” it was asked of that great servant of God, St. John Berchmans, “to profit by spiritual dryness?” “I pray,” he replied, “I occupy myself, and I practice patience.”
St. Philip Neri said that in the time of spiritual dryness and desolation it was very useful to imagine yourself a beggar in the presence of God and His saints, and to beg an alms, sometimes of Jesus Christ, sometimes of the Blessed Virgin, of our angel guardian, of the saints, as the poor beg corporal alms from those who can assist them.
Prayer.
O my God, do not permit me to abandon prayer in distaste. Let me humble myself before Thee. I will conform myself to Thy holy will. I will ask spiritual alms for my assistance.