Consolations From God

In my readings and my conversations of late, I have been met with two opposite points of concern: the distress over dryness of spirit – the feelings of despair at being abandoned by God, and the extreme satisfaction over consolations received, and the desire to serve God even more – to achieve even more (and perhaps greater?) consolations.

One complains of receiving nothing, and the other is not satisfied despite receiving much.

When I met the individuals in these situations, I searched for the proper words of understanding and advice (although I admit that if there were any truly good spiritual advice to be given, certainly it would not come from me but only insofar as God chose me as a conduit of His words of wisdom). Having done the best as I could conceive with these situations, I tried to put them out of my mind. However, as is often the case, two things happened to me: 1) I continued to think and worry unnecessarily on their concerns (and my feeble advice), and 2) God rather quickly put before me much better words of advice --- HIS Wisdom, not mine.

Such, I believe, are these words which I read tonight on the subject of consolations and aridities, in the book: Holy Abandonment, by Rt. Rev. Dom Vitalis Lehodey, O.C.R.:


St. Francis de Sales: “It will happen that you will enjoy no consolation in your practices of devotion. That, undoubtedly, is the good-pleasure of God. Hence the necessity to remain absolutely indifferent to consolation or desolation. If consolations are offered you, receive them with gratitude; if they are refused, desire them not. You must have a strong resolution never to give up prayer, no matter what difficulties you may encounter in the holy exercise. And you must never apply yourself to it, preoccupied with a longing to be consoled and favoured.”

St. Alphonsus: “God gives (consolations) to us in order that we may be better disposed to make the sacrifices which He intends to demand of us, or perhaps to support the trials which He is about to send. In consolation we must prepare for tribulation.” (And) in spiritual desolation we must be resigned: “I do not pretend that we should suffer no affliction at seeing ourselves deprived of God’s sensible presence. We cannot help being afflicted at such a loss, or even complaining of it, since our Divine Saviour Himself complained of it on the cross.” But we should imitate His perfect resignation and that of the saints.

Let us humbly resign ourselves to the divine will, and we shall discover that “desolation is more to our advantage than any sensible devotion.” And St. Alphonsus further recommends us to recite this admirable prayer:

Jesus, my hope, my love, the only love of my soul! I do not deserve that Thou shouldst impart to me Thy consolations and sweetness. Reserve them for the sinless souls who have always loved Thee. As for me, who have so often offended Thee: I am unworthy of them, and do not ask them of Thee. There is only one thing I desire of Thee, and it is this: Grant that I may love Thee, O my God! Grant that I may accomplish Thy will during my whole life, and then dispose of me in the manner that pleases Thee best.
Unhappy me! I have deserved to be condemned to much worse darkness, terror, and desolation, in order to expiate the many injuries I have done Thee. Had I been given my desert, hell would now be my portion, where, separated and banished eternally from Thee, I should have to join in the everlasting lamentations of the lost, deprived of the power to love Thee any more forever. Ah, my Jesus, save me from so horrible a doom. I am ready to submit to any other penalty … Give me the grace to conquer my temptations, to conquer myself. I desire to be all for Thee alone. I consecrate to Thee my body, my soul, my will, my liberty. I no longer desire to live for myself, but only for Thee. Afflict me as it pleases Thee; give me only Thy grace and Thy love, and I shall be content to be deprived of everything else.

Are we permitted, at least, to desire … divine consolations or the cessation of aridities? We may do so, but we are not obliged. We may do so, on account of the important support we find in sensible favours and the despondency in which persistent aridities might leave us. The Holy Spirit in the psalms, and the Church in her liturgy put on our lips petitions of this kind. But we show much more confidence when we abandon ourselves entirely into His hands, when we peacefully await His good-pleasure, and accept in advance whatsoever He shall please to appoint. This is at the same time a superior prudence, a more perfect generosity. And what can be better qualified to touch deeply the heart of our Father in heaven?

Pax.