Those periods of dryness [in prayer] can be when God is closest to us and when we grow the most. In those times, our prayer is motivated by pure love, and we do not come to God for the comfort we receive. There will also be times of great consolation, when praying gives us peace, or joy, or true sorrow for our sins. In Rudyard Kipling’s words, when it comes to consolation and dryness in prayer, we must “treat those two imposters just the same”. Prayer is about God, not about our feelings. If you keep yourself close to the Lord, you will experience “peace… which passes all understanding” (Phil 4:7).

AURORA GRIFFIN
IN HOW I STAYED CATHOLIC AT HARVARD (IGNATIUS PRESS, 2016)