"In times of spiritual dryness arouse your spirit gently, by acts of love; then rest in the will of God. It is thus that the soul gives the strongest proof of her fidelity to God." (St Paul of the Cross) At different times in our spiritual journey we will experience this dryness, this desert. It is usually a time of deeper purification. God has not abandoned us. He withholds the sense of his presence in order to draw us closer to him. We should not be like the Israelites in the desert, who wanted at those times to return to the flesh pots of Egypt. Rather, we are to keep our hearts focused on the Lord and wait for his consolation to replace this desolation.