"Spiritual desolation is something that happens to all of us: it can be stronger or weaker...but that feeling of spiritual darkness, of hopelessness, mistrust, lacking the desire to live, without seeing the end of the tunnel, with so much agitation in one's heart and in one's ideas. Spiritual desolation makes us feel as though our souls are crushed, we can't succeed...and we don't want to live." (Pope Francis) Spiritual desolation and spiritual consolation are aspects of the spiritual journey. We enjoy the time of consolation but struggle with periods of desolation. The story of Job in the Bible is given to us as one example of this struggle. After experiencing many blessings, h is life is turned upside down, going from the mountain top to the darkest valley. Like all of us, he complained against God and demanded answers for this reversal. What God eventually reveals to Job is the need to embrace the grace of the present moment in silence and prayer before the Almighty and to wait upon the Lord to renew his consolations. The how long is the  unknown by purifying agony.