Ave Maria Meditations:
But there is yet another winter. This is suffered by a really God-fearing man. He is mindful of God and loves him, and is careful to avoid all sin. But God seems to have forsaken him. As far as his feelings go he is dry, dark and cold, devoid of all heavenly consolation and spiritual sweetness. Our Lord himself suffered this spiritual winter being deserted by his heavenly Father and deprived of his help. Although he was united to the divine nature, yet his poor human nature received no drop of comfort from the Godhead during his unspeakably bitter passion-not an instant’s consolation in his sorest need. He was the most forsaken and helpless and agonizing of all men.
Now this is a lesson to his chosen friends. These must with all joy and entire goodwill endure this state of abandonment in union with Christ. For he is their shepherd; they are privileged to be his sheep; they must suffer patiently in their interior soul and show all patience in their outward behavior, in imitation of Jesus Christ. lf they are but overjoyed to follow him into this his winter time of desolation, abandonment by God and all creatures, then will God in actual reality be present with them, and in a manner far more to their advantage than if they experienced the brightest possible summer-time of his sensible favor.
No one can fully understand all the good that lies hidden in this stern trial of desolation of spirit, this dark and frozen spiritual winter-supposing always that one holds his mind steady and firm in patient endurance.
+Fr. John Tauler, O.P.
