FR. ED BROOM, OMV

One of the greatest sufferings that we can undergo is that of feeling alone, abandoned, that nobody really cares for us. If you like an intense, crushing loneliness. There exists those dark and somewhat gloomy days, where the sun fails to shine, the birds hide in their nests, the cold winds blast, and the stars at night hide behind the clouds.

In addition to the somber aspect of nature, human relations can become strained, cold, and even fractured. There are those days in which we experience a great weight upon our shoulders, but there seems to be nobody close at hand to alleviate the weight.ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW

In Ignatian spirituality this can be defined as a state ofdesolation. Now, if we do not react intensely against this state of desolation, but instead succumb to it, then it can truly wreak havoc in…