“Desert”.

“Strong moments” is what we call the relatively long time we have set aside to meet with God. For example, can we set aside about thirty or forty minutes? If we set aside a whole day once a month for God, then we call it a “desert.”
The experience of “desert” has a unique character. It is most appropriate, almost necessary, for us to leave our everyday environment, where we live and work and go to some remote place, in the countryside, in the mountains, or a retreat house. For mutual encouragement, it is advisable to go to “wilderness” should be made in a group of three or four persons. Still, when, please arrive at the place where these people are to spend the day, it is essential that the group be separated and that one should be in complete solitude. It is also advisable that this “wilderness.” should be of a fasting nature as far as food is concerned. All in all, the “desert.” is a powerful time dedicated to God in silence, solitude, and repentance?

Lest the “desert” become some dreaded day (in that no one would repeat it), one must have some orientation program to spend the day productively. In advance, he needs to know what he will need: certain psalms, biblical texts, exercises for concentration, a notebook for notes, verbal prayers, meditation readings, etc. A few suggestions. After arriving at where we want to spend the day, it is advisable to pray a few psalms to tune into a sense of faith and create a suitable inner climate. When we are unfocused, we should do some exercises to calm down, focus, self-control. This most important in the desert is a personal conversation with the Lord, an exchange of words, and a merging of souls. We should spend as much time as possible on the dialogue between you and me.
We should be face to face with God. During this day, we can meditate on reading, reflecting on our own lives, on unresolved problems of the brotherhood, or something else. On this day, we should accept the things we reject, heal by practicing forgiveness, and surrender from life’s wounds so that we leave the mountain completely healed and strengthened in our faith.
We should realize that we can experience different spiritual states within a day or afternoon, even contradictory. Do not be alarmed. Do not even give in to euphoria, …when you find comfort, nor lose heart when you find yourself in a state… of aridity. Impatience is the subtle daughter of the self. There, where there is peace, there is God. Remember this: God is with you if you have peace, even amid utter aridity. Never be carried away by an illusion. For it masquerades as
hope, but it is the opposite. Yes, you must be able to recognize the effort from compulsion, illusion from hope. Never imagine that to achieve strong emotions. If you fail to do so, you will worry impatience will cause resistance, and you will attempt to reach an impression by force. This violence will cause fatigue, and this fatigue will turn into frustration. It would be a pity for a man to return from the “desert” to life frustrated and not strengthened and encouraged. Once again, I must say that the guardian angels of the desert are patience, perseverance, and hope. Remember that Jesus went through many “deserts”; arrange your life so that you can reserve God a few days a year. This will show that God is in your essential in your life. What has been said so far applies to the first steps. Later, the same means will only be useless crutches. When one is already accustomed to prayer and lives in the spirit of worship, then to begin to pray and “abide” with God means the same thing, but except for a period of aridity. And as one goes forward, God Himself takes the initiative. He then begins to work from the very depths and conquers the castle.  One unifies and concentrates everything in Himself. There is no need for any mental exercises or psychological procedures even here. The castle is ultimately conquered, and his armies surrender to the new Lord. But all this will only take place after a lengthy purification process.