Spiritual Dryness and the Holy Spirit

During confession last week, I brought up the difficulty I have been having during prayer and Adoration. My fear was in offending the Lord for lack of love and lack of respect. The priest, oddly enough, mentioned St Teresa of Avila's difficulty during prayer. It was odd since I am in the midst of reading St Teresa's collected works, volume one. He mentioned that spiritual dryness is often experienced either due to our doing something wrong or being called to a higher level.

Really, spiritual dryness is something I associate with saints. Blessed Mother Teresa was said to have suffered through a very long (50 years?) bout with spiritual dryness. So, my gut reaction was, "Huh, I must be doing something wrong". But I don't know what it is.

Fortunately, I do know Whom to ask for help. The Sanctifier, the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit. As I was waiting in line for confession, I was going through my prayer book and came across prayers to the Holy Spirit. I have sadly neglected the Holy Spirit my whole life. But this prayer leaped off the page and smacked me in the heart. Another poke from God...

Novena Prayer to Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit of God, Holy Spirit the Comforter,
Whom I have slighted, grieved and resisted from my
childhood up to this day, receive me now as your disciple;
guide me, enlighten me, sanctify me.
Make me to know your sevenfold gift -
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
of counsel and of fortitude,
of knowledge and of piety, and of
fear of the Lord.

You who are the Spirit of the Father and the Son;
You who are the love of the Father and the Son;
You who baptise with fire, and shed abroad the love of God,
shed that love into my heart.

One thing I have desired of the Lord,
not wealth, rank, power, worldly happiness, nor any worldly good,
but one spark of that heavenly fire to kindle within me the love of my God.

Holy Spirit,
I give myself to You with all my intellect and with all my heart.
I desire to be bound to You.
For where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
No other liberty is true.
To be Your servant is to be living in the freedom of the sons of God.

Take me, Holy Spirit, take me as your disciple. Be my guide:
wheresoever You lead, I will follow;
whatsoever You forbid, I will renounce;
whatsoever You command, in Your strength I will obey.

Father of the poor, giver of good gifts,
grant the favors I ask in this novena. (Mention petitions here).

Let us pray:
O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant, we beg You, by the same Holy Spirit, to love and relish what is right and evermore to rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen