[1] The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) describes spiritual dryness as a difficulty sometimes experienced in one's prayer life, which may lead to discouragement.
Dryness can expose a lack of "rootedness" in the faith, but also provides an opportunity to cling more strongly to God.
The CCC makes reference to the seed that fell on the rocks in Parable of the Sower, as well as to the Grain of Wheat allegory found in the Gospel of John.
"[1] The theme of spiritual dryness can be found in the Book of Job, the Psalms, the experiences of the Prophets, and many passages of the New Testament, as illustrated above.
In the 16th century, Saint John of the Cross famously described it as "the Dark Night of the Soul".