Thursday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

 

A dark night of the soul is a time of dryness in the spiritual life where we do not feel God’s presence. Colloquially it is known as any time of doubt or despair in our lives where we question the important things we value. St. John of the Cross is our guide for today. He knew this dark night very well. He lived in a time and place where the Church was divided against itself. At times Christians treat certain people poorly because they don’t understand them. As a Church, we must atone for these sins against our neighbor. John of the Cross worked with Theresa of Avila to reform the Carmelite Order in Spain. When John made a trip to Toledo to a Carmelite friary, he was taken prisoner by the friars there and subjected to nine months of imprisonment and all forms of abuse. Eventually he escaped and continued his work for reform.

He wrote a poem called the Dark Night of the Soul. You would think he was writing about his time in prison. Actually, he wrote about the times when God retracts his presence in order to help the soul grow in faith. There is the dark night of the senses where we don’t feel that presence and the dark night of the spirit, where we find no spiritual delight. John taught that we must trust in these times, and not give up on faith when we feel left alone by God. Let St. John’s words speak to you.

“One dark night,

Fired by love’s urgent longings,

Ah, the sheer grace!

I went out unseen,

My house being now completely still,

Leaving all my cares forgotten among the lilies.”[4]

St. John of the Cross, pray for us. Amen.

Reflection by Br. Matthew Marie, OSB

 


[4] The Dark Night, The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, pg. 358-359.