CARMELITE QUOTE

Photo:R.Massaro(c)2013SpiritSinging

St. Alphonsus  Church Peru, Ohio

St. John of the Cross:

It is enough to have referred to the many imperfections of those who live in this beginner's state to see their need for God to put them into the state of proficients. He does this by introducing them into the dark night, of which we will now speak. There, through pure dryness and interior darkness, he weans them from the breasts of these gratifications and delights, takes away all these trivialities and childish ways, and makes them acquire the virtues by very different means. No matter how earnestly beginners in all their actions and passions practice the mortification of self, they will never be able to do so entirely--far from it--until God accomplishes it in them passively by means of the purgation of this night. May God be pleased to give me his divine light that I may say something worthwhile about this subject, for in a night so dark and a matter so difficult to treat and expound, his enlightenment is very necessary.
The Dark Night BK.1 Chap. 7, No. 5, The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross translated by Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD





Music: Loreena McKennitt, Dark Night of the Soul from the Mask and Mirror
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Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, OCDS

SPIRITUAL LIFE DICTIONARY

TODAY'S TERM: STAUROPHOBIA

Photo: R. Massaro: Dominican Sisters of St. Cecelia Motherhouse Nashville, TN

Does this term have you puzzled?  You are not alone.  Until recently, I had never heard the term before.  This word describes one who has a fear of the cross, a crucifix, or cross-shaped objects.  Very interesting, indeed, when discussing the spiritual life.

While meditating on this subject, I immediately thought of one who is fearful of the cross: Satan. I'm sure we have all seen some image from a movie in which the priest confronts the evil spirit or demon with the Cross. Leaving Hollywood aside for a moment, let's bring this fear of the cross into our discussion of our spiritual life.

 Do you know someone who is very fearful of bearing one's cross in life?  Do you know someone who tries to avoid any pain and suffering at all costs? Do they complain at the least sign of discomfort?  Sometimes, as Christians, we are all about following the Lord wherever he leads, until it comes to the Calvary of our life, where we are called to die with Christ to our very self.  Although this death is a frightening prospect to most of us, we can be assured that someone will remain with us at the foot of our cross in life: our Blessed Mother. As Mother of the Church, she cares for each member. She will not abandon us or forsake us in our hour of need.  Let us remember to call upon her when the cross in our life seems too heavy to bear. Her prayers will give us courage and hope to remain faithful to the end.

As Secular Carmelites, we are called to prayer.  If we have remained faithful to prayer, we know that prayer brings the gift of peace.  This is the peace of heart, soul, and mind, that no man can impart to us. It is a pure gift from the Holy Spirit. Prayer strengthens us for service and strengthens us to accept the cross in our life each day.  When we are strengthened by prayer, we are given another gift of the Holy Spirit: Courage!  In this state of soul, we not only accept the cross, but embrace it in imitation of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  When we arm ourselves with these holy garments of virtue, we are becoming like the saints who willingly proclaimed Jesus as Lord, despite threats of torture and death.

St. John of the Cross teaches us to prepare for death by detachment from the pleasure of the senses and spiritual consolations. His "nada" spirituality leads the soul to desire Jesus Christ alone by way of the dark night of faith and embracing the cross. Many saints have gone through the dark night of the soul, however, even during this time of deep purification they remained faithful to Christ and were able to suffer with great joy.

As Secular Carmelites, let us look to our Holy Father, St. John of the Cross, a lover of the Cross, for inspiration and direction. He, along with St. Teresa of Jesus and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, will lead us safely through the dark night to purity of heart and perfect charity, where there is no fear.

Love has no room for fear;rather, perfect love casts out all fear. And since fear has to do with punishment, love is not yet perfect in one who is afraid. (I John 4:18)











Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, O.C.D.S.

Spiritual Direction with St. John of the Cross

From the Dark Night, Chapter 16, No. 1:

We already said that the darkness the soul mentions here relates to the sensory, the interior, and the spiritual appetites and faculties, because this night darkens their natural light so that through the purgation of this light they may be illumined supernaturally. It puts the sensory and spiritual appetites to sleep, deadens them, and deprives them of the ability to find pleasure in anything. It binds the imagination and impedes it from doing any good discursive work. It makes the memory cease, the intellect become dark and unable to understand anything, and hence it causes the will also to become arid and constrained, and all the faculties empty and useless. And over all this hangs a dense and burdensome cloud that afflicts the soul and keeps it withdrawn from God. As a result the soul asserts that in darkness it walks securely.


Does this description of a soul in deep purification by God frighten you?  It appears to be a paragraph full of negatives.  However, those of us in Carmel know that the teachings of St. John are not filled with doom and gloom. They are words of wisdom filled with light and beauty.

The soul described here is being led from attachment to pleasure of the senses and the pleasure and delight that come from spiritual consolations. One who is suffering through this dark night is a blessed soul indeed.  You may ask, "How can one who suffers darkness, dryness, and spiritual abandonment be so blessed?" If you suffer these things, be mindful of our Lord's words: "Many are called, but few are chosen."  Yes, indeed, we only need to look at our society and see that few indeed are chosen to follow Him in intimate friendship and spiritual union, yes, even to the heights of spiritual marriage.

This purification involves all of the powers of the soul: the intellect, the memory, the will.  We can read in this passage that the intellect becomes unable to understand anything and the memory ceases to function! What is happening? The poor frightened soul experiencing this spiritual purification may run to their doctor and say, "I'm getting Alzheimer's!"  It will take a wise and knowledgeable spiritual director to help the soul through this purification.

How do we know one is experiencing a true "dark night?" Many spiritual people love to call any inconvenience or trial a "dark night."  A person in a divinely led dark night will remain faithful to their Catholic faith.  Nothing, not even the gates of this living hell of purification will separate them from being faithful to the Church and their vocation in life. They will remain faithful to prayer, no matter how difficult it becomes.

Another genuine sign one is experiencing a true dark night is that no one around this person will know about it!  Wow! Go figure!  How is that possible?  Haven't we encountered spiritual people who are quick to tell us about every spiritual ache and pain they suffer. We only need to look at the lives of the saints to understand the life of one living in a true dark night. St. Therese is one example.  Many people do not know that she suffered a frightful trial of faith many years before she died. She was so petrified of losing her faith and knowledge of heaven that she wrote the Creed with her own blood; her small effort to show herself and God that she was living by faith and love alone.

Another example in our time is that of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.  A book was written recently, detailing her spiritual dark night that lasted for years upon years.  And who would have known?  She exuded love and peace to all she met. Yet, she traveled this dark night alone in her heart, yet not alone, for she was led by the One whom we know loves us, as St. Teresa would say.  This was not hypocrisy on her part as some have claimed.  This is a true Christian embracing the cross of her spouse in an intimate union of mystery that we should not even try to comprehend. This secret and hidden love between the soul and the Bridegroom is not to be shared. She did not reveal the "secrets of the King."  This love of the soul and the Bridegroom reflects the love between Jesus and the Father. A mystery we will never comprehend.

In this year of faith, let us keep in mind this teaching of St. John of the Cross. The dark night is full of light, because we are led by faith alone.  If we suffer dryness and feelings of being abandoned by God, do not lose heart. He is beginning a good work in us that He will see through to completion. Are we willing and trustful enough to be led by the hand through the dark night of this earthly life?


One Dark Night,
fired with love's urgent longings
--ah, the sheer grace!--
I went out unseen,
my house being now all stilled.
Excerpt from the poem "The Dark Night"
by St. John of the Cross

Let us pray for each other.


Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds

CARMELITE QUOTE

Some souls--or their confessors--may think that God is leading them along this road of the dark night of spiritual purgation, but perhaps this will not be so. What they suffer will be due to one of these deficiencies. Likewise, many individuals think they are not praying when, indeed, their prayer is deep. Others place high value on their prayer while it amounts to little more than nothing.

Some people--and it is sad to see them--work and tire themselves greatly, and yet go backward; they look for progress in what brings no progress but instead hinders them. Others, in peace and tranquility, continue to advance well. Some others let themselves be encumbered by the very consolations and favors God bestows on them for the sake of their advancing, and they advance not at all.

The Ascent of Mount Carmel, Prologue, No. 6 & 7

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds

Spiritual Direction with St. John of the Cross

(speaking of humble souls)

They rejoice when others receive praise, and their only sorrow is that they do not serve God as others do. Because they consider their deeds insignificant, they do not want to make them known. They are even ashamed to speak of them to their spiritual director because they think these deeds are not worth mentioning. They are more eager to speak of their faults and sins, and reveal these to others, than of their virtues. They have an inclination to seek direction from one who will have less esteem for their spirit and deeds. Such is the characteristic of a pure and simple and true spirit, one very pleasing to God. Since the wise spirit of God dwells within these humble souls, he moves them to keep these treasures hidden, and to manifest only their faults. God gives this grace to the humble, together with other virtues, just as he denies it to the proud.

Yet I believe very few souls are so perfect in the beginning. We would be happy enough if they manged not to fall into these imperfections of pride. As we will point out later, then, God places these souls in the dark night so as to purify them of these imperfections and make them advance.

The Dark Night, Bk. I, Chapter 2-3

Let us pray that we as Secular Carmelites imitate the humility of the Virgin Mary who praised God for the great things he had done for her, his lowly handmaid. Let us strive to give God the glory for any good we possess. Let us refrain from boasting about our spiritual gifts or graces that we receive. Let us imitate St. Therese, the Little Flower, who kept her good works and sufferings hidden in her heart, where God alone could be witness to it.

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, OCDS

___________________

Carmelite Quote

St. John of the Cross: 
Dark Night of the Soul

Because of the strong desire of many beginners for spiritual gratification, they usually have many imperfections of anger...Among these spiritual persons there are also those who fall into another kind of spiritual anger. Through a certain indiscreet zeal they become angry over the sins of others, reprove these others, and sometimes even feel the impulse to do so angrily, 
which in fact they occasionally do, setting themselves up as lords of virtue. All such conduct is contrary to spiritual meekness.

Others, in becoming aware of their own imperfections, grow angry with themselves in an unhumble impatience. So impatient are they about these imperfections that they want to become saints in a day. Many of these beginners make numerous plans and great resolutions, but since they are not humble and have no distrust of themselves, the more resolves they make the more they break, and the greater becomes their anger. They do not have the patience to wait until God gives them what they need, when he so desires. Their attitude is contrary to spiritual meekness and can only be remedied by the purgation of the dark night.

The Dark Night, Chap. 5, 1,3

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, OCDS