Season 2. Ep 49. The Dark Nights

“On a dark night, Kindled in love with yearnings—oh, happy chance!— I went forth without being observed, My house being now at rest” These beautiful words, the first line of the poem, “The Dark Night of the Soul”, invite use deeper into the mystery of God’s love for each of us. This episode of Physically Spiritual will explore the Dark Nights.

Video Version

Audio Version

Timestamps

3:15 The Dark Night of the Soul

4:00 St. John of the Cross

7:15 John’s Writings

9:00 The Poetry

10:15 The Dark Nights

11:15 The Active Night of Sense

15:00 The Passive Nights

17:15 Contemplative Aridity

23:00 Dark Nights v. Darkness from Sin

25:30 Dark Nights v. Spiritual Desolation

32:15 Dark Nights v. Psychological Distress

Notes

St. John of the Cross - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_of_the_Cross

The Writings of St. John of the Cross - https://ccel.org/ccel/john_cross

STANZAS OF THE SOUL - https://ccel.org/ccel/john_cross/dark_night/dark_night.vi.html

1. On a dark night, Kindled in love with yearnings—oh, happy chance!—

I went forth without being observed, My house being now at rest.

2. In darkness and secure, By the secret ladder, disguised—oh, happy chance!—

In darkness and in concealment, My house being now at rest.

3. In the happy night, In secret, when none saw me,

Nor I beheld aught, Without light or guide, save that which burned in my heart.

Active Night of Sense

1. “We may say that there are three reasons for which this journey made by the soul to union with God is called night. The first has to do with the point from which the soul goes forth, for it has gradually to deprive itself of desire for all the worldly things which it possessed, by denying them to itself; the which denial and deprivation are, as it were, night to all the senses of man.

2. The second reason has to do with the mean, or the road along which the soul must travel to this union — that is, faith, which is likewise as dark as night to the understanding. 

3. The third has to do with the point to which it travels — namely, God, Who, equally, is dark night to the soul in this life. These three nights must pass through the soul — or, rather, the soul must pass through them — in order that it may come to Divine union with God.” https://ccel.org/ccel/john_cross/ascent/ascent.iv.iii.html

Passive Nights - The Dark Night of the Senses & The Dark Night of the Spirit

“For, however dark a night may be, something can always be seen, but in true darkness nothing can be seen; and thus in the night of sense there still remains some light, for the understanding and reason remain, and are not blinded. But this spiritual night, which is faith, deprives the soul of everything, both as to understanding and as to sense.” https://ccel.org/ccel/john_cross/ascent/ascent.v.i.html

The Stages of the Spiritual Life - “The Map” | Physically Spiritual S2 E9 - https://www.becominggift.com/post/the-map

Contemplative Aridity

“THIS night, which, as we say, is contemplation, produces in spiritual persons two kinds of darkness or purgation, corresponding to the two parts of man’s nature—namely, the sensual and the spiritual. And thus the one night or purgation will be sensual, wherein the soul is purged according to sense, which is subdued to the spirit; and the other is a night or purgation which is spiritual, wherein the soul is purged and stripped according to the spirit, and subdued and made ready for the union of love with God.” - https://ccel.org/ccel/john_cross/dark_night/dark_night.vii.viii.html

Spiritual Desolation - “The Discernment of Spirits” | Physically Spiritual S2 E18 - https://www.becominggift.com/post/discernment-of-spirits

Grave Sins (see minute 30) - “Confession” | Physically Spiritual S2 E14 - https://www.becominggift.com/post/confession

Dark Night v. Psychological Distress -  Fr. Thomas Dubay S.M., Fire Within, p. 163 - https://www.ignatius.com/Fire-Within-P883.aspx