The Beginning of the Dark Night
"One dark night, fired with love's urgent longings—ah, the sheer grace!—I went out unseen, my house being now all stilled."
St. John of the Cross describes the soul's journey to God as passing through a "dark night." This darkness is not punishment but purification—God's way of freeing us from attachments that keep us from Him.
The dark night begins when God withdraws the consolations we once felt in prayer. What once brought joy now feels dry and empty. This is disorienting but necessary.
God does this not to abandon us but to draw us deeper. He wants us to love Him for Himself, not for the good feelings He gives. The darkness purifies our motives.
St. John writes: "God perceives the imperfections within us, and because of His love for us, urges us to grow up... His love is not content to leave us in our weakness."
đź“– Scripture
Psalm 139:12 - "Even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you."
🙏 Prayer
Lord, when prayer feels dry and You seem distant, help me to trust that You are still at work. Purify my heart of all that is not of You. May I seek You alone, not Your consolations. Amen.