Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross
This was some very condensed reading. St. John of the Cross was a Carmelite monk in the 1500's who wrote a poem called The Stainzas of the Soul. This book was the actual poem broken down into 8 sections. The Saint then went on to expound on what each of those stanzas meant to him personally, and why he said those words in his poem.
My favorite stanza was the first one:
On a dark night, kindled in love with yearnings— oh happy chance! —
I went forth without being observed, ng house being now at rest.
St. John of the Cross went on to explain that the Dark Night is the period of what he termed the purgation of our souls to become more spiritual. This resonated me because I distinctly remember my darkest moment, and how I feel that God used it as a time to begin to purge my soul of my own impurities. Very- similar to the first step of A.A., admitting that I have a problem. Kindled in love, happy chance speaks to me about how blessed I feel for the way I now see the world. Going forth without being observed reminds me of corning to the realization that, ultimately, each of us have to make this journey on our own. Although. there are people to help guide and support us along the way, each of us is solely responsible for our own individual choices along the way. My house being now at rest speaks to the sense of peace in my life since I have started my quest for redemption.
It is so very interesting to see the intimate thoughts of some very intelligent and spiritual people who have made the journey hundreds of years before me and the struggles they had to endure. Through this realization, I have found renewed inspiration for my own long path ahead.
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