May 19th, 2021
by Kevin Benton
by Kevin Benton
A soul which is deep in prayer may experience profound temptations and find itself powerless to prevent them…. This happens from one of three causes.
The first cause is the physical pleasure the body takes in spiritual things.
The second cause is the devil.
The third cause is an inordinate fear of impure thoughts.
When the soul enters into the dark night, all these things are put under control. The flesh will be quieted, the devil will be silent, and the fear will subside, all because of the fact that God takes away all of the sensory pleasure, and the soul is purified in the absence of it.
When their delight comes to an end, these persons are very anxious and frustrated just as an infant is angry when it is taken away from its mother’s breast.
(St. John of the Cross, excerpts from The Dark Night of the Soul)
The first cause is the physical pleasure the body takes in spiritual things.
The second cause is the devil.
The third cause is an inordinate fear of impure thoughts.
When the soul enters into the dark night, all these things are put under control. The flesh will be quieted, the devil will be silent, and the fear will subside, all because of the fact that God takes away all of the sensory pleasure, and the soul is purified in the absence of it.
When their delight comes to an end, these persons are very anxious and frustrated just as an infant is angry when it is taken away from its mother’s breast.
(St. John of the Cross, excerpts from The Dark Night of the Soul)
1 Comment
Amen!