The Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross (Summary+Review)
Vložit
- čas přidán 25. 02. 2023
- #darknightofthesoul #stjohnofthecross #catholicbookreview
In his book "The Dark Night of the Soul" St. John explains why a period of eg. dryness in prayer might be necessary for the sanctification of an individual.
You can buy the book here: tanbooks.com/products/books/s...
Or on Amazon: amzn.to/3mbmmCk
By using the link above you support my channel as I get paid a small percentage of your purchase. For you the price doesn't change 😊
Support me on Patreon: / biblicalbookworm
Read the book online for free:
English: www.carmelitemonks.org/Vocati...
Listen to the book online for free:
English: • Dark Night Of The Soul...
Rating system:
10/10 breathtaking, must read
9/10 really good
8/10 good
7/10 good (maybe not for everyone)
6/10 and less: I try to read good books lol so that rating should not occur
My Twitter: / biblicalworm
You can contact me here: thebiblicalbookworm@gmail.com
Image source: tanbooks.com/products/books/s...
Greetings from an Indian from uk . God bless
I'm into mental prayer of carmalite rite of catholicism. For me catholicism is a a way of life that lead me to salvation.. its so help ful thank you.. i think john of the cross trying explain the scriptures in a broader sense of spirituality for example: The parable of the sower of seed (Matthew 13: 1-9, 18-23)
God bless you too!
My Dark Night of the Soul started in 2021. It started with a short time of bliss and feeling of unity….to an experience of a Void/Abyss during meditation….after which I felt like the “I” I knew had died.
I, still, to this day, over two years later, can’t “feel my heart.”
I used to get butterflies, the nice warm feeling of love around my heart, etc….nothing but a dull grief.
It’s been beyond trying, I had suicidal ideations over it.
Thank you for sharing your experience! I will pray for you at mass for you today! 🌹
I too will pray for you. We wrestle with forces of evil that know our mind better than we know ourselves- praying your spirit will be strengthened n will recognize the Lord walking with you sooner than later, so you will be released from this anguish
Yvonne how are you feeling now , a month later ?
Weird thing about Dark Night of the soul is usually when people come out of it they feel they have a new lease on life and never go back into it but regrettably I am one of those people who have experienced it ... and then felt the new lease on life where everything really was wonderful and better than ever before ... and then , regrettably gone back into it .
Some have said it is when our spirit is turning away from the material world and we feel dissatisfied with everything and in fact everything keeps bringing us back to a place of pain .
In Hinduism and Buddhism they call it the Dukkha Nanas ... meaning something like knowledge of pain .
I also know what you mean about the heart ... I have been through it myself before ... sometimes it is quite possible that we don't have as much compassion as we thought and believe it or not it can even mean we might have more compassion for others and yet not enough for ourselves ... for example having trouble forgiving ourselves for something .
Some would even tell you that doing yoga for the heart chakra might help and that is possible your energy is blocked there .
I guess I should be taking my own advice but have not been doing yoga in a long time .
I heard years ago a Buddhist teacher say the void cannot work if we don't have compassion ... in other words for the void to work we need to have both compassion and wisdom .
I thought I had compassion but here's the weird thing , in the past 13 years I have not really been able to cry even though a number of very close loved ones passed away and I did start to cry a little bit last year but only for a couple moments .
I know it's not good to not be able to cry and I've met other people who are like this .
I hope you will have a breakthrough and I hope that I come out of it this time for good never to go back .
Yes you are right when you say you feel like part of you died because they do say that it is the ego dying .
I was doing Tulsi powder tea and that was helping for a while and I shouldn't have stopped I guess .
People say it can put joy in the heart in everyday situations and work ... and also help overcome fear .
I know at one point it really did help me with overcoming fear .
Yvonne I would also like to know if you are still meditating ?
Sometimes it is good to take a break from meditation if it feels forced and we don't want to do it ... I heard a Tibetan Buddhist Lama say in those cases it can sometimes create a negative effect .
I would suggest you try what is called Walking meditation ... if you do it indoors you need to have enough space to be able to circumambulate around a room or several rooms .
The only way I have ever learned is walking in a large circle in a large shrine room with other people .
You can have a lit candle and incense if you want and you are supposed to be either barefoot ( I guess if it's cold stocking feet but preferably barefoot . )
And your hands are clasped a specific way over your navel : the right hand is a fist where you have the thumb tucked down in under the other fingers and then the right hand fist goes into the palm of the left while left fingers cover the large Knuckles of the right hand while the left thumb is completely covering where the right thumb is almost like a lid over it ...
Sorry this is hard to explain ... you'll know you're doing it right when the hands feel comfortable together and the middle knuckle of index finger of right hand seems to fit snugly and comfortably in the area where the fleshy part of the left thumb and left index finger meet .
And then you put those clasped hands over your navel in the manner I just described while you are slowly walking at an even pace and you're paying attention to the feeling of your feet on the floor .
Do this for about 10 minutes .
You can sometimes do an hour of this or a half hour and 10 minute increments ... maybe just start out with 10 .
What will happen is someday when you are walking somewhere and maybe bored or miserable , your feet remember the walking meditation somehow and all of a sudden you don't feel bored or miserable but instead you're able to enjoy that moment ... it can even seem wonderful even if you're in a supermarket and you can't stand grocery shopping .
I heard there is also faster walking meditation ... and even running meditation but I don't know if the hands are supposed to be clasped over the naval with the running or not .
Sorry this is very long but I hope you will see it .
Great recommendation; thank you! I was reading about St. John of the Cross last week and came across this quote from an audience of Pope Benedict's: "His life was hard, yet it was precisely during the months he spent in prison that he wrote one of his most beautiful works. And so we can understand that the journey with Christ, travelling with Christ, “the Way”, is not an additional burden in our life. It is not something that would make our burden even heavier, but something quite different. It is a light, a power that helps us to bear it."
Thank you for sharing!
Wow. That whole list of the Imperfections of Beginners resonated with me. Check mark on each one. No signs of the dark night yet but I recognize that I'm dependent on the consolations is receive from prayer. To have that cut off...💔
"God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear." (1st Corinthians 10:13)
Dear young lady, danke for such in depth teaching on St John of the Cross teaching on the Dark Night of the Soul! Brilliant and well said. God bless you and May our Lord Jesus Crucified and Risen bless your endeavors of true Catholic Faith. Deo Gratias..from Columbus, Ohio. August 4, 2023
Thank you for this kind comment! God bless you too Ms. Mauricio!
Thanks for the review and your thorough Ness. 😊
Sometimes people can have depression due to physical illness, causing them to feel abandoned and alone
It is a masterpiece, for high level complentative ascetics but written with so much love and care that it can be helpful for anyone wanting to understand their relationship with Christ. I was shocked that it was a clarification from a poem.
Perfect summary of the book.
Thank you!
God would not deprive you of anything. You are the only one capable of that. "The secret of salvation is but this; you are doing it unto yourself."
We can believe that God is always giving us consolation. God would reduce the amount of consolation he is giving us so that we grow up and develop a more mature, better relationship with him.
In this way God is being even more generous to us, giving us a bigger share in his divine life.
Thank you, great summary. I read it many years ago, and you've inspired me to re-read it. Perfect Lenten reading :) God bless.
God bless you too!
Whooa thanks I'm having a tough time after being baptized! I don't feel so lonely now , I'm just going to keep pushing forward!
How long have you been baptized for?
@@BiblicalBookworm this Easter, i thought it would be a great experience but I feel emptied, very strange feeling .
@@changedlife1904 Welcome to the Catholic Church!
I'm sorry to hear that you feel emptied. This is likely a temptation (actually similar to the one described in this video).
The sun will shine again for you! ☀
@@BiblicalBookworm yes i feel better actually lasted about a week , it's just a different feeling I've never felt , ☺
@@BiblicalBookworm hey, so much has changed I told you how I felt totally emptied and felt real sad after baptisim , now I am getting filled by the holy spirit and full of joy it's not happiness, such a great feel , I really thought being baptized ripped my personality out I was wrong , anyways just wanted to let you know my journey ☺ hope to hear another book drop soon
Thank you I just went through the dark night of the soul / Spirit… although I cannot join our Holy Father until my time I am more excited now to reveal His kingdom here
I read this and the ascent of mount carmel when I had entered my own dark night of the soul. It was as if God was trying to show me what was happening in my life and without those books I think I might've become discouraged, confused and lost my faith. It was heavy, on the outside it seemed like nothing was happening but internally I felt like I was going through some sort of spiritual death. Its hard to describe..........all I know is God brought me through something that needed to happen and now I feel this detachment from the world, in that I no longer feel under its control in any way shape or form. If I lost everything I had and if everyone I know turned on me and wanted nothing to do with me, I'd be fine. Anyway, you should do a review on "The interior castle" by St. Theresa of Avila. Its very much along the lines of the dark night of the soul. Its is an incredible book.
Thank you for sharing your experience! 🙏
Sehr gut! It was already on my reading list. Now I bumped it up a few places 🙂
💯
Dark side's coming, now nothing is real
She'll never know just how I feel
From out of the shadows, she walks like a dream
Make me feel crazy, make me feel so mean
Ain't nothin' gonna save ya from a love that's blind
Slip through the dark side and cross that line" John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band Lyrics
great channel. Love the persistence and consistency. will have to take time and go thru all the videos. Not enough religious book material out there.
😊😊😊
Just found your channel. Love it! Thank you for sharing what God has given you. This is so powerful. Bless you for all you do!
God bless you too!
It feels like a forever punishment for the sins I've never committed ...
I'm very sorry to hear that this is your impression! You can always offer up your suffering - this way it becomes valuable also for the souls of other people.
Just found your channel. I’m a reader so was very excited to see your content. I’ve subbed & looking forward to bingeing your videos.
Welcome! 🤗
Thank you for your explanation. I am going through a difficult time and this helps!
You're welcome! I'm happy that it helps! 😊🌷
Thank you. Enjoyed your review.
Glad it was helpful!
Yes, I’m going through that.
🙏
Great book review Elizabeth thank you for sharing God bless you 🙏
God bless you too! 🙏
@@BiblicalBookworm Thank you Elizabeth 😊
I thank Nick from India also.
I love her book reviews but I don’t hear well.
But this video with the new microphone made all the difference
Thanks again for your kindness and generosity
Let's pray for Nick 🙏
I ordered this book , whoa , so much wisdom I love it ☺
Awesome! Let me know if you like it!
@@BiblicalBookworm 👍
@biblical Bookworm- I love you reviews, but have you ever reviewed Introduction to the Devout Life? By Saint Francis De Sales?
Yes, it was my very first video 😊czcams.com/video/Jrf97R-rR6Q/video.html
@@BiblicalBookworm Thank you! :)
Good vid thankyou. Most vids on this are for me, only in name.
Glad you liked the video!
my faith has become like the carrot on the stick. i'll never reach that carrot no matter how long the road. then nothing is fine the promises are for others not me perhaps i've disqualified myself or am a fake all along. either way no more ambition work eat sleep repeat and die thats fine. its not what one expected though.
"(Hey God!)
Why are you doing this to me?
Am I not living up to what I'm supposed to be?
Why am I seething with this animosity?
(Hey God!)
I think you owe me a great big apology
(Hey God!)
There's nothing left for me to hide (left for me to hide)
I lost my ignorance, security, and pride
I'm all alone in a world you must despise
(Hey God!)
I believed your promises," Nine inch nails
Thank you for sharing these sad yet beautiful thoughts. I hope that one day you'll be able to see the roses again and that your view won't be forever limited to their thorns. 🌹
Did you read The Ascent of Mount Carmel before reading Dark Night? I have attempted to read both but I struggle with reading St. John. Not because I don't have devotion to him, because I do. Maybe I'm just not advanced enough spiritually or mentally. Anyway, this video has inspired me to retry reading my old copy of the Dark Night of the Soul. Wish me luck! By the way, what translation did you read?
I "read" the audiobook version on CZcams
I've always heard reading him in the original Spanish is superior to translation. Makes me want to brush up on my readable Spanish.
Thanks.
May I ask you, how is it that your english is so fluent and well-pronounced, taking into account that u're native Austrian?
Thank you for the compliment. Honestly, that came from listening to Catholic audiobooks in Englisch 🙃
Wie bist du imstand, so viele Bücher zu lesen?! Bist du einer super schneller Leser? (Es tut mir leid, falls ich grammatische Fehlern mache - es ist nicht mehr oft, dass ich Deutsch verwenden)
Ich lese meine Bücher als Hörbücher mit 2-3.5 facher Geschwindigkeit
@@BiblicalBookworm Ach so! Jetzt verstehe ich ;D
Dark Night is a hard one to read. After considering what John's spirituality is about - about detachment, getting rid of pleasures - all the rest of (recent) spiritual literature seems to be light in comparison to it, I would dare say leading towards broad path..
It's not easy to figure out that the detachment embraces all the levels of our lives. Even what is not bad in itself - keeping friendships, listening to music, savoring food, talking about platitudes, using cosmetics.. all our hobbys
Benedictine rules seems to me more grounded as for a lay person. There is more leeway, there's no talk about detachment but just keeping strict rules (which in a sense also means detachment).
You, having read mamy books, can u keep all the saints teachings/qoutes/rules in balance, not to find yourself scrupulous and confused? ;)
Hmmmm, in my opinion all saints teach the same core teachings, they just "clothe" them differently. But of course everyone has preferred authors!
And regarding the last question: a) confusion: I read books to eliminate confusion and answer my questions and of course the more I read the more questions arise but then I just read even more 🙃 b) scrupulosity: as scrupulosity is a temptation it's a supernatural phenomenon and so I'd say that it can't be *directly* caused by natural reasons. God will not tempt us beyond what we can suffer (1st Corinthians 10:13)
Trudny temat. Czytałem "Drogę na Górę Karmel". Dla wytrwałych.
"Droga na Gore Karmel" bedzie video za tydzien 🙃
How do you defend your catholic faith? Why do you think it is meaningful than our christian denominations?
Fr. Mike made a short and very popular video about this. Maybe that's a helpful answer for you: czcams.com/video/jJCbCs-y1_k/video.html
This book blew me away, and it stays with you. I heard someone sum the book in one sentence, because a lot of people don't understand it after they read it; "God taking away." St John is the Doctor of Detachment. This book from Spain is said to be even more poetic in its own language. I read this book, The Story of a Soul, and The Interior Castles in order, that was a rewarding experience. Dark Knight might be the best book by a Saint so far, The letters of Saint Jerome are amazing. St Jerome is kinda my guy. To think this book taps into God himself stays with you. It's a masterpiece; St John died in his forties and never got to write his last book which left so many wondering. Maybe a last lesson from him and God on "Taking Away."
Great video thanks Bookworm! 😃
Thank for sharing your thoughts! I'm happy that you liked the video 😃
What's your thoughts on the Immatation of Christ?
I already made a video about it: czcams.com/video/5mZpN90XMew/video.html 😊
@@BiblicalBookworm Great I will watch it thanks 👍
I am currently reading it. I can’t stop reading it