St.John of the Cross,The Dark Night of the Soul

                                     St.John of the Cross(1542-1591)

 

St. John of the Cross is known in Christian circles as a great mystic and an author of mystical works. As a companion and counselor of St.Teresa of Avila, he grew in mystical experience and became a founder of a new order of Carmelite spirituality. Even as a young friar, he caught the attention of St.Teresa of Avila because of his theological knowledge, deep attachment to Jesus, and mystical experiences. Surprisingly, in the 20th century, he had another great disciple and fan in the US. , T.S. Eliot, the father of modern English poetry. T.S. Eliot passed through very dark experiences as a Christian and St. John of the Cross and his works became a source of comfort and strength for him. The following quote from East Coker in the Four Quartets shows the profound influence of John of the Cross on his life :

“You say I am repeating

Something I have said before. I shall say it again.

Shall I say it again? In order to arrive there,

To arrive where you are, to get from where you are not,

    You must go by a way wherein there is no ecstasy.

In order to arrive at what you do not know

    You must go by a way which is the way of ignorance.

In order to possess what you do not possess

    You must go by the way of dispossession.

In order to arrive at what you are not

    You must go through the way in which you are not.

And what you do not know is the only thing you know

And what you own is what you do not own

And where you are is where you are not.”

It is very easy to see that T.S.Eliot is expatiating upon the theme of detachment enunciated by St.John of the Cross in the following lines from The Ascent to Mount Carmel:

“In order to arrive at that which thou knowest not,
Thou must go by a way which thou knowest not,
In order to arrive at that which thou possessest not,
Thou must go by a way that thou possessest not.
In order to arrive at that which thou are not,
Thou must go through that which thou art not.

(“The Ascent of Mount Carmel” I, xiii)

Reading the biography of St.John of the Cross is excruciatingly painful. Although his father belonged to the nobility, he was disinherited on account of marriage to a lady from a poor background. The father left his hometown to live at his wife’s place. John’s father passed away when he was very young. His mother took the children to their ancestral place but the family was not welcoming. She then left the place and got John admitted to an orphanage. However, through his studiousness, others noted him, and he was appointed as a caretaker of an infirmary. He was very kind to the patients and took care of their needs. His education was taken care of by a kind gentleman. He helped him to join a college nearby and after his studies, John decided to join the Carmelite monastery. There he developed a great thirst for holiness and lived a rigorous ascetic life. It was there that he came into contact with St.Teresa of Avila. Although he was young, St.Teresa chose him as her confessor and of other sisters of her convent as she was drawn by his scholarship and deep attachment to Christ. He became a part of the Reform movement started by St.Teresa in the Carmelite monastic system. John was entrusted with creating the reform for monks and encouraged to start monasteries for them. The new monks and sisters in the new movement began to be known as discalced Carmelites.

Many of the monks in the monasteries that followed the traditional system did not like the initiative of St.John and hence they imprisoned him in a room with no convenience, as a prisoner, for almost six months. He had to endure their insults, punishments, and all kinds of inhuman treatment. He lived like a condemned prisoner in a prison-like cell. He suffered all these inhuman treatments because of his thirst for a pure and more authentic monastic life. He escaped from the prison after six months and ran away to a distant place as he was afraid he would be caught and punished again. With the help of St. Teresa of Avila, he continued his ministry of being a spiritual father and confessor to the sisters of the new movement. In the end, he died in a monastery where the superior was very antagonistic to him. With a lot of pain on account of his breathing problems and skin blisters,  he breathed his last.

When we look at his life, we become amazed at the suffering he endured just because he wanted to be a holy priest. He was compassionate to the poor, the sick, and the suffering and whenever it was possible he spent his time caring for the sick. He knew that he had to help his mother and brothers as they were still not financially successful. He got a chance to visit his mother only a couple of times. He couldn’t be present at the deathbed of his beloved mother when she breathed her last.

It is  in these dark moments of his life that he composed his beautiful poem,The Dark Night of the Soul, explaining in allegorical images the comfort and solace one gets in union with Jesus. One has to pass through the dark night, through a life of detachment, through the world of suffering and hardship ,to  reach this state of perfect bliss with Jesus.

                                    The Dark Night of the Soul

In a dark night,

With anxious love inflamed,

O, happy lot!

Forth unobserved I went,

My house being now at rest.

II.

In darkness and in safety,

By the secret ladder, disguised,

O, happy lot!

In darkness and concealment,

My house being now at rest.

III.

In that happy night,

In secret, seen of none,

Seeing nought myself,

Without other light or guide

Save that which in my heart was burning.

IV.

That light guided me

More surely than the noonday sun

To the place where He was waiting for me,

Whom I knew well,

And where none appeared.

V.

O, guiding night;

O, night more lovely than the dawn;

O, night that hast united

The lover with His beloved,

And changed her into her love.

VI.

On my flowery bosom,

Kept whole for Him alone,

There He reposed and slept;

And I cherished Him, and the waving

Of the cedars fanned Him.

VII.

As His hair floated in the breeze

That from the turret blew,

He struck me on the neck

With His gentle hand,

And all sensation left me.

VIII.

I continued in oblivion lost,

My head was resting on my love;

Lost to all things and myself,

And, amid the lilies forgotten,

Threw all my cares away.

o

 

SSt.John gives a detailed exposition of the meaning of the Dark Night in his commentary, Ascent to Mt.Carmel.

   What this poem tells an ordinary person is that the soul is searching for union with Christ and when it becomes united with Jesus, it experiences unbounded bliss. Everyone who goes through suffering and purification of senses and of spirit in his holy pilgrimage to Jesus, finds in the end this happy union that takes away all the pain of suffering and purifications.

  This poem is thus a source of consolation to all those who suffer on account of their attachment to Jesus.

  The following  quote from John of the Cross is a source of great comfort and peace:

“   "In the twilight of life, God will not judge us  on our earthly possessions and human successes, but on how well  we have loved.”

 

 

Hope, the Autobiography of Pope Francis

 

Hope

The Autobiography of Pope Francis

Hope, the autobiography of Pope Francis, written in collaboration with Carlo Musso, is a remarkable work that offers a penetrating glimpse into the various phases of his life. In this book, he concisely presents the experiences and influences that have shaped his thoughts and spiritual journey. With great clarity—while avoiding the usual verbosity associated with theological works—he narrates the struggles and hardships his parents and grandparents faced while settling in Argentina to start a new life.

A particularly poignant reference is made to a shipwreck that, by the grace of God, ultimately saved his family—including his father, who was just a toddler at the time. His grandparents were supposed to board the ill-fated ship but, due to unforeseen inconveniences, were unable to do so at the last minute. That very ship tragically sank, and all its passengers perished. Pope Francis reflects that had his family boarded it, he would not be here today. The book vividly describes the many struggles his family endured in their efforts to establish themselves in Argentina.

A turning point in his life came during a casual visit to a church while running an errand for his mother. An encounter with a priest and the sacrament of confession deeply moved him, igniting within him a desire to pursue the priesthood. At the time, his mother believed he would study medicine, as he had majored in Chemistry.

The book also articulates many of the key thoughts and reflections Pope Francis has expressed in his encyclicals and exhortations. In the chapter Like the Branch of the Almond Tree, he draws an analogy between the advent of spring and his own spiritual rebirth. He encourages believers not to be imprisoned by their sins and failures but to embrace repentance and renewal:

"We must put our faith in God and in His mercy, which has the power to transform us… We don’t remain imprisoned in our past, whatever it may be, but we start to see the present in another way."

Regarding the liturgy, he emphasizes its pastoral dimension:

"The liturgy can't be a rite that is an end in itself, detached from pastoral considerations. The liturgy is an encounter, and it is a new start toward others. Christians are not those who go backward. The flow of history and grace moves like the sap of a tree that bears fruit… Tradition means moving forward… The Church is certainly not an orchestra in which everyone plays the same note, but one in which each person follows their score—and it is precisely that which creates harmony. Aspiring to unity does not mean uniformity."

In the chapter All Out and All In, he further expands on his vision of the Church:

"The Church is not a court; it is not a place for coteries, favoritism, or machinations, nor is it the last European court of an absolute monarchy. Synodality is not a fashion or a slogan to be exploited. It is a way of listening to one another… It is not about collecting opinions or conducting surveys but about journeying together and being attentive to the movement of the Spirit."

This book is rich with anecdotes, reflections on immigration challenges, and profound spiritual insights. Like the Journal of Pope John XXIII, it serves as a spiritual handbook—one that is inspirational, transformative, and deeply nourishing to the soul.

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Conclave, the movie

The movie Conclave is a blatant and unashamed mockery of one of the most sacred assemblies in the Catholic Church—the gathering of Cardinals to elect a Pope. Though the producers claim that the film is fictional and not intended to antagonize any religious denomination, it is, in reality, a direct attack on the Church. The very use of Catholic imagery, prayers, and rituals demonstrates that this film deliberately targets Catholics, as no other religious group holds a conclave to elect a Pope.

The film portrays the papal election process in a highly distorted and offensive manner, depicting the Cardinals as engaged in bitter power struggles rather than a prayerful and solemn discernment of God’s will. The introduction of a fictional Afghan Cardinal, to whom they ascribe radical liberal views, serves as a vehicle for imposing modern ideological narratives onto the Church. The climax of the film—where, after failing to find a suitable candidate, the Cardinals elect the Afghan Cardinal, only to later discover that he is a transgender individual—reduces the sacred process to a crude satire. This is nothing short of a direct and malicious attack on the Church’s most revered traditions.

Would such a film ever be made about the election of a successor to a spiritual leader in Iran or another Islamic authority? It would neither gain funding nor find a theater willing to screen it. Yet, when the target is the Catholic Church, such an offensive portrayal is not only tolerated but even celebrated—evidenced by its nomination for an Oscar. This is a scurrilous and disgraceful attempt to tarnish the Church’s image under the guise of fiction.

Inter-Church Council meeting on Jan.28,2025

 Although the attendance was low, the participation was intense and the bishops discussed many of the current issues facing the community, including the Munamabom ,wild life attacks,increase of suicides and violent attacks etc.The Deepika published  the whole report and the picture of the participants well.Manorama gave only a report.The date and venue of the  next  meeting was fixed and would be hosted by Bp.Dr.Oommen George CSI at Kollam on Jan.10,26 at 10.30 am.

Behold Your Mother-A short Reflection on Bl.Virgin Mary

 Behold Your Mother

Ecce Mater Tua

(Thava Matharam Pasya)

One of the most poignant moments of Jesus' Crucifixion is the profound outpouring of love and compassion He shows for His beloved Mother, who stands at the foot of the cross. Her mournful eyes and sorrow-laden heart, bleeding with indescribable grief, bear silent witness to the excruciating pain of her Son's suffering.

In this moment of unimaginable agony, Jesus sees beyond His pain to the depth of her anguish—her lonely, broken heart weighed down by unbearable sorrow. She, who cradled Him in His infancy, searched for Him in the Temple and accompanied Him silently in His ministry, now stands helpless before the cross. Her love, care, and unwavering faith had always been with Him, and now, in her darkest hour, Jesus' heart is moved with immeasurable love for her.

He does not leave her abandoned in her grief. She, who once heard from the angel that she was "full of grace" and would bear the Son of the Most High, now faces the agony of seeing that same Son in His final moments. In His infinite compassion, Jesus entrusts her to the care of His beloved disciple, ensuring she would not face the trials ahead alone.

With just three powerful words, He provides for her, offering reassurance that she will be cherished and protected. This act reflects not only His love for His Mother but also the enduring bond between heaven and earth.

The disciple, who grasped the profound mystery of the Incarnation and proclaimed to the world that "God is love," becomes the one to care for the Mother of God. William Wordsworth aptly describes her as "our tainted nature’s solitary boast," highlighting her unique role in salvation history.