Books on spiritual desolation

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Hi all,

I’m looking for some readings on spiritual desolation. I’m going through what feels like not just a dark night of the soul but a black one, and I’ve gotten so twisted around that I know I’m not going to be able to work through this alone. I’ve been through periods of desolation where I can’t feel or see God’s presence, but I could at least still will myself to pursue the Sacraments and prayer, and I could feel that I was growing and being molded somehow; this time just feels like utter abandonment. I told all this to a priest in confession this week and he offered to be my spiritual director (hooray!) but I’m hoping for some other resources that might help keep me oriented toward God in the middle of this.

If you know of any books to recommend, it would be greatly appreciated! Or any advice that helped you during your time of desolation.
 
blueshells said:
Hi all,

I’m looking for some readings on spiritual desolation. I’m going through what feels like not just a dark night of the soul but a black one, and I’ve gotten so twisted around that I know I’m not going to be able to work through this alone. I’ve been through periods of desolation where I can’t feel or see God’s presence, but I could at least still will myself to pursue the Sacraments and prayer, and I could feel that I was growing and being molded somehow; this time just feels like utter abandonment. I told all this to a priest in confession this week and he offered to be my spiritual director (hooray!) but I’m hoping for some other resources that might help keep me oriented toward God in the middle of this.

If you know of any books to recommend, it would be greatly appreciated! Or any advice that helped you during your time of desolation.
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There’s lot’s of good books on the dark night (Thomas Merton, St. John of the Cross and many others). Know that the experience of spiritual desolation is viewed as God giving himself to you as this exact experience. It is often a grace filled experience that is inviting you to seek…Seek and you WILL find…this is GUARANTEE from Jesus that you must believe in as you work this path. It is definitely helpful to have someone (Spiritual Director, Stephen Minister, etc) walk with you. Peace, and Journey well…
 
tskrobacz said:
There’s lot’s of good books on the dark night (Thomas Merton, St. John of the Cross and many others). Know that the experience of spiritual desolation is viewed as God giving himself to you as this exact experience. It is often a grace filled experience that is inviting you to seek…Seek and you WILL find…this is GUARANTEE from Jesus that you must believe in as you work this path. It is definitely helpful to have someone (Spiritual Director, Stephen Minister, etc) walk with you. Peace, and Journey well…
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Thank you for the recommendations and the encouragement! Peace be with you as well. I would ask also for your continued prayers as I work up the courage to seek God’s face again, and I will pray for your intentions as well. 🙂
 
I’m becoming a HUGE Rosary fan. I’m reading “The secrets of the Rosary”, by St Louis De Montfort. It’s a Great book- and an easy read. I started praying the Rosary a while ago- I did it non stop for about 2 weeks, every day and the blessings I received were out of worldly- my faith has grown so much and my need for a constant connection with God grows continuously- as long as I stay away from things that distract (TV, phone games, facebook- etc). Ask our Blessed Mother for guidance and consider a Novena, I she’ll help you get closer to her beloved Son!
 
blueshells said:
Thank you for the recommendations and the encouragement! Peace be with you as well. I would ask also for your continued prayers as I work up the courage to seek God’s face again, and I will pray for your intentions as well. 🙂
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You may be interested in these MP3s about the Dark Night of the Soul/St. John of the Cross

They are conferences given by Father Venard Poslusney, O. Carm, whose forte was spiritual direction in the Carmelite tradition.

advancedchristianity.com/Pages/Poslusney/Poslusney_Soul.htm
 
Fr Michael EnGallagher
‘Discernment of spirits’

‘Gods Voice within’ by Fr mark
blueshells said:
Hi all,

I’m looking for some readings on spiritual desolation. I’m going through what feels like not just a dark night of the soul but a black one, and I’ve gotten so twisted around that I know I’m not going to be able to work through this alone. I’ve been through periods of desolation where I can’t feel or see God’s presence, but I could at least still will myself to pursue the Sacraments and prayer, and I could feel that I was growing and being molded somehow; this time just feels like utter abandonment. I told all this to a priest in confession this week and he offered to be my spiritual director (hooray!) but I’m hoping for some other resources that might help keep me oriented toward God in the middle of this.

If you know of any books to recommend, it would be greatly appreciated! Or any advice that helped you during your time of desolation.
Click to expand...
 
Mother Therese’s diary (now a book) tells how she experienced this.

Most famous saint would be St John of the Cross, but his works are difficult to understand (even in English!) he has a book called ‘The Dark Night of the Soul’ -if you could find a companion sort of commentary book on this,

St therese of Avila also experienced this, she has a few books of her writings out

Read st Faustina’s diary
Or St Therese of liseux’ diary

They both experienced the dark night.

If you are stuck for books in the meantime use google, of the above, and google; ‘Catholic Dark night of the soul’

Or amazon.com
Download as ebooks, you can download a kindle reading app for free on your phone, laptop, computer, tablet, and read the book wherever (much cheaper as ebook)
blueshells said:
Hi all,

I’m looking for some readings on spiritual desolation. I’m going through what feels like not just a dark night of the soul but a black one, and I’ve gotten so twisted around that I know I’m not going to be able to work through this alone. I’ve been through periods of desolation where I can’t feel or see God’s presence, but I could at least still will myself to pursue the Sacraments and prayer, and I could feel that I was growing and being molded somehow; this time just feels like utter abandonment. I told all this to a priest in confession this week and he offered to be my spiritual director (hooray!) but I’m hoping for some other resources that might help keep me oriented toward God in the middle of this.

If you know of any books to recommend, it would be greatly appreciated! Or any advice that helped you during your time of desolation.
Click to expand...
 
‘The Jesuit guide to almost everything’
Is a book about spiritual consolation, and spiritual desolation
And what to do about either

QUOTE=OurLadysServant;12493756]Mother Therese’s diary (now a book) tells how she experienced this.

Most famous saint would be St John of the Cross, but his works are difficult to understand (even in English!) he has a book called ‘The Dark Night of the Soul’ -if you could find a companion sort of commentary book on this,

St therese of Avila also experienced this, she has a few books of her writings out

Read st Faustina’s diary
Or St Therese of liseux’ diary

They both experienced the dark night.

If you are stuck for books in the meantime use google, of the above, and google; ‘Catholic Dark night of the soul’

Or amazon.com
Download as ebooks, you can download a kindle reading app for free on your phone, laptop, computer, tablet, and read the book wherever (much cheaper as ebook)
 
OurLadysServant said:
‘The Jesuit guide to almost everything’
Is a book about spiritual consolation, and spiritual desolation
And what to do about either

QUOTE=OurLadysServant;12493756]Mother Therese’s diary (now a book) tells how she experienced this.

Most famous saint would be St John of the Cross, but his works are difficult to understand (even in English!) he has a book called ‘The Dark Night of the Soul’ -if you could find a companion sort of commentary book on this,

St therese of Avila also experienced this, she has a few books of her writings out

Read st Faustina’s diary
Or St Therese of liseux’ diary

They both experienced the dark night.

If you are stuck for books in the meantime use google, of the above, and google; ‘Catholic Dark night of the soul’

Or amazon.com
Download as ebooks, you can download a kindle reading app for free on your phone, laptop, computer, tablet, and read the book wherever (much cheaper as ebook)
Click to expand...
In message #5 of this thread I shared a site where a Carmelite priest expounds (MP3s) on St. John of the Cross’ “Dark Night of the Soul”. IMO he does a great job of teaching.
 
Please stay away from reading Dark Night of the Soul. It is far too theologically advanced for the average layman (my spiritual director, a priest from the FSSP, was only allowed to read it as a seminarian under the strict guidance of his spiritual director because people think they are going through one of the dark nights when really all it is aridity and lukewarmness, etc). Stick to St Francis de Sales’ Intro to the Devout life. He deals with this and it was written to be used and understood by laymen who are still in the beginner stage of the spiritual life (ie: are still venially sinning, but not mortally, and have not yet been through both the active and passive purgations).
 
Thank you all for the suggestions! I have a list to check out, and I particularly appreciate the MP3s, since I can access them immediately. Blessed Mother Theresa was perhaps tapping on my shoulder a few months ago–a friend of mine found her holy card in their chapel and mailed it to me in a care package–so I’ll definitely check out her story as well as the other ones mentioned in this thread.

Deo Gratias, I wonder if you could expound on the difference between spiritual aridity and a “dark night”–I’m not sure if I’m understanding them correctly, and it might help for when I start spiritual direction.

Thank you, and God bless!
 
Deo_Gratias42 said:
Please stay away from reading Dark Night of the Soul. It is far too theologically advanced for the average layman (my spiritual director, a priest from the FSSP, was only allowed to read it as a seminarian under the strict guidance of his spiritual director because people think they are going through one of the dark nights when really all it is aridity and lukewarmness, etc). Stick to St Francis de Sales’ Intro to the Devout life. He deals with this and it was written to be used and understood by laymen who are still in the beginner stage of the spiritual life (ie: are still venially sinning, but not mortally, and have not yet been through both the active and passive purgations).
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I agree with you that St. John of the Cross should not be read without having been introduced first to the terms he uses and what they mean in the context he is writing, as opposed to what some of the terms mean today.

Yes, St. Francis de Sales book is excellent…but I wouldn’t advise anyone to “stay away” from Dark Night of the Soul if they have a good director and good books about his writings beforehand.
 
blueshells said:
difference between spiritual aridity and a "dark night
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Dryness, aridity and difficulty with prayer can have many root causes. If we are arid due to struggles with sin (even venial) or our own negligence and/or laziness then what we are experiencing is not a dark night as St. John of the Cross presents it. Rather, aridity that is passively given (ie infused) is what the saint has in mind and there are two aspects to this. The first, the passive night of sense, is when the Lord gives difficulty in prayer in order to change it. Here the soul is weaned off meditation (which it can no longer do) and first introduced to contemplation. The second, the passive night of spirit, is when the soul is made “perfect” in the practice of contemplation and purged of any remaining imperfections that impede union with God. Aridity is one of the means by which He purifies us.

The former happens to “many” (according to St. John of the Cross) who are sincere and persevering in their love of the Lord. The latter is a relatively rare occurrence … not that the Lord doesn’t desire to give this grace; rather souls choose not to accept it by preferring to remain mired in their imperfection.

Please note “imperfection” is not sin. They are small attachments or little satisfactions that even the very holy may indulge in from time to time. When they are voluntary and habitual (St. John’s main concern), they make us forgetful of God.

Hope this helps,
Dave:)
 
I highly recommend Fr. Gabriel Bunge’s book “Despondency: The Spiritual Teaching of Evagrius of Pontus”. Though from its title it may sounds a bit too academic, it is eminently practical, taking the wisdom of the desert Fathers and applying it to those of us living in the world who may struggle with this spiritual malady from time to time.
 
Hi blueshells,

I am very sorry for your struggles. I have been there myself.

The best thing that I can tell you to do, is not to give up on your faith, but to stay close to our Lord, no matter how you feel.

I think that it is great that you now have a spiritual director, too. Good for you. 🙂

My advice to you is to just keep going to Mass, and keep praying. Keep reading your prayer books, keep praying your devotionals, keep doing whatever it is that you like to do, that keeps you close to the Lord, His Mother, the saints, etc.

I mentioned the saints briefly up above, but I really like to read about them, and you might find that you would like to read about some in more detail during this time. Your priest may be able to advise you there.

As for reading materials, I second “thistle’s” recommendation for Fr. Groeschel’s book, “Arise from Darkness.”

In fact, I was going to mention it myself. Here is a link to it at Amazon.com’s website, where you can take a look at it:

amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_8?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=fr.%20benedict%20groeschel&sprefix=Fr.+Bene%2Caps%2C266

I am also going to recommend another book from Amazon, too.

It is called “A Kiss from the Cross,” by Ronda De Sola Chervin.

She writes about saints who suffered from different afflictions, and how we can apply these situations to our own lives.

Here is the link to Amazon for Ronda’s book:

amazon.com/Kiss-Cross-Saints-Every-Suffering/dp/0892838493/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416102152&sr=8-1&keywords=a+kiss+from+the+cross

May God bless you during your struggles. I will be thinking of you. ((Hugs to you)).
 
Thank you again for all of your responses. I have St. Theresa of Avila’s book The Interior Castle and St. Therese’s Story of a Soul. I will start with those tonight and the audio files until I have time to get to my church’s library to find some of the other ones. It is at least something to try, I am so desperate to pray something–perhaps spiritual reading will help break down the wall just a little bit; every other form of prayer doesn’t just feel dry, it feels almost somewhat repulsive in its emptiness.

It is so good to know that others have experienced this, and to have real hope that perhaps God is merely showing a side of Himself to me that I don’t recognize. I will pray for all of your intentions!

God bless,

blue
 
blueshells said:
Thank you again for all of your responses. I have St. Theresa of Avila’s book The Interior Castle and St. Therese’s Story of a Soul. I will start with those tonight and the audio files until I have time to get to my church’s library to find some of the other ones. It is at least something to try, I am so desperate to pray something–perhaps spiritual reading will help break down the wall just a little bit; every other form of prayer doesn’t just feel dry, it feels almost somewhat repulsive in its emptiness.

It is so good to know that others have experienced this, and to have real hope that perhaps God is merely showing a side of Himself to me that I don’t recognize. I will pray for all of your intentions!

God bless,

blue
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God bless you! May He help us all in our desire to do His will.
 
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