Darkness

[godismybestpal]

Jesus said: “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me, walketh not in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” Does this mean that Catholics can’t experience an inner darkness?

 

[thenobes]

Jesus said: “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me, walketh not in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” Does this mean that Catholics can’t experience an inner darkness?

I believe that we are given free will and can misuse it to walk in darkness. This is equivalent to mortal sin, which requires God to make special graces available to us to pull us to repentance.

On the other hand some saints experience a “dark night of the soul” where they recieve no spiritual consolation. However, they are still guided by an inner light of truth which they follow, despite haveing the feeling of being separated from God. In this time they distrust their feelings and follow what they have learned by faith.

paece
steve

 

[HickmanJosh]

Jesus said: “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me, walketh not in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” Does this mean that Catholics can’t experience an inner darkness?

Oh Catholics defiantly experience inner darkness, one of the Saint Johns wrote a book called the Dark Night of the Soul, Blessed Mother Theresa spent years (decades?) in a dark night of the soul. But is a darkness that God allows out of Love.

Perhaps Christ was talking about despair, i honestly don’t know. The Dark night of the soul Catholics do experiences is one of spiritual desolation, perhaps social desolation, stuff like that, total absence of good feelings, but firm in the knowledge that God is there, Loving them and watching over them. It is not a totally all-consuming darkness, but rather the star of Christ shines bright high above.