St John of the Cross

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St_Gabriel

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Has anyone here actually read “The Dark Night of the Soul” by St. John of the Cross? I read a biography a while back about St. John but never read The Dark Night. In the biography it had some excerpts and mentions that the Dark Night was several texts and written from his prison cell window over looking the garden. The quotes were all poetic. I’m wondering if it is all poetry? I don’t know if I am mentally or spiritually ready for this but his life facinated me as well as his relationship with St Teresa of Avila.
 
St_Gabriel said:
Has anyone here actually read “The Dark Night of the Soul” by St. John of the Cross? I read a biography a while back about St. John but never read The Dark Night. In the biography it had some excerpts and mentions that the Dark Night was several texts and written from his prison cell window over looking the garden. The quotes were all poetic. I’m wondering if it is all poetry? I don’t know if I am mentally or spiritually ready for this but his life facinated me as well as his relationship with St Teresa of Avila.
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I’m reading The Ascent to Mount Carmel right now, which is the book to read prior to The Dark Night of the Soul. The two books are intimately connected. Both books were supposed to function as commentaries or expositions of the poem he wrote, “on a dark night…”

Before I read St. John, I first read an introductory work to Sts. John and Teresa called, “Fire Within” by Fr. Dubay. It was a good book. If that’s a bit too long for you to read, Thomas Merton wrote a very short book called, “What is Contemplation?” which hits many (most, in fact) of Dubay’s points, but with extreme brevity. It’s good to read a book like those in preparation for that, otherwise you may begin the work of this spiritual genius and miss so much of what it means.

After finding a suitable introductory work, I recommend starting with The Ascent to Mount Carmel and not with The Dark Night of the Soul. I got Kieran Kavanaugh’s Collected Works of St. John of the Cross which includes the Ascent, the Dark Night, his many poems, the Sayings of Light and Love, the Living Flame of Love, the Spiritual Canticle, etc. It’s a good collection. The works are unabridged. It’s hard to find the Ascent unabridged, and even if you do find it alone, you’ll still have to buy a copy of the Dark Night eventually… by that time you might as well have bought the collected works.

As long as you can understand what he’s saying, you’re ready-- although none of us are really ever ready for radical spiritual transformation-- God just makes us so. And that’s the point of his two treatises, the Ascent and the Dark Night-- a quick guide to union with the divine. In fact, the point of these treatises is that we all need God, and that they’ll help guide us to Him.
 
St_Gabriel said:
Has anyone here actually read “The Dark Night of the Soul” by St. John of the Cross? I read a biography a while back about St. John but never read The Dark Night. In the biography it had some excerpts and mentions that the Dark Night was several texts and written from his prison cell window over looking the garden. The quotes were all poetic. I’m wondering if it is all poetry? I don’t know if I am mentally or spiritually ready for this but his life facinated me as well as his relationship with St Teresa of Avila.
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No, I’ve only caught bits and pieces here on the forums. From the little I know, I’ve spent time in the hospital as a result of “being rejected”. I’m not ready for the book, but think it will bring alot of my life to light. But everything in due order. Tim
 
St_Gabriel said:
Has anyone here actually read “The Dark Night of the Soul” by St. John of the Cross? I read a biography a while back about St. John but never read The Dark Night. In the biography it had some excerpts and mentions that the Dark Night was several texts and written from his prison cell window over looking the garden. The quotes were all poetic. I’m wondering if it is all poetry? I don’t know if I am mentally or spiritually ready for this but his life facinated me as well as his relationship with St Teresa of Avila.
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I have read it along with The Ascent of Mt Carmel and other writings of St. John of the Cross. In the books I have, the Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, St. John explains the meanings of his poetry.
This is my favorite translation;

The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross (trans. Kavanaugh/Rodriguez, 3d ed.) This has all of his major works, and is translated for easy reading.

ICS puts out the best books on the Carmelite sains, in my opinion.
icspublications.org/bookstore/index.html

God Bless
Jim
 
JimR-OCDS said:
I have read it along with The Ascent of Mt Carmel and other writings of St. John of the Cross. In the books I have, the Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, St. John explains the meanings of his poetry.
This is my favorite translation;

The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross (trans. Kavanaugh/Rodriguez, 3d ed.) This has all of his major works, and is translated for easy reading.

ICS puts out the best books on the Carmelite sains, in my opinion.
icspublications.org/bookstore/index.html

God Bless
Jim
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Thanks Jim, I put this under my favorites for future use. Tim
 
St_Gabriel said:
Has anyone here actually read “The Dark Night of the Soul” by St. John of the Cross? I .
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the Dark Night is a poem in 8 short stanzas. the book, quite brief, is an exposition of the first two stanzas, with brief mention of a few more, which explains the meaning of the poem in relation to the life of the soul, and as a guide to progress in the spiritual life. It is actually the follow-up to Ascent of Mt. Carmel, a longer poem, and its exposition, which treats of the very beginning of the spiritual growth of the soul, up to the Dark Night. Both are available in several translations. Kiearnan Cavanaugh’s book has all his poems in both Spanish and English, as well as the rest of his writings. I learned Spanish so that I could read his poetry in the original language. I am still on the first two lines of the first stanza of Dark Night, and have been for about 8 years, and will not move on until led by my spiritual director. We finally got to the last two lines of the first stanza this summer.
 
puzzleannie said:
the Dark Night is a poem in 8 short stanzas. the book, quite brief, is an exposition of the first two stanzas, with brief mention of a few more, which explains the meaning of the poem in relation to the life of the soul, and as a guide to progress in the spiritual life. It is actually the follow-up to Ascent of Mt. Carmel, a longer poem, and its exposition, which treats of the very beginning of the spiritual growth of the soul, up to the Dark Night. Both are available in several translations. Kiearnan Cavanaugh’s book has all his poems in both Spanish and English, as well as the rest of his writings. I learned Spanish so that I could read his poetry in the original language. I am still on the first two lines of the first stanza of Dark Night, and have been for about 8 years, and will not move on until led by my spiritual director. We finally got to the last two lines of the first stanza this summer.
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Oh, how blessed you are puzzleannie! I have been with my director for over 20 years and my walk is so different. Although I have ‘read’ Kiearman’s book so many years ago, I have followed through with the different books mentioned in this thread but also I have bought a book called’The Science of the Cross’ written by St Edith Stein about John of the Cross…just trying to emulate him in my life as I am being directed also…but differently…God bless…
 
If you find it hard to find the time to read these books, you might like to know that there are free public domain audiobooks of them at marialectrix.wordpress.com. The Ascent of Mount Carmel is complete, and The Dark Night of the Soul is only a few chapters from done.

I find it helpful to be forced to focus more on each chapter – rather than flying through a religious book as if it were a novel, and missing the chance to think about what I’m reading.
 
Thanks for all of the (name removed by moderator)ut. I tend to read spiritual books as the spirit guides me. Most times, the books practically fall off the shelf or are put in my hands by others. Just finished reading a new book about St Benedict of Narsia. I don’t have a spiritual director right now - just my confessor. So I have to go it alone and be careful.
 
I don’t mean to be offensive, but it seems there is alot talk, writings about steak and potatoes. Am I missing something? Tim
 
TOP said:
I don’t mean to be offensive, but it seems there is alot talk, writings about steak and potatoes. Am I missing something? Tim
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not sure what you refer to, can you quote the post that concerns you?
 
while not the most profound or enlightening things in the world, i do enjoy steak and potatoes at times. i find that they are especially tasty at social gatherings.
 
TOP said:
It’s not the post or comments. Its the writings. I don’t get it I guess. Tim
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I don’t recall references to steak and pototoes in his writings, but then I could have missed it. want to help me here?
 
puzzleannie said:
I don’t recall references to steak and pototoes in his writings, but then I could have missed it. want to help me here?
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🙂 . When I wrote “steak and potatoes” , I meant common, necessities. I don’t understand the elaborate writings for something common in spiritual growth. Tim
 
TOP said:
🙂 . When I wrote “steak and potatoes” , I meant common, necessities. I don’t understand the elaborate writings for something common in spiritual growth. Tim
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I have found the writings of St John of the Cross extraordinarily clear and understandable, and focussed on basics, esp. for someone writing in Spanish, in the 16th c. Francis de Sales for example is much harder to follow. Of course having the benefit of a good modern English translation is essential. Each of these great spiritual writers is writing, in each of their works, to a specific audience, addressing a specific stage or state in the spiritual journey. So if I am not in that particular stage, the work will have less relevance to me (although when I make more progress, it will suddenly “click” and become extremely pointed for me).

a gread book as an intro to stages in the spiritual life, and there could not be a writer more accessible to moderns, is Fr. Groeschels, Spiritual Passages and Journey Toward God. What you find there will be an overview of the spiritual life, and pointed, apt advice for you in whatever stage you find yourself.
 
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