Catholic Hermit: Some Thoughts with John of the Cross

This is very good:

"...the intellect must be perfected in the darkness of faith, the memory in the emptiness of hope, and the will in the nakedness and absence of every affection."

John of the Cross writes of the phases and journey of the soul to union with God.

As for the senses, even the spiritual senses--locutions, dreams, visions, various messages--there comes a phase in which the soul is left to float seemingly alone of sorts, and Christ is the One to give a message now and then, but even He will say (as He did to me over five years ago) "there will be no more messages for awhile."

The only one of Him appearing in the doorway to the little room I used to sleep in until recently, was:  LOOK AT ME.

So I must look at Jesus in His earthly life, through the Living Word, and in His not being in any form of the senses--not images, thought or knowing other than in faith and hope that is unseen.  So to love and love simply, and to just keep going here, without expectation.

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I wrote quite a bit to a friend, and the above is the excerpt for now that seems most bare of all the details of other aspects of my current temporal circumstance, right now, yet in enough debilitating pain that forces me from the distraction and physical progress of manual labor.  Work has become a joy not only in the depth of prayer that can occur during work, but also as a means of distraction from physical pain and progress toward the next temporal phase of which I know not, yet.

And when I let the thoughts go forward into wondering and figuring and researching where, the present moment is lost.  And the frustrations increase for the present moment is not allowing temporal progress.

John of the Cross' writings are a gift from the Lord at this point in time.  I'm grateful.  Even if they do not stick with me beyond the present moment, I grasp them and know I am in the journey and progression spiritually, being brought by God to Himself.  I have no need of knowing when or what more, and it is well for me to not attempt to find out when or what more in the temporal, either!