Grumpy Monks Seeking God

In my sermon last Sunday, I poked some fun at a sixth-century monastery in order to make my point about getting along with one another. But what those “grumpy monks” were going through was actually quite profound. I didn’t want to go into it then and make my sermon overly long, so I’m delighted to write a note about it now.

First, a bit about St. John of the Cross. He was a sixteenth-century Spanish priest and mystic who worked side by side with St. Teresa of Avila to begin a contemplative order called the Discalced Carmelites (OCD). There is much to say about his life and work, but I would like to focus on one of his writings: Dark Night of the Soul.

This book provides commentary on St. John’s eponymous poem, which describes the spiritual journey of people who seek God. At first, as we all know, it is exciting! There is so much to learn, as well as practices to adopt. God seems to be burning in our hearts as we commit ourselves to this path. But where is it all headed? Surprisingly, some who continue on the journey enter the “dark night of the senses” or “dark night of the soul.” This spiritual drought feels like being cut off from God. But that’s hardly the case. By taking away the joy of sweet spiritual comforts, God is further preparing us to be in God’s presence, enabling us to shed the old self and then be rebuilt anew.

So, I believe this is what the monks in the monastery shared by Dorotheus of Gaza were seeking. They weren’t just generally unhappy. Rather, they were going through a period of purification that was really, really hard—but also really, really worth it.

We all have ways of approaching the presence of God: worship, nature, prayer, reading, service, children, music, etc. John of the Cross calls all these things mere “training wheels.” I wonder, would you be willing to move beyond these typical ways of seeking God? After hearing about the dark night of the senses and the soul, why would you want to? Because if we are willing, says John of the Cross, we have the potential to be fully enveloped in God’s love. And that experience will be beyond any joy we have ever found on earth.

Mother Nina+