Sometimes in prayer words come to me that help me to understand at a deeper level what I should pray for -- I was praying for all of the young people in the world who are growing up in such a difficult time. I am very, very concerned for them -- how easy it is for the lambs to get lost -- and led astray to destruction -- The 3 words that came to me in a form of alliteration were -- Darkness, Desert and Desolation -- these are the obstacles for our young people -- preventing them from seeing the light of God - Darkness: Our world is in deep, deep darkness - a spiritual darkness so deep that it obscures the light of the gospel -- our world lives without God so this darkness is all pervasive. Many, many people live in darkness because they live in sin. "Darkness reigns over the whole world" (Medjugorje message 20 July 1987). Desert - our world has become a spiritual desert. People thirst. They quench the thirst with materialism, hedonism and selfish ambition -- unbridled egoism. The desert is the home of the the scorpion, the snake and the serpent who with their stinging tails afflict the young with the poison of sin -- demons and devils tempting each to eat only of the fruit of evil -- "Dear children, you know that I promised you an oasis of peace, but you don’t know that beside an oasis stands the desert, where satan is lurking and wants to tempt each one of you"(Medjugorje message 7 Aug 1986). Desolation. The soul that is lost is in inner desolation - a profound state of existential misery hence suicide rates have skyrocketed and drug abuse is rampant in our society -- desolation leads to despair and despair to a lack of hope -- I cannot stress enough the profound crisis that is afflicting our young people and this present generation -- The Church is meant to be that light on the hill that attracts people out of the darkness, providing the manna of the Eucharist to sustain us in the desert and leading us to intimate union with God that leads to an inner peace that the world cannot give -- But the Church is failing in its mission - it is wounded and fractured by internal division and is suffering its passion -- betrayed by many -- Therefore it must start with us - we must become apostles of love and ambassadors for Christ. It is so, so important to realise this present crisis will only be fixed when I am fixed myself. We must convert and become holy in order to be a light to those in darkness and to be a signpost to Christ in the Eucharist so that our young people come to see the Light of God in us - they will come to be fed with the true manna from heaven that is Jesus Christ truly present in the sacrifice of the Mass and find true peace of soul, a peace that only God can give. Holiness attracts -- Pray for our young people, pray the Rosary and ask our Mother in Heaven to intercede for this generation --
Be careful what you pray for -- I have been experiencing the inner darkness, inner desolation and inner desert myself this past couple of weeks -- not nice but God has funny ways of working lol I know He is close even though I feel He has abandoned me -- a test of love ---- here is how my soul feels -- a little love poem to Him my beloved --- forgive my amateur efforts -- Why have you wounded my soul my beloved? Why have you pierced my heart with the absence of your love? I went out to the desert searching for you -- but you were gone! I sought you in the day and in the night but you had fled and I was alone in the desert, parched and thirsting for your love -- I accept and embrace your love in my wounded state - I will await your return for you always do and how I long for the sweetness of that first caress -- give me a steadfast spirit so that I might prove my love to you - I give you my inner poverty as the only gift I have left -- I a mere mortal with few natural gifts, unknown to many - I am undeserving of your love yet you embrace me as your only love and place a crown of love upon my unworthy head - my life, my love, my sweetness, my hope - do not forget me nor abandon me forever but you cannot for your only desire is to transform me into your image and likeness - give me patience to await your return and forever I will be one with you --
Your little poem is awesome garabandal. I read somewhere from one of the saints that when we feel abandoned by God, that is the very time He has picked us up and caressed us. How it works is, think of a little child, even a baby. When the mother picks the child up, the child is busy looking all around. It does not even seem to think it is being caressed by mum. When mum puts the child down, then the child is constantly calling for mum or attentive to mum. The same with the soul. when we feel the holy longing and desire for God, He has as it were put us down to play. We feel more longing like the child for that embrace. When we are as it were sitting on Heavenly Fathers lap, we see everything but our loving Father and think He has deserted us. No, He is embracing us when we no longer feel the longing. I know that sound strange; but I hope to have been able to convey what I read about that feeling of perceived abandonment. It is in reality a Holy Embrace. I think sometimes that Holy Embrace includes feeling His presence, at least in my own experience. So maybe that is when Father and child share holy kisses and cuddles and hugs. I don't know if God even plays peek aboo with the soul, like a mother would. It is all a Holy adventure. Praises be to God.
In a way the Spiritual Life is so like a marriage. At the start it is roses , chanpagne and romance. As it goes on it grows more about cleaning dirty nappies. Dirty nappies can I suppose seem like hell but if you look at it in terms of love it is a bit like digging gold. Its all about giving rather than taking isn't it. Which is one of the many reasons why I am often a little envious of those in marriage, it is such a wonderful school of love. If, looking back on it I one lesson to teach those going through the dark night it would be this; that it never ends, it just become luminescent. It shines from within as though night becomes day and day , the night. A moon that shines like the sun. One of the things I am a little envious of in my earlier part of the spiritual journey is I could claim ownership of so many things in my piety, so many rosaries , stations of the cross novenas, hours in front of the blessed sacrament and so..all to be left with seemingly empty hands. But in the end it is not really about all we can do for God but about what God can do for us, if we let Him. It sounds the easiest thing in the World simply to let God carry us like little babies, yet it is the hardest, because of pride.
It is the greatest grace to persevere through the dark night and continue to long for that Divine embrace by praying even when it is so dry and difficult. I have read that it is even more efficacious than when it is easy to pray...
True love is all about giving. The Dark Night is when you start payola a bit, when you start scrubbing the dirty nappies. It is a great shock to the system.
In recent years I have been thinking what I put my parents through as a child and a teenager and I cringe. I think that is what the Night is about, moving into spiritual adulthood.
Dark nights is a way for God to clean His vessel. If it is cleaned properly then one will grow spiritually. If you can't accept the dark night (cross)...one cannot grow spiritually. It's part of the growing process. Some accept and attack it with full force. Others fight the battle for years. Some actually give up the fight and return to the world. Tough place to be...but it's part of Gods plan. Nothing is easy...and the cross can't be.
I now see the dark night as a purification - a great grace. But the first time I was plunged into it and the lights really did go out was the scariest thing I have ever experienced -- a shock to the system but proof that the soul is the inner light of man. I have been able to cope better recently for some reason I have learnt to just hang in there and let go of the fear of God abandoning me trusting in faith that He is really is in charge -- It is a grace because it is better to endure purification on earth than in purgatory -- I am hoping all of this shortens my purgatory lol I think you would enjoy this website linked below https://divineantidote.wordpress.com/author/divineantidote/
We think a week, a month or a year is a long time. God might work in years and decades. We are so focused on immediate gratification but God has His own plans and time line. Roll up the sleeves and accept the cross. May Gods Will be Done
I think the Dark Night is a bit like jumping into a Dark Sea , it is a shock to the system at first but hen we acclimatise. At least I found it so. It's true, its a bit like someone turning all the lights out. I found reading Padre Pio's spiritual diaries a big help in the past; he really went through the mill. Reading in general was a big help to me, reading from people who went through it all. But I am a great reader anyway, I know reading may not help everyone. I love at night time meditating on Padre Pio/. I was just thinking last night what huge Crosses he shouldered. He got it from everywhere. The Vatican had it in for him, his Archbishop detested him, many of his Capuchin brothers let him down, he carried the full stigmata, a Dark Night that never needed, attacks from the devil , bad health and a crushing apostolate in the confessional. Yet he never budged and reports speak of his huge joy. He was such a rock, so amazing. I love his company in prayer. He came to me last night in prayer to thank me for keeping him company so often in prayer. I was surprised but so pleased. We pray for the saints, they do notice and pray for us right back.
