Dark Night of the Soul

Why does God allow us to fall into an empty void? Does He not love us? Will He not help us? How do we deal with feeling abandoned in hopeless darkness? Written while imprisoned, St. John of the Cross, a 16th century monk from Spain, composed this spiritual masterpiece. In Dark Night of the Soul, he takes readers on a deeply spiritual journey through hardships and temptations to complete union with God. In a step-by-step process, he shows how God can use this "dark night" to eventually bring our human spirits into greater illumination, revealing heavenly wisdom and the passion of divine love.

ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS (1542 1591), born Juan de Yepes Alvarez, was a Spanish mystic, Catholic saint, Carmelite friar and priest, from Fontiveros, Old Castile. A reformer of the Carmelite order, St. John of the Cross urged them to return to a life of prayer. He is considered, along with St. Teresa of Avila, as a founder of the Discalced Carmelites, men and women who dedicated themselves to a life of prayer. He is also known for writing Ascent of Mount Carmel and A Spiritual Canticle of the Soul and the Bridegroom Christ. His works are highly regarded and widely studied by the church today.