Thanks everyone. I want to love and live like Jesus. That is my only aim. Please God the discouragement is coming from somewhere else.
The essence of the Darkness is that it appears without purpose. I sued to think I was going crazy or just imagining it. If there was Light in the Darkness it wouldn't be darkness!! As St Teresa of Avila writes those who are in such Darkness are very , very much to be pitied. Praying in a particular way to the Holy Spirit. My Spiritual Director used to recommend this , to Great Effect. I think my Dark lasted around 24 years. I don't know if that cheers you up any. But there you are. The Dark Night never ends it just become Luminescent. It shines with a new light, the Light of a Thousand moons, even brighter than the Sun. I found the letters of St Padre Pio a big help..its a three volume set. Also a great book called , 'When the Well Runs dry'. Also St Teresa of Avila, St john of the Cross and loads of others. The poetry of Fr Gerard manly Hopkins is Wonderful. Prayers to Our Lady tonight. https://crossref-it.info/textguide/the-poetry-of-gerard-manley-hopkins/6/784 Night, the dark night of the soul Desolation of the spiritDoes God care?Internal bitternessSpiritual despair or depression? Desolation of the spirit This is the main theme running through the so-called ‘Terrible Sonnets' of the period 1885-1886, whilst Hopkins was in Ireland. The term ‘The dark night of the soul' is a technical one, being a state of being that many mystics and spiritual advisers have recognised and even documented. The founder of the Jesuits himself, St. Ignatius Loyola wrote a section of his Spiritual Exercises on it, too, though he called it ‘desolation'. It is important to remember, however, that Hopkins gave it none of these names, though he would have been aware of Ignatius' description of the symptoms and of his advised remedy. Does God care? Spelt from Sibyl's Leaves has often been described as the least Christian, most pagan, of Hopkins' poem. The sense of God seems entirely absent. The last line particularly portrays mental and emotional despair, self-accusation and pain dramatically Carrion Comfort recognises that such suffering may have some purpose: ‘That my chaff might fly' in God's scheme of things however, on the whole, Hopkins is in a conflict situation with God. Though we can discuss the exact nature of the conflict, it would seem to lie in the area of submission to God's will. Hopkins felt God had sent him to Ireland to do what he considered rather meaningless academic chores in an unsympathetic environment it has to be a possibility that Hopkins would have gone through such an experience anyway, whatever his circumstances. In other words, it cannot really be said that it was only due to his Irish experience. Internal bitterness The poem I Wake and Feel the Fell of Dark describes the situation just mentioned, but then goes on to describe the inner bitterness such a conflict with God produces. Hopkins' unregenerate nature fights hard, but this leaves a bitterness of spirit, which state of being he recognises as being the permanent state of those who have never submitted to God. In My Own Heart, this intense inwardness is alleviated, by Hopkins telling himself to leave God to act in sovereignty and to stop dwelling obsessively on the outcomes. If he can do this, he realises, he may actually feel some joy. Spiritual despair or depression? There are several other poems which could be included under this theme, such as No Worst, there is None, or Patience, Hard Thing. It needs to be recognised, however, that in their own terms, they could equally well be describing a state of deep emotional depression, rather than a spiritual state of being. There are some critics who argue that all the dark sonnets are about deep depression, and not about the ‘dark night' at all, though they are in the minority.
Wonderful post Padraig. G. M. Hopkins describes spiritual desolation as well as any saint or mystic and who knows. Maybe he's both.
You know one sad thing about Fr Gerald Manley Hopkins. He was a Jesuit priest a former English Army Protestant of the aristiocratic class. He gave up everything to become a Catholic. He go tsent to minister in Ireland and was treated badly by many of the Irish there (as was St John Henry Newman).of the Irish who idi not like the English. This, as an Irish person makes me so sad. He really, really was saint. I love the English upper class accent and mannerisms. Though true to say they never treated the Irish very well. Never very well at all.
Thanks everyone. I want to love and help others. Please God that God will allow me to do this. Suffering desolation at times but trusting God's light will shine through.
Hi Sanctus... have a suggestion..carry the rosary always in your pocket or your hands. Whenever you feel attacked, hold tight to it. The Blessed Virgin Mary will give you strength. My friend told me that she did this and felt a warmth from it as she tightened her grip and really helped her. Sanctus will pray for you. Trust in Jesus. He will never leave you nor will His mother. Also call on St. Michael and your guardian angel to cast out all evil spirits - each time you feel something not of God.
Unite this to Jesus's cry from the Cross ",My God My God why have you abandoned Me?" That His Heart may be consoled. And remember Sanctus God did not abandon Him. And He has not abandoned you. Those sins are covered by the Blood of Christ.
This comes from the devil! God knows you are sorry. The devil wants to separate you from Jesus through these attacks.
