аЯрЁБс > ўџ ўџџџ џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџмЅh Wр e z# 3: z . v . v v4 v4 v4 v4 v4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 F9 C ,5 H5 H5 H5 H5 H5 H5 H5 Q7 S7 S7 S7 - 7 д T8 д (9 9 X с9 R F9 v4 H5 H5 H5 H5 H5 F9 &7 v4 v4 H5 ,5 &7 &7 &7 H5 о v4 H5 v4 H5 Q7 Уе3ВЛ4 Є4 h v4 v4 v4 v4 H5 Q7 &7 + &7 PRIVATE
MACROBUTTON HtmlDirect sCORPORATE LIFE / SUMMER 73 DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL Transposition Worksheet Whenever the People of God have entered into a period of transforming renewal, they have been forced to reconstruct both their sacred tradition and their sacred scriptures. We have been using a method of annotation, paraphrase and commentary to reappropriate and create a fresh articulation of the witness of the Epistle of John. A similar method of transposition will help us appropriate the witness of St. John of the Cross. The following paragraphs are transpositions of paragraphs 17 and 18 of The Dark Night of the Soul. The Second Darkness I'aragraph 17-Merltal Affliction The second paramount reason for the darkness in the understanding is the painful affliction, the suffering and grief occasioned by the strange, imposing, overpowering dark image. Though related to it, this suffering is not the pain of the deadly battle going on in the will. This grief is in the understanding, related to the propensity for 1) meaning, 2)selfesteem, and 3) integrity. The intruding image means that two absolute contraries exist in one mind; the universe of the self and the world of the "wholly other." Such contraries cannot coexist. One must capitulate and prostrate itself before the other. Before the purity, power, finality and awesomeness of the assaulting force, the natural understanding submits with a painful sense of unworthiness, weakness, rejection and wretchedness. This suffering grief is experienced as a second darkness. It is an indirect form of darkness. That is, it is the darkness of the affliction occasioned by the darkness itself. The understanding is confused by what is happening. It is quite beyond the understanding of the understanding. It is like the mind is out of its mind-a sense of madness. This is the dark, painful affliction of the "natural intelligence.', Let us look at the four concrete kinds of pain that comprise this suffering. Paragraph 18-Itumiliating lJnworthiness The first pain is a deep sense of humiliation The quality in the dark image that occasions this grief is that of purity. This means that it comes to us as reality-the way things are. It appears to be the plain and single truth. Aware that our "natural and reasonal world" is antithetical to this dark light, we can only believe, with excruciating pain, that we have been living unknowningly, in unreality. It is like suddenly feeling unqualifiedly impure. It is a deep sense that we arc revoltingly unclean. We feel that our world of meaning is ontologically disrclated to reality. We feel as if we are selfbetrayed, duped by ourselvcs, have let being itsclf down. It is as though we have set ourselves against the truth. All reality must be offended, repulsed, and affronted by our very existence. lt seems as if we have been cast out of the presence of Being. It is the suffering and grief of thc sense of unmitigated unworthiness, a deep and painful humiliation. We arc wrought with agonizing self doubt and feel that our colossal failure means that we can no longer be trusted, indeed we cannot trust ourselves. We are no longer capable of responsibility for our own lives. The greatest suffering is the feeling that this is permanent, the way it will be forever. All the rich meanings of life seem to be gone forever. This is the dark pain of abject lnumilialion. It is a humiliating sense of unworthiness. CORPORATE LIFE SUMMER 73 TRANSPOSITION DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL Chapter XIII, Paragraph 84 From what has been said, it is clear that God grants the soul in this state in favor of purging it and healing it with this strong lye and bitter purgation, according to its spiritual and its sensual part, of all the imperfect habits and affections with respect to temporal things and to natural , sensual and spiritual things. Its inward faculties are darkened, and voided of all these, its spiritual and sensual affections are constrained and dried up, and its natural energies are attenuated and weakened (a condition the soul could never attain itself, as we shall shortly say). In this way, God makes the soul to die to all that is not naturally God so that, once it is stripped and denuded of its former skin, He may begin to clothe it anew. And thus its youth is renewed like the eagle's , and it is clothed with the new human, which, as the Apostle says, is created according to God. This is naught else but His illumination if the understanding that becomes Divine love, so that it is a will that us now no less Divine, nor does it love otherwise than divinely, fir it is made and united in one with the Divine will and love. So. Too, it is with the memory, and likewise the affections and desires are all changed and converted divinely, according ti God. And thus this soul will now be a soul of heaven , heavenly, and more Divine than human. All this, as we have been saying, and because if what has been said, God continues to do and to work in the soul by means if this night, illuminating and rekindling it divinely with yearnings for God alone and for naught else whatsoever. . St, John of the Cross: Opening Lecture 4x4 PRIVATE