The Dark Night of the Soul

One dark night,
fired with love's urgent longings
- ah, the sheer grace! -
I went out unseen,
my house being now all stilled.


In darkness, and secure,
by the secret ladder, disguised,
- ah, the sheer grace! -
in darkness and concealment,
my house being now all stilled.


On that glad night,
in secret, for no one saw me,
nor did I look at anything,
with no other light or guide
than the one that burned in my heart.


This guided me
more surely than the light of noon
to where he was awaiting me
- him I knew so well -
there in a place where no one appeared.


O guiding night!
O night more lovely than the dawn!
O night that has united
the Lover with his beloved,
transforming the beloved in her Lover.


Upon my flowering breast
which I kept wholly for him alone,
there he lay sleeping,
and I caressing him
there in a breeze from the fanning cedars.


When the breeze blew from the turret,
as I parted his hair,
it wounded my neck
with its gentle hand,
suspending all my senses.


I abandoned and forgot myself,
laying my face on my Beloved;
all things ceased; I went out from myself,
leaving my cares
forgotten among the lilies.




Saint John of the Cross, known as the "Mystical Doctor" composed this poem. For him, the whole human journey to God is night: night's purification of attachments, night as a journey of faith, and finally night as the encounter with the God of mystery. Noche Oscura was composed from the vantage point of union with God in love, and that is also explored the purification of the senses and the spirit, as well as the blessings of spiritual enlightenment and loving union with God.

In the dark night one experiences the impotence of human effort and the sheer gift of what only God can do. The loving presence of God liberates the person from imperfections and attachments as nothing that human efforts can effect. The dark night is God's work: it prepares the soul for union with God in love.

This poem was even made into a modern song by Loreena McKennitt.



Source: Keith J. Egan, "Darkness, Dark Night," The New Dictionary of Catholic Spirituality, Michael Downey, editor. Collegeville, Minnnesota: Liturgical Press, 1993. Page 247.

doodleee

drawn with Vinia using Doodle IMVironment. :)

:) it's 52 days 'til Christmas.




drawn by vinia and jaymee using Doodle IMVironment.

ako ay medyo happy

oo, may "medyo" dahil (sabi ng friend ko dati count my blessings daw):

- spaghetti ang food namin
- nag-Jolly shake kami nina dad and ate jo sa Jollibee BF!
- pumunta kaming BF, Parañaque. hay, home
- nagdrawing ako nang maraming-marami kanina, at pinagtripan namin ni ate jo ang mga drawing ko (hindi pantay ang paa at mas malaki ang isang taenga ni pooh, weird yung paa at duling yung palaka, cute yung kapre, walang sanga yung puno, etc)
- i could now play "Kapuri-puri Ka" sa guitar, tho mabagal pa ang transitions ng Bm, F#7 at isa pang chord that i forget what
- nagdrawing ako ng cute na ______ para sa secret :)
- vinia's "we're a pathways block"
- tinititigan ko ang picture niya sa HS yearbook namin... hahahaha. olats.
- 'di pa ako tapos sa pag-transcribe
- nakita ko si ate jojie sa Metrobank!
- 'di na tuloy ang block jj EK
- 'di ako makakapunta sa block jj lunch on monday
- ANI meeting on monday!
- cute IMVironments with vinia
- it's 619 days before WYD2008 @ Sydney, Australia
- wala pa ring laman ang God of Silence project ko, except the song
- may number na ulit si Allan!
- 'di ako nakasimba
- haha, diniscuss namin ni te erica ang tinitigan kong picture kanina. hahaha. super olats talaga.
- my pc is haunted. hahaha. because of eragon.

sikreto

ang sarap magkaroon ng sikreto.
iyong ako lamang ang nakakaalam.
iyong ang sarap isigaw sa buong mundo, pero ayaw ko kasi sa akin lamang dapat iyon.
iyong sobrang obvious na kung ano ang sikreto ko, pero hindi pa rin sigurado ang ibang tao kasi pinipilit ko talagang itago.
ang sarap ng pakiramdam na ako lamang nakakaalam kung ano ito, pero ngayon sinasabi ko na isang araw ang sikretong ito ay makakapagpangiti sa iba.


ang sarap magkaroon ng sikreto. :)

♥.

ayun

Dear Lord,

Bahala na po Kayo. Kung ano man ang gusto Niyo mangyari, tatanggapin ko wholeheartedly. At sana I have more patience with things, and also with myself.

Yun lang po. Hay, ang stress. Pero yun, I'm accepting these. Sabi Mo nga kanina, grace ito. Kaya salamat.

fully human, fully divine

In truth, all human beings are called to be saints,
But that just means called to be fully human… [and Christian]
The saints are simply those men and women
Who relish the event of life as a gift and realize
That the only way to honor such a gift is to give it away.
- W. Stringfellow

God of Silence

Manoling V. Francisco, SJ

The God of silence beckons me
To journey to my heart
Where He awaits
O Lord, I hear You calling tenderly
To You I come to gaze
At the beauty of Your face I cannot see

To rest in Your embrace I cannot feel
To dwell in Your love hurting but sweet
To be with You; to glimpse eternity

God of night, fount of all my delight.
Show Your light . . . that my heart, like Yours, burn bright.

Be still the torment of the night
Will not encumber you, if you believe
My child this darkness isn't emptiness
For here I mold your heart
Unto My image painfully you long to see

The self you yearn to be, but fear to know
The world from which you flee in Me find home
All these I give you, if you remain in Me

COUNTERPOINT:
I am ever here
My child, you need not fear
The dark will set you free
And bring your heart to Me

CODA:
The God of silence beckons me
To journey to my heart
Where He awaits me.


can you hear the silence?
isn't it so beautiful?

learning is a very slow process.

--

hay stress.
di na ako nakakatulog nang maayos. kanina 4am na ako nakatulog.

:(

DS

ayan, DS major pa rin ako. natanggal na ang prob status ko. ito ang email na galing kay Sir Land. syempre natuwa ako dahil safe na ako. paano ko nalaman na hindi ako bagsak? well, isang fact lang: I'm not a guy:

DS 112 grades are posted outside the office. Only two recent shiftees will be forced to leave the Program; one because he got an F in 112 and another one because he got a D in 112 and a C+ in 130. All the others (except for the student who was not able to take the exam with the others) are safe.