AS YOU LOOK AT THE DAY BEFORE YOU, YOU SEE A TWISTED, COMPLICATED PATH, WITH BRANCHES GOING OFF IN ALL DIRECTIONS. YOU WONDER HOW YOU CAN POSSIBLY FIND YOUR WAY THROUGH THAT MAZE. THEN YOU REMEMBER THE ONE WHO IS WITH YOU ALWAYS, HOLDING YOU BY YOUR RIGHT HAND. YOU RECALL MY PROMISE TO GUIDE YOU WITH MY COUNSEL, AND YOU BEGIN TO RELAX. AS YOU LOOK AGAIN AT THE PATH AHEAD, YOU NOTICE THAT A PEACEFUL CLOUD HAS SETTLED OVER IT, OBSCURING YOUR VIEW. YOU CAN SEE ONLY A FEW STEPS IN FRONT OF YOU, SO YOU TURN YOUR ATTENTION MORE FULLY TO ME AND BEGIN TO ENJOY MY PRESENCE.
THE CLOUD IS A PROTECTION FOR YOU, CALLING YOU BACK INTO THE PRESENT MOMENT. ALTHOUGH I INHABIT ALL OF SPACE AND TIME, YOU CAN COMMUNICATE WITH ME ONLY HERE AND NOW. SOMEDAY THE CLOUD WILL NO LONGER BE NECESSARY, FOR YOU WILL HAVE LEARNED TO KEEP YOUR FOCUS ON ME AND ON THE PATH JUST AHEAD OF YOU.
PSALM 73:23-24; 1 CORINTHIANS 13:12
Loreena McKennitt – Contemplative Soul Music
Thursday, May 13th, 2010The Dark Night of the Soul, performed by Loreena McKennitt Loreena McKennitt performs a song called “Dark Night of the Soul” inspired by St. John of the Cross. She sings about the love of God and the pursuit of it in this song.
If you like ‘The Dark Night of the Soul’ and all that it implies, you should look into reading ‘The Cloud of Unknowing’ by an anonymous author in 1375. There are more than a few present day English translations that make for a bit more easy reading than the 14th century English in which it was written. It speaks of the apophatic approach to ‘knowing’, trusting and allowing God. It is precisely pursuit of the internal mystical relationship with God via the path of allowing and consenting to God being with you through the vehicle of trust. The Dark Night of the Soul will make more sense after reading this! I have the olde english version here as a free download, and it can be bought on some of the web bookstores for only a few dollars. I am re-reading it after many times.
Tags: allowing God, clifford wolters, cloud, cloud of forgetting, cloud of unknowing, contemplative prayer, dark night of the soul, intent to consent, will to will, william johnston
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