The Dark Night of the Soul

I’m getting so much from your videos, I’m having a bit of a Dark Night of the soul myself at the moment , first week clean from a 17 year pill addiction, all my usual comforts , even food and sleep are absent. The only relief for me right now is staying as close as possible to my Heavenly Father.

"If a man wishes to be sure of the road he treads on, he must close his eyes and walk in the dark" ~St. John of la Cross

I've once experienced 'the dark night of the soul' when on a 3 day Silent Retreat run by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart . I did a lot of reading on St John of the cross and found some parts very difficult to truly understand. During my prayers I asked our Lord that I might understand the loneliness and despair experienced by John of the Cross in The Dark night of the Soul. The next day after spiritual direction from my priest I decided to meditate on a task that I was given. Once in a deep meditative state I felt God's presence in the world abruptly Leave... I started to cry as if totally alone.. in a world where there was no love, God’s Love. God's presence was nowhere to be felt. My Soul was in a vacuum of nothingness and I wept & wept. I called out to God to come back but there was nothing. I felt vulnerable and I started to despair. This lasted about 10 minutes until I could bear it no more.... Then as quickly as God's presence left me God's presence returned like the warmth of the sun on a winter's day. When I came out of my meditative state my face was awash with tears but my heart was leaping with joy. I felt safe again in God's return, in God’s Love. I now truly understand when it is said that God loves us.. I now no longer take God's Love for granted because I know what it's like when it's not there.

“You’re not meant to fall in love with the consolation but with God” Bishop Barron

"In prayer we must not look for the consolations of God, but the God of consolations." ST. FRANCIS DE SALES

“If my petition is not compatible with God’s Holy Will, and what I ask for should not be granted; please pray that I may receive that which will be the greater benefit to my soul..” 🙏🏾❤️🙏🏾

i went to depression. it may not be the dark night of the soul as fr. barron said but it was where i met god again after grieving so much that ive been far away from him for too long. now im beyond that experience and glad god pulled me out in that state and experiencing now his mercy. day by day im praying to find joy and share the love that god has ignited and confirmed during my depressive episodes which i realized its all abt him.

Working on getting baptized in the Church! Going through the process because my wife and I have both been married before. So it’s not a fast journey. Bishop Barron is one of the reasons I want to become Catholic! Bishop Barron a second to none! I have absolutely fallen in love with the Catholic Faith! Wish I would’ve discovered a couple of decades ago, but such is life! Had to go through everything I’ve been through to get to where I’m at! God bless you Bishop Barron!

I really relish watching your videos Bishop Barron. I am in a way a Catholic that has become somewhat more Protestant but your insights are drawing me back to Catholicism.

“My only wish is to be forgotten But even that is wishing too much.” St. Therese

I wanted to thank you for your Rosary video's, I've always wanted to say the Rosary daily but I always found that I had forgotten to do it. Now as part of my routine, when I go to bed I load up that days rosary, pop on my wireless earphones and pray the Rosary with you before I fall asleep. Thank you so much for this, it's really a blessing.

I recently found St.John of the cross and fell in love with his poetry. I think often of his suffering and solitude, and how those negative things were transformed into joy through relationship with Jesus. I have a chronic illness that gives me suffering and solitude and helplessness. But those things have propelled me to God, the relationship only deepened by my suffering. And St. John reassures me that if I have absolutely nothing left, I will always have the joy of my relationship with the Lord. Thank you for all your discussions of the Saints; they always interest me and inspire me

My encounter with God involved light that enveloped me and His voice saying, “You are Mine.” That was 59 years ago when I was 15.

Praying the Rosary with you Bishop Barron it is a true gift of our Blessed Mother and Her Son to us that is being delivered so very beautifully and inspiring through you. God bless you.🙏

This has been 'more than illuminating'. Useful knowledge for those who might be serious about growth in spiritual life. Sincere thanks Bishop Barron☆

The topic discussion was just so amazing! I have just learned a lot of new things and I even got to finish half of my easter reflection that I will be presenting within our religious community here in Rome this Black Saturday! What's crazy about it was that I found myself sribbling a lot of notes, basically connecting these ideas to Marks' account on Jesus' Resurrection (the Gospel reading this Easter vigil celebration), without having finished the video yet! I just couldn't help myself and was afraid to lose the surge of ideas that came along while watching the video. Million thanks to you brandon and most especially to Bishop Barron for all the enlightening words and reflections! God's blessings to all those who have watched the video too!😊🙏❤

Amen! I love the intro to this video! It is so true! I am thankful for the dark night, so I was able to see The Light, literally. I love the Rend Collective song, Lighthouse! Today, if I ever start to need courage, or strength, I sing, and remember The Light shinning in the darkness. I am so thankful to God for Bishop Barron, and the Word on Fire ministry for talking about this topic.

Living with too much light . Finally I understand why I’m so decentralized and overwhelmed. In love with God’s will . Jesus please continue to help me navigate this state in which I’ve been in .

Always proud of you Bishop Barron. You got it! We love you!

How many of us think we’re going through The Dark Night of the Soul when we’re actually separated from God because of mortal sin on our souls which we may have forgotten about or are not aware of? It’s the same with suffering. Most of us who suffer see ourselves as Job. But Job was a righteous man. Are we truly righteous and suffering as a means of high moral testing? Or is our suffering a form of chastisement as a means of bringing our actions back into line with God’s will?