The Gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Dark Night of the Senses

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The Gifts of the Holy SpiritThe Gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Night of the Sensesin the Night of the Senses

based on St. John of the Cross

Mount Saint Mary'sMount Saint Mary's

SeminarySeminaryEmmitsburg, MD. USA.Emmitsburg, MD. USA.

by

Omar [email protected]

Date: December 08, 2006 Approed !y: Feast of the Immaculate Conception

A "esearc# writing pro$ect s%bmitted in partial f%lfillment of t#ere&%irements for t#e 'aster of Arts degree program in (#eology.

)n con$%nction wit# t#e *lectie +o%rse:-(06 / (#emes: ifts1+#arisms3oly pirit

econd (#eology 4all 2006


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IINTRODUCTIONNTRODUCTION )n t#is paper we will s#ow t#e relations#ip between t#e ifts of t#e 3oly pirit, t#e t#ree

stages of spirit%al life and t#e 5ig#t of t#e enses as described by t. o#n of t#e +ross in #iswor7 Dark Night 9. ;e intend t#is paper to be a didactic paper, and so we proide afo%ndational %nderstanding of t#e #%man person, describing t#e powers of t#e so%l, and t#eirrelations#ip. ;e will t#en e


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corr%pts. (#e so%l wit#o%t t#e body remains alie, b%t is notorio%sly incomplete. nfort%nately,in o%r age, t#e body is e


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(#e appetitie power, as s#own in )ll%stration 2 is composed of two aspects: t#e will and t#esens%al appetites. (#e will orders t#e person to t#at good w#ic# is %niersal, for e


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so%l are called virtues.

(#e inf%sed irt%es are t#ose w#ic# can not be obtained by repeated action. (#ey m%st beinf%sed by od in t#e so%l. (#e t#ree primary inf%sed irt%es are 4ait#, 3ope and +#arity, andt#e ordinary way to ac&%ire t#em is t#ro%g# baptism. (#ese irt%es are special not only in t#efact t#at t#ey are inf%sed by od, b%t also in t#e fact t#at t#e ob$ect of t#ese irt%es is not anycreated t#ing, b%t od #imself. (#e t#eological irt%es dispose +#ristians to lie in a

relations#ip wit# t#e 3oly (rinity. (#ey #ae t#e One and (ri%ne od for t#eir origin, motie,and ob$ect.9

4ait# is t#e t#eological irt%e by w#ic# we beliee in od and beliee all t#at #e #as saidand reealed to %s, and t#at 3oly +#%rc# proposes for o%r belief, beca%se 3e is tr%t# itself9 2

!y means of 4ait#, t#e intellect is able to recogniFe as certain and tr%e t#e articles of 4ait#. )t isby means of t#e irt%e of 4ait# t#at t#e person beliees and 7nows wit# certainty t#at od ist#ree in One, and t#at od ass%med #%man nat%re in t#e person of es%s. 4ait#, alt#o%g#certain, is also obsc%re, beca%se most of t#e tr%t#s of 4ait# s%rpass t#e ability of t#e intellect tocompre#end t#em.

3ope is t#e t#eological irt%e by w#ic# we desire t#e 7ingdom of #eaen and eternal life aso%r #appiness, placing o%r tr%st in +#rists promises and relying not on o%r own strengt#, b%ton t#e #elp of t#e grace of t#e 3oly pirit9>. (#e irt%e of 3ope allows t#e ;ill to want wit#firmness somet#ing t#at is impossible to obtain by o%rseles, namely %nion wit# od, eternallife. (#e irt%e of 3ope allows %s to tr%st wit# certainty t#at od will f%lfill #is promise, and t#at3e will gie %s eternal life if we do o%r part.

+#arity is t#e t#eological irt%e by w#ic# we loe od aboe all t#ings for #is own sa7e,and o%r neig#bor as o%rseles for t#e loe of od9?. )t is by means of #e irt%e of +#arity t#atwe are constantly inclined towards od, t#at we desire %nion wit# 3im, t#at we see7 3im andloe #im, and want to 7now 3im. )t is t#e irt%e t#at allows %s to loe neig#bor for t#e sa7e ofod, and not for any selfis# reason. (#is irt%e is lost as soon as mortal sin is committed, andis recoered by means of confession.

(#e irt%e of +#arity is e


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As we will see later, t#e ifts of t#e 3oly pirit allow %s to be moed from wit#o%t: by od3imself. (#ey are li7ened to t#e sail in t#e s#ip, w#ic# allows t#e wind i.e. (#e 3oly piritC tomoe t#e s#ip6. (#e ifts #oweer, perfect t#e irt%es, and t#e loftiest p%rpose of t#e ifts isto allow %s to reac# t#e perfection of t#e irt%es of 4ait#, 3ope and +#arity w#ic# dispose %s tolie t#e (rinitarian Life. 4ait# and 3ope dont e


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)n t#e %nitie way, or t#e way of t#e perfect, t#e person is immersed in t#e Loe of od,especially in t#e ordinary actiity of eery day, and t#e ifts of t#e 3oly pirit manifestt#emseles more clearly and fre&%ently at t#is stage. As s#own in t#e fig%re, t#e stagesrepresent t#e growt# of +#arity in t#e so%l, and t#is growt# is manifested in different ways int#e different stages. )t is important to note t#at t#e diision between t#e stages is not amat#ematically rigoro%s diision, and od can moe a so%l from one stage to anot#er in a erys#ort or long period of time.

(#e t#eological irt%es of 4ait#, 3ope and Loe and t#e ifts of t#e 3oly pirit are presentin all t#ree stages as long as t#e person remains in t#e state of grace i.e. mortal sins #aebeen confessedC. (#e difference is w#et#er t#e growt# in c#arity is e The theoogica virtue is ost if the morta sin opposes the virtue direct%. 8or e:ampe, 7ope is ost if the sin is despairB8aith is ost if the sin is unbeief cf. 8r. eginad 6arrigouD+agrange. The Three Ages of the $nterior +ife. Tan boo#s and*ubishers, $nc. oc#ford, $+. 1=2;. o. 1. p. 95.3

1= cf. 8r. eginad 6arrigouD+agrange. The Three Ages of the $nterior +ife. Tan boo#s and *ubishers, $nc. oc#ford, $+.1=2;. o. 1. p. ;;.

/ Just as the stages are not rigorous% divided, so aso the nights compenetrate each other. The Night of the Spirit competeswhat the Night of the Senses began. The% are intertwined ?ust as the bod% and the sou are intertwined in a person.

1 8r. Aumann is of the opinion that the )i&ht of the Spirit occurs when the sou is “we underwa%! in the unitive wa%, andis meant to prepare the person for what is caed the “transforming union! which is the ast phase of the unitive wa%. $n thetransforming union the person enters the spiritua marriage with 6od. This opinion has its merit, and 8r. Aumann gives aver% good reason to hod it cf. Antonio o%o, -.*. and Jordan Aumann, -.*. Theoog% of Christian *erfection. The*rior% *ress. "ubu0ue, $-EA. 1=5. p. (23 . 8r. 6arrigouD+agrange and 8r. Cirsogno, on the other hand, hod theopinion that the )i&ht of the Spirit mar#s the passage between the iuminative and the unitive wa%. $ beieve that bothopinions are not necessari% contradictor%, but discussion of this particuar 0uestion ies outside the scope of the paper.

$ use the term night of the “spirit! and not night of the “sou! because this is the term used b% St. John of the Cross in theorigina Spanish.

The 6ifts of the 7o% Spirit in the Night of the Senses ; The +ight of 6od& The "ar# Nights


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As t#e fig%re s#ows, t#e 5ig#t of t#e enses and t#e 5ig#t of t#e pirit are interconnected,and t. o#n e 3

The 6ifts of the 7o% Spirit in the Night of the Senses > The +ight of 6od& The "ar# Nights

Illustration 0 The dar ni&hts of St. 2ohn of the Cross

I l l u m i n

a t i $ e

# a y Uniti$eUniti$e

#ay#ay

Growth of CharityGrowth of Charity

D a r k N i g h t

o f t h e S e

n s e s

= % r g a t i

e

w a y

D a r k N

i g h t

o f t h e S p i r i t

Specially Gifts

and Theological Virtues

Specially Cardinal Virtues

and Gifts in a lesser degree

Primarily eliminate

Mortal Sin

L i g h t o f G o d ' s L o e

p r e s e n t t h r o u g h o u t


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t. o#n %ses t#e name enses9 to refer to t#e sensitie or sens%al part of t#e so%l eent#o%g# t#e intellect and will are also affectedC, w#ereas t#e word pirit9 is %sed to signify t#eery s%bstance of t#e so%l w#ic# only od can to%c#.

Passi$e an A*ti$e aspe*tPassi$e an A*ti$e aspe*t

)n addition to t#e distinction between t#e Night of the Senses and t#e Night of the Spirit t.

o#n also disting%is#es between passive and active nig#ts. !assive nights refers to t#e aspectof t#e nig#ts in w#ic# "od operates on the person as a surgeon removing a tumor . #ctivenight refers to the person acting in order to purge himself of all imperfections, as a persone


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t#erefore t#e irt%es also dispose %s to obey t#e 3oly pirit. (#is concl%sion is correct.5onet#eless, t#e irt%es dont dispose %s directl' to obey t#e 3oly pirit. 'oreoer, t#e irt%esare #abits w#ic# operate in a #%man manner modo humano). (#e ifts of t#e 3oly pirit ont#e contrary, as t. (#omas points o%t, are called spirits9 in t#e boo7 of )saia#, and t#ereforedenote a movement from &ithout , a moement t#at comes directly from od>>. (#e iftst#erefore, in contrast wit# t#e irt%es, dont operate in a #%man way b%t rat#er in a Diine waymodo DiinoC: it is "od himself &ho moves man b' means of the "ifts .

(#is is a ery important distinction, beca%se it allows %s to concl%de t#at t#e ifts operatedirectly only in t#e passive aspect of the nights. )t is beca%se of t#is reason t#at weconcentrate only on t#e Night of the Senses in t#e Dark Night of the Soul , and not in t#e

#scent of %ount Carmel *+.

(#e tradition of t#e +#%rc# #as identified seen ifts of t#e 3oly pirit according to t#e te. (#e gifts are ;isdom and nderstanding, +o%nsel and 4ortit%de, Hnowledge,=iety and 4ear of t#e Lord.

All t#e gifts, li7e t#e irt%es, are rooted in c#arity. (#e gifts, li7e t#e irt%es, are deeplyconnected, one gift can not be present if t#e ot#ers are not present. (#ey are, as it were, li7e

t#e fingers of a #and. (#ey grow toget#er, b%t if t#e #and is present t#en it #as all t#e fingers.)n t#e same way, if t#e t#eological irt%e of +#arity is present in t#e so%l, t#en t#e person #asall t#e ifts>B. (#e connection e


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in t%rn, +#arity depends on t#e presence of t#e 3oly pirit in %s. (#is is w#y t#e person inmortal sin loses t#e ifts, beca%se mortal sin e6

.(#ere are two ifts w#ose action is perceied more d%ring t#e passie aspect of t#e nig#ts:

t#e ift of 4ear of t#e Lord and t#e ift of nderstanding>E. ;e will e. (#is type of fear does not belong to t#e ift of 4ear of t#e Lord, een t#o%g#it co%ld proceed from t#e 3oly pirit. )t is, as it were, t#e imperfect stage of fear.

2C Filial Fear : t#is is t#e fear of od in so far as we can offend #im, detract from #iseC Re$erential Fear : t#is is t#e fear of od in so far as we see o%r not#ingness in t#epresence of #is infinite ma$esty and grande%r9, it corresponds to c#aste loe?.

(#e ift of 4ear of t#e Lord is a moement away from anyt#ing t#at can separate %s fromod, from any attac#ment to creat%res t#at co%ld ca%se %s to sin. (#ere are t#ree primary

irt%es perfected by t#e ift of 4ear of t#e Lord. )t perfects t#e irt%e of #%mility to preent %sfrom loing o%rseles in a disorderly manner, see7ing to satisfy o%r desires t#ro%g# createdt#ings een t#o%g# t#ey wo%ld separate %s from od?2. )t perfects t#e irt%e of #ope, beca%set#is destroys pres%mption?>, w#ereby man t#in7s t#at #e can satisfy #is own desires t#ro%g#t#e created order. And it perfects t#e irt%e of temperance so t#at t#e appetites are moderatedaccording to reason allowing t#e person to #ae t#e rig#t desires for created t#ings.

The Gift of UnerstaningThe Gift of Unerstaning

(#e ift of nderstanding is gien to ill%mine t#e intelligence of man, to ma7e #im 7now t#e

(5 $bid., sed contra.(; en. *. Maestro 8ra% Juan de Santo Tomas, -.*. Tr. % Notas 8r. $gnacio MenFnde, -.*. 'os 3ones del 7sp*ritu Santo y

la Perfecci8n Cristiana. p. 9;>, Nota “S!.(> The 6ift of Eisdom is aso present in the Night of the Senses, but in a esser manner and the person genera% has no

consciousness of it. The person gradua% becomes aware of contempation as the Night of the Senses ends and the Nightof the Spirit begins.

(= $bid., p. 9;=2/ $bid.21 $bid.2 cf. $bid., p. 9>/.2( cf. $bid., p. 9>/.

The 6ifts of the 7o% Spirit in the Night of the Senses 11 A movement from without& The 6ifts of the 7o% Spirit


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spirit%al t#ings by irt%e of a certain conat%rality of affection, and of a certain e


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At t#is stage t#e irascible and conc%piscible appetites are not aligned wit# t#e intellect andt#e will. (#e person 7nows od wit# t#e )ntellect and desires od wit# #is ;ill, b%t 3e is%nable to control #is appetites and instead of 7nowing and loing od as 3e tr%ly is, #e loesod as a so%rce of consolations. (#is #appens in a manner t#at is generally not conscio%s.

;#en t#e person doesnt e Cf. "N, $, (, 1D2= “G...H y con leche sabrosa y man-ar blando y dulce le cr*a, y en sus bra+os le trae y le re&ala. Pero, a la medida que #a

creciendo, le #a la madre quitando el re&alo y, escondiendo el tierno amor, pone el amar&o ac*bar en el dulce pecho, y, aba-ndole de los bra+os, le hace andar por su pie, porque, perdiendo las propiedades de ni9o, se d/ a cosas ms &randes y sustanciales.! "N $, 1, 3

The 6ifts of the 7o% Spirit in the Night of the Senses 1( The 6ifts of the 7o% Spirit in the Night of the Senses

Illustration : State of the Soul before the )i&ht of Sense, after mortal sin has been eliminated

(uman !erson

) r a s c i b l e

+ o n

c % p i s c i b l e

; i l l

) n t e l l

e c t

GoGo

,pirit%al $oyand consolations

are proidedby 0od

Person Seeks Godin spiritual things

Person is orderedto self in a way that is not sinful,

seeks God inspiritual consolation,many imperfections

Sensitive appetites

are not ordered to

the intellect and the

will

)ntellect and ;ill see70od in consolation


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t#ings, and t#is is proided by t#e ift of 4ear of t#e Lord. ;it# t#e ift of t#e 4ear of t#e Lordt#e 3oly pirit will moe t#e so%l away from t#e %nmoderated loe of spirit%al consolations,and will ca%se t#e so%l to e


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(#e ift of nderstanding now gies t#e so%l a p%rified e


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person loes wit# t#e Loe of od t#ro%g# t#e irt%e of +#arity and t#e ift of ;isdom, incoordination wit# all t#e ot#er ifts and Girt%es w#ic# reac# t#eir ma

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Dark Night of the Senses

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