Last Post on The Dark Night-Post 50: The Cardinal Virtues

Well, at least for a long while...I shall take a break from discussing the Dark Night. But, in this last post, let me note what St. John of the Cross tells us, that all the virtues are liberated and come to the fore in the Dark Night, finally coming into a greater power in the Illumination state. But, this Dark Night is the time for the maturation of faith, hope and love especially.

I want to mention just a few significant aspects of the Dark Night concerning the cardinal virtues.

One, the Dark Night is a grace. One can and must ask for this. Many people do not realize what they are experiencing and become disheartened or depressed, which is not necessary and hinders the process of learning to trust in God. This trust is an act of faith. The cardinal virtue becomes operative at a new level, as one cannot see clearly. 

The Dark Night is the time of faith. Living in faith is easier when God strips all away.

As a grace, a time of grace, one who knows what is happening has the advantage of resting in God to finish the task of purgation. David allowed himself to be purged of sin, and Saul did not. One became humble, and one remained proud. One became obedient, and one remained a rebel to the end. One accepted the truth and one did not. One king lived in faith, and the other lost his faith.

Two, one cannot become holy without suffering and in this suffering, hope is born. Suffering rids us of all that stands between us and God. Cooperating with suffering and becoming humble in the face of suffering is contrary to what most modern people think. One may feel alone in this suffering. Therefore, knowing that God is in control is of the utmost importance. Saul thought his suffering was all punishment from God, but he did not repent. He missed the point of redemption. He lost hope. Hope follows faith, and is the virtue which brings us confidence in what is not seen.

Three, the Dark Night brings self-knowledge and love. David loved God, but had to come to terrible self-knowledge before that final union of God could occur. He had to see his innermost evil and no longer lie to himself. Remember, he had a heart that was willing to be changed. Because of his great love for God, which overcame self-love and attachments to others, he finally came into union with Love, Who is God.

Timing is entirely up to God and as one learns both real patience and humility in the Dark Night, one can expect some length of time to be involved. However, I have known young people, in their early twenties or thirties, move through these stages of purgation fairly quickly, accepting suffering and resting in God.

The remembrance that God seeks us out to love us gets one through the hard times. God is always seeking us, but in the Dark Night, He changes the milestone.

St. John of the Cross is more clear on this stage than St. Teresa of Avila, simply because he has the theological and philosophical background to make it less mysterious and more accessible to the mind.

John explains what Teresa describes. Both are good,

St. David in the Psalms explains and describes his journey of purification, understanding this time of darkness moving into light. The fact that David could move from sin, to repentance, to the acceptance of suffering and judgment, to the realization that his sin was against God alone, to knowledge of his entire sinful state, to the understanding of the justice of God, and then to the knowledge of His deep mercy, are stages of intense spiritual growth. David ends up walking in faith and praising God, hoping, trusting Him and living in the Love Who is God.

Notice how that movement involves faith, hope and love, the cardinal virtues used and liberated in the Dark Night of the Soul,  a movement seen in this famous psalm of David.

Psalm 50 Miserere. The repentance and confession of David after his sin. The fourth penitential psalm. Douay Rheims

[1] Unto the end, a psalm of David, [2] When Nathan the prophet came to him after he had sinned with Bethsabee.

 [3] Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy. And according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my iniquity. [4] Wash me yet more from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. [5] For I know my iniquity, and my sin is always before me.

[6] To thee only have I sinned, and have done evil before thee: that thou mayst be justified in thy words and mayst overcome when thou art judged. [7] For behold I was conceived in iniquities; and in sins did my mother conceive me. [8] For behold thou hast loved truth: the uncertain and hidden things of thy wisdom thou hast made manifest to me. [9] Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow. [10] To my hearing thou shalt give joy and gladness: and the bones that have been humbled shall rejoice.

[11] Turn away thy face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. [12] Create a clean heart in me, O God: and renew a right spirit within my bowels. [13] Cast me not away from thy face; and take not thy holy spirit from me. [14] Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and strengthen me with a perfect spirit. [15] I will teach the unjust thy ways: and the wicked shall be converted to thee.

[16] Deliver me from blood, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall extol thy justice. [17] O Lord, thou wilt open my lips: and my mouth shall declare thy praise. [18] For if thou hadst desired sacrifice, I would indeed have given it: with burnt offerings thou wilt not be delighted.[19] A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit: a contrite and humbled heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. [20] Deal favourably, O Lord, in thy good will with Sion; that the walls of Jerusalem may be built up.

[21] Then shalt thou accept the sacrifice of justice, oblations and whole burnt offerings: then shall they lay calves upon thy altar.

Now, I have written on all these points at length in the perfection series as well, but I just wanted to remind you of these simple truths with regard to the cardinal virtues.