A Journey in SPIRIT Care

Saint John of the Cross describes two distinct stages of the dark night of the soul, each similar in that the senses are made largely inactive by God so that He can purify the soul from imperfections, and the movement of God in each stage "causes passively in the soul the negation of itself...in order to attain to living the sweet and delectable life of love with God." The two distinct stages of the dark night of the soul are known by distinct nomenclatures, also, "The first night or purgation is of the sensual part of the soul," (see Neal Gray's book "A Journey In SOUL Care"). And the second is of the spiritual part" (this book, "A Journey In SPIRIT Care"). John frequently refers to this second stage of the dark night of the soul as "the night of the spirit." In this dark night the purgation is spiritual, "wherein the soul is purged and stripped according to the spirit, and subdued and made ready for the union of love with God." According to Saint John not everyone enters into the spiritual dark night (the second stage), for he relays, "The night of sense is common and comes to many: these are the beginners...the night of the spirit is the portion of very few, and these are they that are already practiced and proficient."Saint John of the Cross is credited with exposing and writing about these periods of the "dark night of the soul," as one writer explains, "These dark nights are the trademark of St. John of the Cross.... They are periods of real growth, the night of sense occurring between the beginnings and proficiency, the night of the spirit after proficiency" (Doohan).In this little book, Dr. Gray walks us through the experience of this stage of the "Dark Night of the Soul," (called the "Dark Night of the Spirit"), helping the readers to "explored the dark night of the soul experience." This dark night of the spirit stage is the beginning of an extraordinary knowledge of God, and a divine revelation permeated with love! This "second night," focuses on the spiritual faculties, and also uproots the remaining imperfections of the sensory appetites and desires. Remember, our Savior Jesus told us, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" (Matthew 22:37). The Apostle writes, "to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace" (Romans 8:6). And, the psalmist, King David, testified to God, "I will love thee, O Lord, my strength" (Psalm 18:1). Hear how God loves you, and He longs for your loving expressions to Him, in Christ Jesus, with the unifying work of the Holy Spirit, "that they may be one, as we are" (see John 17:11).