September 20

Today’s Readings: Psalm 1 & 87; Hosea 1:1-2:1; Luke 11:27-36; Revelation 21:9-17

The language used in the last portion of today’s Gospel reading really resonated with my recent experiences. This is the portion of the passage (Luke 11:33-36) that uses the analogy of a light and the bushel. The notions of light and darkness feature prominently in this passage. During my sabbatical, I had the chance to explore the mystic stream of the Christian tradition. One of the things I read was a collection of St John of the Cross’ work. One of his works that was excerpted in the collection I read was St John’s The Dark Night. Reading the work brought an interesting insight about light and darkness – epseically in regard to what can initiate periods of darkness in the soul. St John talks of a process of cleansing or purging one’s soul and a period of darkness that often descends as a result of this purging process. He wrote: “Moreover, the soul should leave aside all its former peace because it is prepared by means of this contemplative night to attain inner peace… that former peace was not truly peace because it was clothed with many imperfections… it seemed to be a twofold peace, sensory and spiritual… this sensory and spiritual peace, since it is still imperfect, must first be purged; the soul’s peace must be disturbed and taken away [emphasis added].” In a sense, these words have related to the challenges of my readjustment following my sabbatical experience. The peace, joy, and clarity which I experienced during my sabbatical was both a gift and a challenge in that it called me to live into new awarenesses and ways of being – things not necessarily easily transferable into some of my old patterns and routines. As a result, at times over the past month some of my soul’s peace has indeed been disturbed and taken away. Today’s reading from the Gospel of Luke invites me to look forward to that time when my “whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark” (Luke 11:36). St John of the Cross’ words, however, gave me a sense of perspective about the challenges of working through unavoidable periods of darkness to fully experience that light. Til next time…