The dark ray of St John of the Cross

The poem below has been sent in by Kathy Twist of the Welshpool OCDS group. Such contributions are welcomed from OCDS members.

The Dark Ray of St John of the Cross

or "I do not know what it is I know"

Pellucid blindness

drawing my doubtful hurrying

down into loftier learning

with thoughtless, surer emptiness!

Silent, this deafening stillness,

this vivid , throbbing void

that wakes up nothingness

in senseless revelation!

O voice that conveys,

in utter quiet excitement,

the obscure so darkly brilliant,

truth in unheard wisdom!

Your spark the shock of serenity,

the darkening of enlightening

and I wonder what it is I know

suspended in this gifted peace - to wait.

Kathy Twist 1/6/25

Kathy adds this quotation:

"By God's grace, if a person enters the state of nada, the divine darkness begins to feed them with a higher knowledge through the ray of darkness which is so-called because it leaves no special knowledge in the intellect and no decipherable image in the memory, though it leaves an increased love and longing for God within the will. Such contemplation is a gift from God. All we can do is dispose ourselves to receive it!"

Ascent to Nothingness by Alex Kurian CMI

Intercessions:

Cancer: Brian Davis, Marie, Bernard (and wife Angela caring for him), Jacqui, Sue B, Theresa K, Fr Jon

Siena, Elara – sick children

Wojtek – massive heart attack leaving him incapacitated

David OCDS – housebound; Martin Gilham – unable to attend community meetings

Sophia – blind infant

Joy Smith OCDS – seriously ill

Grace – troubling ailments, job difficulties, family (deceased mother and health of father)