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Dawning Light of the Gift of Contemplation – St. John of the Cross: Master of Contemplation with Fr. Donald Haggerty
Fr. Donald Haggerty discusses St. John of the Cross’s teachings on the early stages of contemplative prayer, focusing on the transition from meditative prayer to the reception of contemplative graces. Many souls struggle during this period, feeling frustration and dryness when their usual methods of prayer no longer yield the same consolation. This period, described in St. John’s writings, can become a spiritual crossroads where misunderstanding can hinder growth, potentially leading to stagnation. It’s necessary to have proper guidance to help souls recognize and cooperate with God’s deeper work, even in the absence of consolations.
He also contrasts this experience with St. Ignatius of Loyola’s teaching on desolation, noting that St. John of the Cross is addressing a different kind of interior struggle—one not marked by a loss of faith or desire for God, but rather a shift in how grace operates in the soul. Many well-intentioned individuals, including religious and laypeople, mistakenly try to force previous methods of prayer, not realizing that God is calling them to a new way of relating to Him.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
- The Transition from Meditative to Contemplative Prayer: How have you experienced moments in prayer where familiar methods no longer bring the same sense of connection or consolation, and how did you respond?
- Spiritual Crossroads and Interior Growth: When faced with dryness or difficulty in prayer, do you persist in previous methods, or do you seek to understand how God may be inviting you to deeper trust?
- The Role of Spiritual Direction: If access to a trained spiritual director is limited, how can you seek guidance through the wisdom of the saints, particularly St. John of the Cross, in navigating deeper prayer?
- Discerning Desolation and Contemplative Grace: In times of spiritual dryness, how do you distinguish between the desolation that calls for perseverance and the invitation to surrender to a new mode of prayer?
- Trusting God’s Hidden Work in the Soul: How can you cultivate a greater trust in God’s work in your prayer life, even when it feels unclear or different from past experiences?
An excerpt from St. John of the Cross: Master of Contemplation
“We are ready now to take up the teaching of Saint John of the Cross on contemplation. However, it can be beneficial to ease a bit into the subject, which is what Saint John of the Cross does in his writings. On a few occasions, for instance, he mentions a primary motive for him in taking up his pen. A matter of critical importance for him—“extremely necessary to so many souls” (AMC Prologue 3)—is the harm done to souls who do not recognize the initial symptoms of contemplative graces and do not adjust their approach to prayer accordingly. The failure to advance into contemplation when the grace is being offered is, for him, a great misfortune. A lack of understanding is the obvious reason and an excuse of sorts; nonetheless, this ignorance is consequential and requires remedy.
The loss is inestimable, not just to particular souls, but to the vast fruitfulness that a contemplative soul can bear for the sake of others. Saint John of the Cross wastes no time in bringing up the issue. The first pages of the Prologue to The Ascent of Mount Carmel express his lament. When he refers to the “dark night” in the following passage, he is referring to the initial experience of purification that occurs as the grace of contemplation commences. What should not be missed in this passage is also the opening phrase. The initial graces of contemplative prayer do not presume the rarity of a saintly life, but a life sincerely engaged in a wholehearted pursuit of virtue.”
Haggerty, Donald. Saint John of the Cross: Master of Contemplation (p. 158). Ignatius Press. Kindle Edition.
