One Dark Night: A Review of the Dark Night of the Soul by St John of the Cross

In reading the “Stanzas of the Soul” which are the beginning point from which St John of the Cross sets out in his, “Dark Night of the Soul,” one gets the sense of a secret lover’s tryst. The lover sneaks out under cover of night, perhaps even climbing down a rose covered trellis into the shadows. One can feel the giddiness of delight, the euphoric joy of the lover at the imminent prospect of finding (and being found by) the Beloved in the mysterious blackness of the night. One can imagine the moon keeping vigil above, perhaps casting the shadowy silhouette of the Beloved whose presence gives the lover such thrilling joy. The soul seems to gasp, “There is my Beloved, so beautiful beyond all telling!” The faintest sign of him brings ecstatic sighs. In this scene, the peace is palpable. All that stirs is a breeze through the trees. One can see, in dim and shadowy shades, the embrace of lover and Beloved. The lover makes herself content, filled with joy that her Beloved should rest serenely upon her breast. She kept her beauty for him, untainted and untarnished. The shy flush of love makes her the more beautiful. In the still dark, the union is intimate and secret; none are present but the Lover and Beloved. This is the starting point from which one must set about journeying through St. John’s exposition of ‘The Dark Night of the Soul.’

The Dark Night of the Soul is an exposition on the first three stanzas of St John’s poem mentioned above, which read thus:

"One dark night,

fired with love’s urgent longings

---Ah the Sheer grace!---

I went out unseen,

my house being now all stilled.

In darkness, and secure,

By the secret ladder, disguised,

---ah, the sheer grace!---

In darkness and concealment,

My house being now all stilled.

On that glad night,

In secret, for no one saw me,

Nor did I look at anything,

With no other light for guide

Than the one that burned in my heart."

The Dark Night of the Soul is an incredibly deep and beautiful work of spiritual literature. In it, John of the Cross, a great mystic and Saint of the Catholic Church provides guidance, springing from intimate personal experience, to persons wishing to draw closer to God. St John (through his own saintly life and relationship with God) blazed a trail toward union with God and left signs and markers along the way for those persons who also wish to undertake the same journey.  

The Dark Night of the Soul may be roughly divided into two sections: the first section is his explanation of what he calls ‘the dark night of the senses’ and the second is his explanation of, ‘the dark night of the soul.’ The former is more prevalently experienced and generally occurs in most persons who have exercised themselves for some period of time in virtue. The latter, is reserved only for a few, as the wisdom of God sees fit.

The book begins with an introduction of sorts into the state of beginners in the spiritual life. They are already ‘turned towards God’ so to speak and exercise themselves fairly consistently in goodness as they know how and are capable. This steadiness and consistency in virtue is the prerequisite for entering into the dark night of the senses, which is the first (and often the only) night the soul experiences. St John enumerates the many ways these souls suffer from imperfections (prior to purgation in the night of the senses) because their love of God is still very much mixed with love of self, disordered affections, and reliance on the senses. Through the dark night of the senses, God desires, “to withdraw [those beginners] from this base manner of loving and lead them to a higher degree of divine love.”

To St. John, the sensory and spiritual parts of the soul are interconnected; that is to say, the human person is a composite. Thus the one feeds off the other; the sensory and spiritual parts of the soul naturally affect each-other because human persons are a body-soul composite. In light of this, “God introduces people into this dark night to purge their senses, and to accommodate, subject, and unite the lower part of the soul to the spiritual part by darkening it.”

Prior to the dark night of the senses, the soul experiences much sensible consolation in devotions and prayers. “[G]race causes it to taste sweet and delectable milk.” Yet, God loves the soul too much to leave it this way; as the soul grows, its relationship with God grows as well. St John uses the analogy of a mother with her young child to describe the relationship. In order for the soul to “put aside the habits of childhood and grow accustomed to greater and more important things,” God, “like a loving mother,” withdraws the comforts he had given initially as a help to the soul in gaining devotion. This is the beginning of the dark night of the senses. This is the beginning also, of God’s teaching the soul of contemplation, “a secret and peaceful and loving inflow of God.” This contemplation, St John says, is what he meant in the poem when he wrote, “Fired with love’s urgent longings.”

The soul begins to experience aridity in prayer and difficulty and dryness in the will. In addition, the memory and intellect which formerly were a great aid in prayer are darkened. The “discursive meditation” by which the soul was formerly able to meditate using its imagination and understanding to focus in prayer is rendered ineffective. The soul feels that it has been “abandoned by God” because it does not experience him in the way in which it was accustomed, and is thus inconsolable. Yet even in this darkness, an interior “strength and energy to work” remains in the soul along with a solicitous and painstaking attentiveness to God’s service. As St. John says, “[T]he soul is beginning to taste the food of the strong.”

The graces of this first night are many. “The first and chief benefit … is the knowledge of self and of one’s own misery.” Without all of the consolations, the soul becomes more sober and begins to see itself as it truly is. Too, by depriving the soul of the help of the senses, the soul gains mastery over them and is no longer hindered by them in its efforts at virtue. St. John says referencing his poem, that this purgation of the senses is the, “sheer grace,” by which the soul, “went out unseen.” ‘Unseen’ means that the soul is no longer subject to the slavery of the senses, and is able to love God more perfectly. St John refers to the state of such a soul in his poem saying, “My house being now all stilled.”

Yet still Saint John says, that the “sensitive purgation… serves more for the accommodation of the senses to the spirit than for the union of the spirit with God.” Though the soul has made tremendous progress and loves God greatly in this state, yet there are still imperfections in the soul which only the ‘dark night of the spirit’ can cleanse. The dark night of the soul attends to ‘pulling up the roots’ of these imperfections, where the night of sense attended to ‘cutting off’ the various outward expressions.

In this night of the spirit, the soul experiences profound and unmitigated darkness. The soul, “feels that it is melting away and being undone by a cruel spiritual death.” The soul is removed even more drastically from every consolation; God, it feels, has forsaken it, as has every other creature. The soul is assailed with doubts and fears, which shake the it to the core. The torment of the night of the spirit, St. John says, is far worse than the night of the senses, such that, “the soul would consider death a relief.”

So much suffering can be disconcerting even to read about, especially when in reference to the action of a supremely good God in a devout soul. Yet, as St John explains, the suffering that the soul experiences in this night does not come from God, but springs rather from the soul’s own imperfection which makes it unprepared to fully receive divine light. St John says that, “[t]he clearer and more obvious divine things are in themselves, the darker and more hidden they are to the soul naturally.” Therefore, although God may be shedding the most brilliant of lights on the soul, this will initially be the occasion of deep darkness and great torment according to the measure of its own spiritual ‘blindness.’ The soul becomes painfully aware of its own wretchedness in comparison with the majesty of God and is convinced that God must ‘abhor it.’

Here St. John begins his explanation of the dark night of the soul by means of the second stanza of his poem.

"In darkness, and secure,

By the secret ladder, disguised,

---ah, the sheer grace!---

In darkness and concealment,

My house being now all stilled."

“In darkness and secure” means that the soul is not more prone to falling because of its sufferings in this night. Its hiddenness (departure from the senses) protects it from the cunning of the devil and the allurements of the world. The “secret ladder” refers to God’s new communication with the soul through what Saint John refers to as, “infused contemplation.” Whereas, before the soul played a more active role in occupying itself at prayer through meditation, now the soul must remain inactive and ‘passive’ to the action of God within it. “Disguised,” St John explains through an analogy on faith, hope, and charity. “Faith is an inner tunic of pure whiteness” that “blinds the sight of every intellect” and thus conceals her from the devil. Hope is “a green coat of mail… by which the soul is defended and freed from … the world” because it no longer takes stock of worldly things but fixes its eyes on heaven. Finally,  charity is “a precious red toga,” through which, “the soul receives protection and concealment from the flesh.” The soul proclaims that the progress God has worked in it, that has brought it to this state is a, “sheer grace.” “[D]arkness and concealment” refers to the way in which God, through this new communication of contemplation, safeguards the soul from the interference of its enemies. As this pure and divinely infused contemplation does not take recourse to the senses, the evil one has no means of knowing about it, thus the soul is hidden. “My house being now all stilled,” is now repeated in this stanza in reference to both the sensory and spiritual parts of the soul. According to St. John, this means that, “the two parts of the soul are wholly at rest and strengthened.

St John finished with a short explanation of the third stanza of his poem in order to provide a little extra light on the topic before concluding his treatise.

"On that glad night,

In secret, for no one saw me,

Nor did I look at anything,

With no other light for guide

Than the one that burned in my heart."

The soul is described as being single-focused in the state referenced by this stanza, with no other desire but to find the ‘Beloved.’ Without even, “being able to look at anything,” the soul sprints, never checking up in pursuit of its Lord. In this pursuit, its guide is sure, because love alone burns in its heart and lights the way. The soul has been perfectly purified in sense and spirit. St John here leaves to the imagination, the raptures this soul will now experience, finally freed from itself and able to be dissolved into the Beloved.

Image Credits

https://ijboudreaux.com/category/dark-night-of-the-soul/

http://www.shakespeare-navigators.com/romeo/T22.html

http://brianalger.com/dark-night-of-the-soul-2/

Product is available for purchase at:

https://www.amazon.com/Collected-Ascent-Spiritual-Canticle-Letters/dp/0935216154

Reform and Radicalism: Where Luther and the Reformation Went Wrong

Reform and Radicalism: Where Luther and the Reformation Went Wrong

Since its inception, the Protestant Reformation has been the subject of endless debate, discussion, and study for Christian scholars. The theological shift which this movement engendered is poignantly felt to this day. Catholics still bemoan the dire consequences of disunity that have resulted. Countless Protestants born into this tradition decades later, have no adequate idea of the nature of the Church their ancestors broke away from or what they lost by the division. Though the Reformation began as a movement for real and needed reform within the Church, it ended in a most cavernous schism. The question arises, “Why did this radical break occur?” and similarly, “Where did the Reformation go wrong in its efforts at reform?”

The Catholic Church, at the time of the Reformation was, indeed, in need of reform. The abuses in the Church were widespread and problematic. It seems that many of the Church’s problems were tied to money. Multiplication of benfices (salaried positions within the clergy) was the unfortunate problem of a single clergy member holding several ecclesiastical titles so as to increase his monetary gain. This led to absenteeism, the reality that a single person, even though bearing many titles, could not keep up with the accompanying responsibilities. Thus, a given diocese (if it happened to be one of many held by a single bishop) could be left without adequate pastoral leadership and guidance. ^1^  Simony, the selling of ‘spiritual goods’, including, but not limited to, ecclesiastical positions and indulgences was also illicitly practiced during this time. One issue not related directly to finances, was the decline of Scholasticism in the Church and a corresponding dearth of proper education among the clergy, which resulted in further troubles in properly and intelligibly representing and upholding the truths of the faith.

Yet there were political and philosophical factors at play as well as religious and theological ones which made efforts at reform a turbulent and messy affair. According to Alan Schreck, author of, The Compact History of the Catholic Church, “the tragedy that led to the Reformation was that spiritual reform and renewal were not rooted in the mainstream of the Catholic Church.” ^2^  Regarding the philosophical leanings of the day, the influx of Renaissance thought, with its emphasis on the individual along with the detrimental force of nominalism (introduced by William of Ockham), shaped what would eventually become the ‘me and Jesus’ religion of Protestantism. ^3^

On the political scene, matters were complicated. The intricacies and tensions of church-state relations at the time were the occasions of much conflict and corruption. The Church was in the awkward position of ‘needing’ the state to ensure that its integrity was not compromised. While the state constantly leveraged its civil authority to gain power over the Church. Popes had to negotiate with civil governments in order to hammer out the powers proper to the Church and state respectively. ^4^ Two issues that arose from this conflict were the occurrence of persons simultaneously holding positions within the Church and the government (which inevitably led to conflicts of interest) and nepotism (in which those who held civic authority reserved the right of ecclesiastical offices to themselves and their relatives, thus gaining power over the church). ^5^

Stepping prominently onto the stage of this dramatic time in the Church and the world, was one influential Protestant reformer, Martin Luther, from the study of whom may be gained many important insights into the spirit, force, and drive of the Reformation. What is most intriguing and unique about Luther is that he started out as a devoted member of the Catholic church and an Augustinian friar. He appears to have begun his efforts at reform honestly, in view of what he saw as legitimate grievances within the Church. Yet his desire for reform quickly gave way to an inner realization of what he viewed as deep doctrinal problems within the Church. ^6^

Taking a look at Luther’s philosophical and theological journey may help to shed light on his later actions. Martin Luther was heavily affected by the philosophy of nominalism gaining force in his time. This philosophy denied the existence of universals, rendering everything in existence as essentially unrelated. This affected Luther’s conception of God, truth, and goodness as well. For Luther, goodness was an arbitrary whim of God and was divorced from objective reality. Thus, God does not will the good because there is such a thing as an intrinsic universal good (at least not in itself), but a thing is good only because God wills it. ^7^ Further, Patrick Madigan asserts in his article published in the Heythrop Journal: A Bimonthly Review Of Philosophy And Theology that,“Luther repudiates any knowledge of how God is in himself,” because, “all that concerns [the faithful Christian] is how God is for us.” ^8^ This reflects Luther’s belief that reason is contrary to faith. One doesn’t need to understand God, so long one understands what God requires, which in Luther’s ideal, is just faith. ^9^

Another essentially Protestant concept which Luther moved along, is that of justification by faith alone, to the exclusion of works. Luther believed, as Brent Sockness synthesized in an article published in The Journal of Religious Ethics, that, “True Christians need no law, because, being righteous, they freely (like good trees bearing good fruit) do more than the law demands.” ^10^ In his desire to be confidently assured of his own salvation, he sought to entirely divorce all actions in the body (in conformity with the law) from having any bearing on the soul, asserting instead that God alone justifies. ^11^ In fact, as Madigan points out, Luther’s theology goes so far as to assert that “the Son [of God] ‘assumed’ not just [human] nature, but [its] sin as well, which he overcomes through ‘perfect obedience.’” ^12^ The only point Luther saw as necessary was belief in Christ, ironically elevating a resilient clinging to faith, to be the sole ‘action’ necessary for salvation. In doing this, Luther abstracted one aspect of faith from its complete definition and in a sense left faith without definite meaning. Author, Paul Hacker, in his book, Faith in Luther: Martin Luther and the Origin of the Anthropocentric Religion, comments on Luther’s apparently ‘reflexive’ conception of faith: “A pregnant expression of the reflexivity of Luther’s faith is its description as faith in one’s own faith. This description is suggested by Luther’s exhortation ‘to have faith in the believed Christ.’” This subtle shift was important. While claiming to place more emphasis on God’s action in the soul, he ended with an even greater dependency on the personal ability to believe in the security of one’s salvation. For, to Luther, any doubt of salvation becomes self-fulfilling. ^13^

A third essential mark of Luther’s brand of Protestantism is his tenet of absolute Scriptural supremacy. He came to believe that the Church’s Tradition perverted the essential meaning of Scripture. However, he ironically read his own particular and subjective interpretation into the text of Scripture, thus making himself the sole authority on matters of faith. ^14^

The question remains, where did Luther go wrong? How did an effort at just reform transform into a radical movement of rebellion against the Church? Schreck explains a large part of the problem: “The irony of the Protestant Reformation is that much of what Luther believed and taught was authentic Catholic doctrine that had been distorted by abuses and incorrect practices.” ^15^ The lack of proper Catholic education among the clergy at the time most likely contributed to this. Luther’s  famous Ninety-Five Theses, which he (at least reportedly) nailed to the door of the castle in Wittenberg, dealt with real issues that needed reform in the Church but also not too subtly introduced theological concepts which began to diverge from Church teaching.

Luther wanted to make a statement, to get the Church’s attention; even then, he remained loyal to Pope. However, when he exhausted his legitimate avenues of recourse within the Church, Luther did not end his campaign. He ended by defying the authority of the Church. This then, is the shift from reform to radicalism; it bred many more errors in Luther’s theology as he wandered farther and farther away from the steadfast authority of the Church of Christ. When ordered by Pope Leo X to repudiate several of his theological errors, Luther ultimately would not submit and was excommunicated. ^16^

Luther was just one of the players in the Reformation, albeit a particularly dynamic one. Still, his error applies to the Reformation as a whole, and to each of its other players as well. What did these ‘reformers-gone-wrong’ give up in renouncing the authority of the church for their own individualist religions? They set themselves outside of the divinely ordained and infallible guidance of the Magisterium, and left themselves at the mercy of endless stream of errors which have splintered Christianity into innumerable variations.

The lesson of the Reformation is clear: true reform in the Catholic Church will always, in the end, remain docile to the authority of Christ given to her. So long as one understands the weight of the command of Christ which instituted both the Church and its apostolic line of succession, there can be no honest deviation on this point.

Image Credits

http://dejonckheere-gallery.com/en/home/old-masters-collection/portrait-of-martin-luther/

https://www.biografiasyvidas.com/monografia/lutero/fotos4.htm

Footnotes

^1^ Vidmar, John, The Catholic Church Through the Ages, (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2014), 189-190.

^2^ Schreck, Alan, The Compact History of the Catholic Church, (Cincinnati, OH: Servant, Franciscan Media, 2009), 70-73.

^3^ Vidmar, Through the Ages, 186.

^4^ Schreck, Compact history, 69-70.

^5^ Vidmar, Through the Ages, 190.

^6^ Vidmar, Through the Ages, 191-193.

^7^ Vidmar, Through the Ages, 193-194.

^8^ Madigan, Patrick. 2009. "From Luther's Theology of the Cross to Nietzsche's Probing for the Übermensch: Growth in the Modern Rhetoric of Self-Doubting Intimidation." Heythrop Journal: A Bimonthly Review Of Philosophy And Theology 50, no. 2: 304-309. Philosophers Index with Full Text, EBSCOhost (accessed August 18, 2018).

^9^ Vidmar, Through the Ages, 197.

10^ Sockness, Brent W. 1992. "LUTHER'S TWO KINGDOMS REVISITED." Journal Of Religious Ethics 20, no. 1: 96. Philosophers Index with Full Text, EBSCOhost (accessed August 18, 2018).

^11^ Vidmar, Through the Ages, 194-195.

^12^ Madigan, Patrick. 2009. "From Luther's Theology of the Cross to Nietzsche's Probing for the Übermensch: Growth in the Modern Rhetoric of Self-Doubting Intimidation." Heythrop Journal: A Bimonthly Review Of Philosophy And Theology 50, no. 2: 304-309. Philosophers Index with Full Text, EBSCOhost (accessed August 18, 2018).

^13^ Hacker, Paul, Faith in Luther: Martin Luther and the Origin of the Anthropocentric Religion, (Steubenville, OH: Emmaus Academic, 2017), 8-11.

^14^ Vidmar, Through the Ages, 196-198.

^15^ Schreck, Compact history, 73.

^16^ Vidmar, Through the Ages, 192-200.

A Review of Cardinal Newman's Loss and Gain

Written by John Henry Newman, one of the greatest religious figures of the nineteenth century, Loss and Gain is a philosophical novel describing a young man's conversion to Catholicism in early Victorian Oxford. It is based on Newman's own story of conversion during his youth when he attended Oxford. This book has never received the amount of attention it has deserved, but Newman valued it enough to rank it as one of his major works.

Taking the place of Newman in the novel is a young man named Charles Reding placed in the mid 19th century. Reding is uninformed and sensitive yet makes decisive moves at his own pace. Discussions held during parties and class, visits to family in Devonshire, and everyday living constitute the little action throughout the book. The reader follows the growth in Charles' mind as he quietly observes and participates in these discussions. Philosophical conversations maintain a prominent position, leaving a lack of actions characteristic of a novel of Newman's time. Reding's mind, heart and will are gradually transformed from a Protestant viewpoint to eventual conversion to Catholicism. The seed is planted, it seems, when Reding's close friend converts to Catholicism and decides not to return to Oxford because of its Protestant influence. The friend tries to persuade Reding to follow the Truth: "O my dear Reding, what I say is, 'Come and see.' Don't stand at the door arguing; but enter the great home of the soul, enter and adore." [1]

At first, Reding does not closely follow his classmates' discussions about the Papacy and the Roman Church. But the seed of grace begins to blossom, and he starts to research these debates. The debates begin to unfold when Reding discovers a growing sensitivity with material object in the Anglican Church. As he reorients his doctrine towards the Roman Church, he sees that the Eucharist (among other objects) is just a thing to the Anglican Church. [2] Reding begins to solo this path of going forward, then retreating until he finally creates the next big chapter in his life with conversion.

The theme of Loss and Gain is Romanistic, depicting a youth whose world is opening up, presenting choices to be made between rivalry and loyalties. Reding renounces Oxford for what he sees as the higher ideal. He visits an old college professor and confirms the college rumors, "What would He have me to do? I cannot risk the conviction that is upon me. This last week it has possessed me in a different way than ever before. It is now so strong, that to wait longer is to resist God. Whether I join the Catholic Church is now simply a matter of days. I wish, dear Campbell, to leave you in peace and love." [3] The reader can learn a lesson from Newman's conversion novel that commitment is possible in the rough of daily life. This overall theme shapes the incredible outcome of the book.

This novel deserves proper appreciation from modern readers because of its particular emphasis on a personal conversion that was later to benefit the Catholic Church in a Providential manner. Besides being regarded as a philosophical novel, Loss and Gain is a novel of conversion.

I highly recommend Loss and Gain as an intellectual novel that must be read by Catholics wishing to gain a greater perspective on the great conversion of Cardinal Newman. It can be found on Amazon and AbeBooks for an inexpensive cost.



Book Details:
Loss and Gain (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2012)
ISBN: 978-1-58617-705-8


[1] Newman, John Henry, Loss and Gain, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986), 79
[2] Bellows, Alyssa, "Cardinal Joh Henry Newman's One Thing Needful: The Spiritual Necessity of the Material in Loss and Gain," Religion and Literature 48, no. 1 (2016), 71-97
[3] Newman, John Henry, Loss and Gain, 237
[4] Photo of Cardinal Newman, accessed 16 August 2018, at Catholicgentleman.net

The Cartesian Effect

            

           

            René Descartes is one of the most influential philosophers of modern thought. His book Discourse on Method changed the world in terms of how people thought. While Descartes intentions were admirable, and he himself was not a materialist, the unfortunate side effect of his methodical doubt was that it ended up paving the way for the four great “isms” of modernity: rationalism, materialism, reductionism and scientism. These for schools of thought have greatly contributed to the false dichotomy between science and religion, has allowed the rise of totalitarian forms of government such as Marxism and Fascism and, has led to the degradation of human dignity.

     

    Descartes method stated that if something can be doubted it must be regarded as untrue unless proven otherwise. In order for one to prove whether or not something is true Descartes urges those seeking the truth to find recourse in the physical sciences.  While the physical sciences tell us a great deal about the object with which they study, the scientific method is something which is very much limited to the quantifiable and measurable. At the turn of 17^th Century philosophers and scientist disregard the truths which were held in religion and instead substituted it for the truth of the beaker and ruler.  The result of this lead to an intellectual reductionism which reduces all knowledge to that which can be physically verifiable.  If something is unable to be measured or empirically proven it therefore does not exist and is of no use.  Furthermore, the emphasis put on the rational faculties of the soul lead to viewing man’s reason as the highest aspect of humanity rather than a tool which is to be used to seek happiness.  As a result, Reductionism replaced religion, human reason replaced God, and the material goods of the world became the object of mans search.  A good example of this today is the rapid rise and demand for new technologies.  Almost every year there is a new updated version of a certain cellphone that is the latest and greatest.  While the advancements of technology have been fantastic and helpful it seems that if we are not careful we will substitute organic relationship for artificial connection.

Along with the rise of these new philosophies which focused strictly on the empirically verifiable, the materialistic way of thinking lead to the rise of some of the most inhumane political ideologies and militant atheist thinkers that had ever been seen. One such thinker is that of Ludwig Feuerbach who was an atheist and very anti-Christian. Taken from his book The Essence of Christianity Feuerbach writes, “The idea of God is the ignorance which solves all doubt by repressing it”.  Here we can see his recourse to Descartes idea of methodical doubt. There was another man who held similar sentiments towards religion. This man was none other than Karl Marx who is accredited to saying “religion is the opiate of the masses”.  It is interesting how much the philosophy of Feuerbach influenced that of Marx.  Marx saw religion as stifling intellectual growth and was one of the many facets of oppression used by the bourgeoise. Both Marx and Feuerbach saw God and religion as the antithesis to human growth and development. However, what one does not realize is that there is a serious moral problem which cannot be solved by the atheist. If God does not exist then what is the highest end to which humanity ought to strive towards? Furthermore, on what foundation can you claim something to be morally right or wrong since both right and wrong both point to degrees of perfection? If God does not exist then morality is an arbitrary construct and the highest end for man to achieve is that which is imposed on him by whoever has the most power. For the Marxist it is the state which becomes the new God and the philosopher is exchanged for the pragmatist.

The final obstacle which is one which we face most prominently in our society is the disregard shown towards the human person.  Since the Supreme Courts ruling on the Roe v. Wade case 43 million unborn children have lost their lives peaking at 1.6 million in 1990, and that is just in the United States[i].  What is it that has allowed for such an attack on the human person? The answer comes from the result of the prevailing thoughts of militant atheists who deny any sort of objective morality.  Through the writings of men like Marx and Feuerbach and more recently Dawkings and Hichens, freedom comes from denial of God.  After all Descartes said if it can be doubted don’t accept it as true until it has been proven as such. And with the rise of Reductionism and Scientism the only thing that constitutes as “proof” is that which can be empirically proven through the sciences. Dignity is not something which is quantifiable and thus the human person is simply a material being which can be used for whatever is needed and then discarded.  Humans no longer as seen as persons to be loved but rather objects to be used

           

It was never Descartes intention to be the foundation for such strong atheistic tendencies and beliefs.  Descartes was a seeker of truth.  While his method of doubt is very useful it must be taken with a caveat which is not all truths can be empirically verified or measured. It must also be understood that if we are to seek the truth it must always be done under the assumption that truth is indeed objective.  Otherwise, we will find that our house will not be able to stand upon the shifting sands of Relatvism.

           

---

[i] Randall K. O’Bannon, Out of the Long Dark Night, www.nrlc.org

Des Hommes et Des Dieux: A Review of the Movie

Des Hommes et Des Dieux is a 2010 French film portraying the true story of the martyrdom of French Cistercian monks living in Algeria in 1995. The community of eight monks live in contemplation and humble service to the Muslim community living below their monastery at the base of the Atlas Mountains. Frère Luc is the community doctor, treating one hundred poor and sick Muslims daily in the town. The prior, Frère Christian takes the time out of his day to study the Koran in order to understand the heretical village in which they reside.

War breaks out between the government and the Islamist insurgency, and martial law is declared by the Islamists. Daily life in the small community of monks and poor Muslims is interrrupted with large-scale massacres. The drama of the two hour long movie focuses on increasing violence brought on by Islamist extremists. The monks realize the approaching danger when a group of Croations, working at a patrol station are slaughtered. [1] Christmas Eve sees the Islamist army at the monastery's doorstep, demanding medicine and the "doctor" from the prior. Frère Christian calmly reminds them of the importance of this holy night; the ashamed army retreats. The community then meets a few times and discusses whether or not they should leave the village and return to France to protect their lives. The older Muslims plead with the monks that they provide a stability to the village. "We are the birds. You're the branch. If you go, we lose our footing."

Two scenes in this movie stand out. The first occurs when Frère Luc approaches the prior and tells him of his happiness that he discovered in living a monastic life. Following God's Will has given him peace of soul and a certain detachment from whatever happens afterwards. He acknowledges the Source of his freedom, God on the cross, and knows that he will be free if he remains, whether or not his life is in danger.

The next scene is the most remarkable.
The youngest monk of the community is tempted tremendously about abandoning his vocation and fleeing back to France. He argues that he did not enter this monastery to lose his life, but to live the life of a monk. He questions the value of becoming a martyr for God; is it to prove that one can be a hero? The superior tells him, "Remember you've already given your life. You gave it by following Christ, by leaving everything. Remember that love is eternal hope. Love endures everything." The young monk makes the decision to stay also.

The Islamist army comes on the night of March 26/27, 1996  and abducts all but two of the monks. Frère Christian writes a letter to his family and community and reveals the peace discovered in risking his life for God.  "If it should happen one day - and it could be today - that I become a victim of the terrorism which now seems ready to engulf all the foreigners living in Algeria, I would like my community, my Church, and my family to remember that my life was given to god and to this country." [2] Force marched into a snowy forest, the monks were later beheaded, and their bodies were later found.

Although Des Hommes et Des Dieux is a typical European movie, protraying minimal action, it conveys a quiet yet powerful message of laying down one's life for a friend. The title "Of Gods" seems a bit strange, as Catholicism is deeply involved here. Bishop Barron suggests that this phrase comes from Psalm 82: "For lo, they enemies [the false gods] have made a noise: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. They have taken a malicious counsel against thy people, and have consulted against thy saints. They have said: Come and let us destroy them, so that they be not a nation: and let the name of Israel be remembered no more." [3] " It seems right to discern the movie with the opinion that this Cistercian community of men of God was chosen to show that God is in control, not the false god of Islamism, or any other false religion.

The decision to begin the process for beatification began in Rome in 2000. On April 11, 2018, Algeria approved the beatification Mass to be held later this year in one of its villages.

I highly recommend Des Hommes et Des Deux for those seeking inspiration to continue practicing the Faith in a world so oppposed to God. These eight monks have shown a beautiful example of following the Gospel with love and simplicity, while showing care and respect for those around them, despite opposition. The movie is available on Amazon and Google Play.




[1] A.O. Scott, "Between Heaven and Earth", New York Times, (24 February 2011), at nytimes.com
[2] "Algerian Martyrs to be Beatified in Oran this Year", Catholic News Agency, (11 April 2018), at catholicnewsagency.com
[3] Bishop Robert Barron, "Bishop Barron, 'Of Gods and Men'", YouTube, (4 April 2011), at youtube.com