# Ocds Ongoing Formation Volume II [[#Links]] ## Sources Ongoing+Formation+Volume+II+-11.2025.pdf Source guide Human Transformation and Union According to the Writings of St. John of the Cross Ongoing Formation Volume II National Formation Program Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites Approved for use in the United States. Copyright © 11-02-25 California-Arizona Province of St. Joseph, Oklahoma Semi-Province of St. Thérèse, Washington Province of the Immaculate Heart of Mary The Formation Program materials may be duplicated if they are not sold for profit. Any changes to these documents are strictly prohibited. ii ### Dedication This volume of ongoing formation is sincerely dedicated to: Father Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD, for introducing the new translations of the major writings of St. Teresa of Jesus and St. John of the Cross to the English-speaking world and for devoting his entire life to teaching the essence of their writings by means of study guides and other major resources. Father Saverio Cannistra, OCD, Superior General of the Discalced Carmelite Order (2009-2022), for planting the first seed of an idea to develop a single formation program for all Carmelite Seculars in the USA. Father Miguel Marquez Called, OCD, current Superior General of the Discalced Carmelite Order (2022-), for his encouragement and support. Father Alzinir Debastiani, OCD, (2016-2022) and Father Ramiro Casale, OCD, (2022-) General Delegates to the OCDS, for their unwavering support and assistance to the members of the Task Force in creating the OCDS National Formation Program. The Friars of the Order of Discalced Carmelites in all three US provinces, for guiding and supporting the communities of the Secular Carmelites. The combined efforts of these dedicated Friars are very much appreciated. iii ## Contents FOREWORD, 1 Introduction, 3 Major writings, 3 Minor works, 4 Why read John of the Cross today? 5 Explanation of the nature of union with God: 7 Loving knowledge (wisdom) of God, 7 How should I decide which of John’s books to read first?, 9 Formation Guidelines 12 Active Night of the Sense: 12 Active Night of the Spirit:.12 Faith, Hope, and Love:  ....13 THE ASCENT OF MOUNT CARMEL, Book Three 16 Purification of the Memory.........17 Natural apprehensions: Purification of the memory by the practice of hope 17 Supernatural apprehensions; Purification of the memory by the practice of hope 20 The benefits obtained through the rejection of the apprehensions of images and forms 22 Purification of the Will.....24 Joy in temporal goods – the first emotion of the will 24 Natural goods: The vanity of willful joy in natural goods, and the method of directing oneself through them in God 29 Purgation of sensory goods 32 Purgation of Moral Goods 34 Supernatural goods, the fifth kind of good in which the will can rejoice, and how joy in them must be directed to God through the purgation of this joy 37 Purgation of joy in spiritual goods 39 Joy in spiritual goods. Continues the discussion of motivating goods. Oratories and dedicated places of prayer. 42 Bibliography ....43 THE DARK NIGHT LEADING TO GOD’S ACTION, an Introduction (Dark Night – Books One and Two)... 44 THE DARK NIGHT – BOOK ONE 47 The Imperfections of Beginners 47 Beginning of the exposition of the Dark Night. Signs of Passive Night and Purgation. 52 “Fired with love’s urgent longings – ah, the sheer grace! I went out unseen.” 56 THE DARK NIGHT – BOOK TWO 60 “The One Dark Night” 60 Contemplative Purgation 62 iv Impact of Contemplation 65 “Fired with love’s urgent longings” 68 The deepening of transformation 71 Departing in “disguise” – “in darkness and concealment, my house being now all stilled” 76 Bibliography ....78 GLORIFICATION — Understanding the concepts of Transformation and Union........... 79 THE SPIRITUAL CANTICLE........ 81 Stanzas 1-21 81 Stanzas 22-25 84 Stanzas 26-30 88 Stanzas 31-35 94 Stanzas 36-40 96 Bibliography... 104 THE LIVING FLAME OF LOVE.. 105 Introduction... 105 Stanza 1 commentary 1-17 108 Stanza 1 commentary 18-36 111 Stanza 2 commentary 1-15 112 Stanza 2 commentary 16-20 113 Stanza 2 commentary 21-36 114 Stanza 3 commentary 1-17 116 Stanza 3 commentary 17-29 119 Stanza 3 commentary 30-50 120 Stanza 3 commentary 67-85 123 Stanza 4 commentary 1-17 124 Bibliography... 125 Appendix..126 Task Force Completion and Appreciation.. 129 Copyright notice......130 1 ## Foreword Ongoing formation has become an important topic in society in general all over the world. In his article, What is Ongoing Formation?, Hugh O’Donnell, CM, 1 states that “ongoing formation is a process for keeping up with the times in one’s chosen profession. Initial formation and professional training are only the foundations of a lifelong process of being current and up-todate.” Initial formation, as important and essential as it is, is not enough. The world is always changing and we need to be prepared to face the new challenges and welcome the opportunities that the modern world brings. The Catholic Church, especially after the Second Vatican Council, has remarked the importance of being up-to-date. In the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Gaudium et Spes, Pope Paul VI states that “the Church has always had the duty of scrutinizing the signs of the times and of interpreting them in the light of the Gospel” (4). In order to do so, men and women have the responsibility to be committed to ongoing formation. The Discalced Carmelite Order has taken seriously the importance of ongoing formation. In the document, Being Discalced Carmelite Friars Today, Declaration on the Carmelite-Teresian Charism, approved by the OCD General Chapter in 2021, it is mentioned that “the whole life of a Carmelite becomes a journey without rest, knowing that when we do not move forward, we remain stationary, and that whoever does not increase, decreases (cf. 7M 4:9). Above all, we are invited to live in an attitude of constant willingness to learn and grow with a true docibilitas which opens us to permanent updating” (9). In Carmel ongoing formation is an essential part of the vocation of all its members. Being aware of the importance of formation, the OCDS members of the US Task Force, published the National Formation Program that covers the different stages of initial formation in the OCDS. The program has been very well received and has become an excellent instrument for formation throughout the country, and even abroad people have recognized its value as a formation program. Responding to the requests of many US OCDS communities, the Task Force recognized the benefits of an Ongoing Formation program that would promote and value the Discalced Carmelite charism while allowing the freedom and flexibility that each OCDS community needs to adapt the program to their specific needs. The importance given to ongoing formation by society, the Catholic Church, and the Carmelite Order, led the US Task Force to develop a comprehensive program for ongoing formation, which further led them into the challenging task of brainstorming and outlining the specific topics that resonate within the Carmelite charism. At 1 Vincentiana, March-April 2005 2 the initial stages they became aware of the need for clarity and the turbulent process of translating abstract ideas into text. Different perspectives were explored and relevant information and a wide range of resource materials were also considered in the development of an ongoing formation program. After much work and dedication, the efforts of the US Task Force have become a reality. They have been able to create a roadmap for the writing process and identified the major themes and points that truly nurture the Spirit of Carmel. The ongoing formation program they developed is divided into two books and gives special attention to the writings of the three Carmelite doctors of the Church, the Word of God, Church documents and the writings of other Carmelite saints and blesseds. The first handbook, The Path of Mount Carmel – The Perfect Spirit, explores important themes such as how to grow in the charism of prayer, reflects on the apostolic dimension of the OCDS and gives prominence to St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross. The second handbook, Human Transformation and Union According to the Writings of St John of the Cross is the continuing study and reflection on the major writings of our Holy Father. The themes in these handbooks are to be applied in one’s daily life. The members of the US Task Force recognize that Carmelite Spirituality is meant to be lived in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives because God communicates not so much through books and abstract ideas, but rather through the witness of life and interactions with others. We thank all the members of the US Task Force for their work and dedication that have made possible for all OCDS in the United States to have these handbooks in their hands. We are certain that this ongoing formation program is a precious instrument and an excellent resource for all OCDS communities and individuals. From our General House in Rome on June 15, 2025, Solemnity of Most Holy Trinity. 3 ## Introduction Please note: Volume II, like Volume I, is intended to serve as a model and resource for ongoing formation. The program provides flexible and versatile options. With the guidance of the local council, communities may use the entire program as outlined or may choose an individual topic (e.g. Purification of the memory through the practice of hope; Purification of the will through the practice of charity). Participants may choose other books for study and discussion while still following the program’s guidance and information. This program is offered by way of suggestion and example. Local councils are free to adapt the program as needed. Volume II of Ongoing Formation is the continuing study and reflection of major writings of St. John of the Cross. For John, the soul refers to the whole human person. Its two major levels are sense and spirit. The growth in prayer and the living witness to the Discalced Carmelite charism is like a journey or path in the right direction. However, John does not explain the methods of prayer or offer a devotional treatise on prayer. Rather, his teaching involves how to behave as one embarks on a lifelong journey of love and transformation. “With divine help we will discuss … how individuals should behave” (The Ascent of Mount Carmel, Prologue #6). The process of purification and our behavioral changes in each stage of our spiritual journey constitute a form of prayer from meditation to contemplation, and on to union. **Silence and solitude of detachment** Following the tradition of Discalced Carmelite spirituality, walking in silence and solitude, without imposing techniques and methods, is very characteristic of John’s teaching. What John means by solitude is the singleness of heart. This authentic solitude is not necessarily physical but a solitude of detachment or poverty of spirit for the sake of the Beloved (see footnote 1, SC, Stanza 35). John uses the word solitude of detachment in two ways. First, he refers to the solitude of the “active night,” those choices that we make to detach ourselves from our ego-driven desires so that we can create a space of solitude for God in our hearts. Second, John speaks of the solitude that is the consequence of these choices; the detachment or empty heart has not become a void but a “nest,” a “place for God” where the soul “attains to complete refreshment and rest” (Canticle 35.1:4). Throughout John’s writings, the solitude of detachment is presented in a positive light because he connects it to the peace and inner harmony that it brings to the soul (see The Ascent to Joy, footnote 7, page 143). ### Major Writings His major works, The Ascent and The Dark Night, were written using the framework of his famous poem, The Dark Night. His prose composition explains the purification process of human formation, “progressing from the lesser to the greater and from the more exterior to the more interior…” (The Ascent, Book Two, 12:1). In The Spiritual Canticle and The Living Flame of Love, John explains the soul’s intimate recollection and union by using vivid imagery and descriptive language to convey his message. p.4 In his prologue, John also strikes his customary cautious note to readers who are ready to embark on this journey: Readers should not be surprised if this doctrine on the dark night – through which a soul advances toward God – appears somewhat obscure. This, I believe, will be the case as they begin to read, but as they read on they will understand it better since the latter parts will explain the former. Then, if they read this work a second time, the matter will seem clearer and the doctrine sounder. But if some people still find difficulty in understanding this doctrine, it will be due to my deficient knowledge and awkward style, for the doctrine itself is good and very necessary. But I am inclined to believe that, even if it were presented with greater accuracy and polish, only a few would find profit in it, because we are not writing on moral and pleasing topics addressed to the kind of spiritual people who like to approach God along sweet and satisfying paths. We are presenting a substantial and solid doctrine for all those who desire to reach this nakedness of spirit (The Ascent of Mount Carmel, Prologue #8, emphasis added). “Those who seek God and yet want their own satisfaction and rest … will not find him” (SC.3:3). John further observes that many books are written on the sensory level of purgation, but hardly anything is said of spiritual purgation in sermons or writings (see The Dark Night, 1.8.1:2). Likewise, St. Teresa observes that “We always hear about what a good thing prayer is, and our constitutions oblige us to spend so many hours in prayer. Yet only what we ourselves can do in prayer is explained to us; little is explained about what the Lord does in the soul, I mean about the supernatural” (Interior Castle, 1.2:7). Hence, it’s important that we delve deeply into the writings of St. John of the Cross for better understanding and experiencing the progression in prayer. ### Minor Works The following “minor” works are part of the Collected Works of John of the Cross:  The Letters  The Sayings of Light and Love  The Precautions and Counsels to a Religious  The Poetry (that were not included in his major works)  Censure and Opinion Merely because these works are described as “minor” doesn’t mean they are less important in terms of their overall contribution to John’s complete body of work. Participants are encouraged to cultivate a regular habit of reading these works because they provide insights into John’s line of thought and evolving themes. Reading these enriches one’s understanding of his more celebrated works. p.5 ### Why Read John of the Cross Today? The following excerpt is taken from the introduction to Love Awakened by Love by Mark O’Keefe, O.S.B., ICS Publications. The Christian tradition has been blessed with many superb teachers and examples of deep prayer, sanctity, and faithful discipleship. In that sense, St. John of the Cross is one among many of our ancestors in the faith who illuminate the Christian path for us.... It is a fundamental presupposition of the present work that the writings of John of the Cross are well worth the effort that it might require to unlock their treasures – not to mention the fact that there is so much “low-hanging fruit” to be savored even if the reader were never to grasp all of the spiritual wisdom that he has to offer. John of the Cross is a universal Doctor of the Church for good reason. He offers one of the first true systematic presentations of Christian mystical theology, drawing on multiple resources to describe, explain, and analyze the experience and path of deepening prayer. In the last five hundred years, countless women and men who were already advanced in the ways of prayer have found in his teaching a way of understanding their experience. Certainly, even more individuals, beginners in prayer, have benefited from his presentation of the path that lies ahead – its pitfalls, obstacles, and demands – so that they can set out in earnest. His poetry especially serves for God-seekers (at whatever point they are on the journey) as a constant reminder of the sublime invitation that God holds out for us all. In our society today, perhaps more than ever, we want what we want, and we want it now. We might not be wealthy, but we often have fairly easy access to much of what we desire. With ever better technologies to make everything easier for us, we are accustomed not to have to struggle to enjoy what we want. We even want prayer without effort and without discipline. Well, to desire easy prayer is natural enough; to expect it is quite another matter. We want good “prayer experience,” good feelings in prayer. But, as we have all learned, if one’s prayer depends on how it feels, we probably won’t stick with it for very long because feelings in prayer come and go.... In prayer, we are seeking a deeper communion with God. We want union with God – the uniting of our hearts, minds, and wills with God. But how can we hope to attain such union when our daily lives are, in fact, inconsistent with God’s will and God’s ways? How could we be fertile ground for the contemplation that is ultimately a gift from God if we have not prepared the ground, emptied the vessel, or cleaned the house?... This is just another way of expressing what John of the Cross has to say about purgation – exterior and interior – in the senses and in the spirit. With keen insight into our humanity, sinful and graced, John lays out the tasks that lie ahead for someone who really wants to be disposed for deep union with God – rather than one who is just seeking good experiences in prayer from time to time. p.6 We don’t think much about asceticism these days – not so much in the sense of doing penance for our sins but in the much richer and positive sense of engaging in the struggle to be conformed to God, the effort to free ourselves of everything or anything that keeps us from attaining deep union with God. John of the Cross is no masochistic dualist, a vestige of some bygone spiritual tradition now transcended. No, he is a particularly focused and clear spokesperson for a deep truth that has been experienced by centuries of saints, officially canonized or not. The truth is that we are sinners who must engage actively, with God’s help, in a daily work of conversion. True contemplation and union with God are normally gifts that rain upon and bear fruit in ground that has been made ready by the hard work of the one who diligently and faithfully cultivates one’s mind and heart. John of the Cross also addresses our natural desire for good experiences and good feelings in prayer. For beginners in prayer, feelings of devotion and an active sense of God’s presence are important to keep us faithful to prayer. But spiritual feelings come and go. We will not be faithful to prayer in any regular way if our fidelity is based on something as transitory as feelings. In fact, our tradition tells us, sometimes the best prayer is dry prayer – prayer that is offered to God without the reward of superficial feelings, prayer that is built on faith that God’s truest work occurs at a level deeper than anything that we could experience in an ordinary sense of that word. Here John of the Cross stands in a long tradition – though perhaps he is bolder and more firm than others – in teaching that the true and living God transcends not only our feelings but also our images, our concepts, our ideas.... Authentic, deep encounter with this living and transcendent God is always beyond what our senses can grasp, though God is always seeking to draw us nearer in prayer and in daily life. In the end, the sign of good prayer is not warm feelings in prayer but the fruit that our prayer bears in our daily living: Are we more generous, forgiving, humble, selfless, and loving? If the answer to this question is yes, then we have good reason to believe that our prayer is deepening even if it is as dry as a bone (emphasis added). In the end, we should read John of the Cross today because he sings of the unfathomable depth and breadth of God’s love for us. He shows us the way to allow ourselves to become truly open, profoundly empty, and finally free to receive and respond to divine self-giving. We should read this great mystic today because he speaks a profound truth that perhaps we sometimes wish were not so: responding to the self-offering of a transcendent God and an invitation into the divine life demands a total commitment on our part. This is nothing more than what Jesus says when he challenges us to love God with our entire being. As soon as we try to live up to that challenge, we discover immediately how right John of the Cross is (courtesy: Love Awakened by Love, Mark O’Keefe, O.S.B.). p.7 ### Explanation of the Nature of Union with God One of the central teachings of John is about the nature of one’s union with God. In Book Two, chapter 5 of the Ascent, St. John of the Cross describes both the “substantial union” (essence/natural union) and the “union of likeness” (active participation). This “union of likeness” does not exist except when there is a likeness of love by active participation in it. This chapter is fundamental to his entire work because the whole process of purification flows from the nature of union and our willing participation (see A.2 ch. 5, footnote 1). “To understand the nature of this union, one should first know that God sustains every soul and dwells in it substantially, even though it may be that of the greatest sinner in the world. This union between God and creatures always exists. By it he conserves their being so that if the union should end they would immediately be annihilated and cease to exist. Consequently, in discussing union with God we are not discussing the substantial union that always exists, but the soul's union with and transformation in God that does not always exist, except when there is likeness of love. We will call it the union of likeness; and the former, the essential or substantial union. The union of likeness is supernatural; the other, natural. The supernatural union exists when God's will and the soul’s are in conformity, so that nothing in the one is repugnant to the other. When the soul rids itself completely of what is repugnant and unconformed to the divine will, it rests transformed in God through love” (A.2.5:3). “When God grants this supernatural favor to the soul, so great a union is caused that all the things of both God and the soul become one in participant transformation, and the soul appears to be God more than a soul. Indeed, it is God by participation. Yet truly, its being (even though transformed) is naturally as distinct from God’s as it was before…” (A.2.5:7). In fact, Jesus tells us, “I am the vine, and you are the branches, he who abides in me and I in him will bear much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (Jn. 15:5). Side note: It is important to note that the indwelling presence of God – who is naturally communicating Himself to souls through nature and through grace (natural and supernatural) – is not different in kind, but in intensity. The soul is now more aware of the presence of God. This increase of consciousness happens because in the process of purification, the soul’s capacity and receptivity for God has increased; it has made more “room for God” – A.2.5:7 (see Ascent to Joy, The Goal: Union with God). ### Loving Knowledge (wisdom) of God Another important teaching of St. John of the Cross is that we seek God as an object of knowledge and love and the source of this knowledge is Jesus Christ. He is the wisdom of God (see 1 Cor. 1:30). According to John, progression in prayer is the increase in knowledge and love; from lower to higher and from external to more interior. This increase in knowledge does not come from reading many books or meditating on abstract ideas; rather by imitation of Jesus Christ who is the knowledge and wisdom of God. “…have a habitual desire to imitate Christ in all your deeds by bringing your life into conformity with his. You must then study his life in order to know how to imitate him and behave in all events as he would” (A.1.13:3). p.8 “Those who now desire to question God or receive some vision or revelation are guilty not only of foolish behavior but also of offending him by not fixing their eyes entirely on Christ and by living with the desire for some other novelty” (A.2.22:5). John goes on to explain through the voice of the Father: “If you desire me to answer with a word of comfort, behold my Son…, fix your eyes only on him and you will discern hidden in him the most secret mysteries, and wisdom, and wonders of God, as my Apostle proclaims:... In the Son of God are hidden all the treasures of the wisdom and knowledge of God [Col. 2:3]” (A.2.22:6). Throughout his work, from The Ascent of Mount Carmel to The Dark Night and The Spiritual Canticle to The Living Flame of Love, John leads the spiritual seeker to this loving knowledge of God. In The Ascent, quoting Proverbs at length, John highlights the importance of seeking Divine Wisdom, and her open invitation to the children of God. “Divine Wisdom speaks, here, to all those who are attached to the things of the world. She calls them little ones because they become as little as the things they love. She tells them…that the riches and glory they love are with her and in her, not where they think; and that lofty riches and justice are present in her.... She tells them to bear in mind that her riches are more precious, that the fruit found in them will be better than gold and precious stones, and that what she begets in souls has greater value than cherished silver, which signifies every kind of affection possible in this life” (A.1.4:8). In every stage, God imparts this loving knowledge to the soul: “This loving knowledge is communicated in the beginning through the exercise of interior purgation, in which the individual suffers, as we said, and afterward in the delight of love” (LF.3:34). When inordinate desires are cast out, “The soul will be clothed in a new understanding of God in God (through removal of the old understanding) and in a new love of God in God... As a result, one’s activities, once human, now become divine. This is achieved in the state of union…” (A.1.5:7). “…when the soul has departed from the house of her own will and the bed of her own satisfaction, outside she will find divine Wisdom, the Son of God, her Spouse” (SC.3:3). John relates this loving knowledge to the prayer of contemplation: “... an infused loving knowledge [contemplation] that both illumines and enamors the soul, elevating step by step to God, its Creator. For it is only love that unites and joins the soul to God” (DN.2.18:5). “‘There he taught me a sweet and living knowledge’ – The sweet and living knowledge that she [soul] says he taught her is mystical theology, the secret knowledge of God that spiritual persons call contemplation. This knowledge is very delightful because it is a knowledge through love. Love is the master of this knowledge and what makes it wholly agreeable” (SC.27:5). “... Divine Wisdom is united with the soul in a new bond of the possession of love” (DN.2.24:3). Contemplation is the highest wisdom and language of God (see LF.3:37). p.9 The kind of knowledge that is born of faith (contemplation) knows the difference between the shallow empirical knowing (theories and research that affirm the truth; that can be observed through human physical senses) and contemplative knowing – a deeper kind of truth. As a result, one’s life is always directed by the wisdom of God, and it is a matter of seeing ordinary, everyday life as a place of God’s presence and action. There is to be sure, a certain wisdom which we express among the spiritually mature. It is not a wisdom of this age… No, what we utter is God’s wisdom: a mysterious hidden wisdom. God planned it before all ages for our glory. (1 Cor. 2:6-7) ### How Should I Decide Which of John’s Books to Read First? Concerning this topic, many leading authorities and scholars in Carmelite spirituality have made countless suggestions to make the reading of John’s writings more enjoyable. Scholars often recommend beginning with either The Spiritual Canticle or The Living Flame for a better understanding of John’s writings; and still others make his poetry the preferred starting point. However, for the purpose of our present study and reflection, we turn to Our Holy Father John of the Cross for his guidance in reading his works. Three different paragraphs have been chosen to support our suggestions for reading the writings of St. John of the Cross: “…we can proceed with order, progressing from the lesser to the greater and from the more exterior to the more interior until reaching the intimate recollection in which the soul is united with God. We have been following this very order: First we discussed divesting the exterior senses of their natural apprehensions, and, consequently, of the natural strength of the appetites. This we did in the first book [of The Ascent] when we spoke of the night of sense. Then, in the preceding chapter, we began to divest these senses of the supernatural exterior apprehensions so as to lead the soul into the night of the spirit” (A.2.12:1). “In order that God lift the soul from the extreme of its low state to the other extreme of the high state of divine union, he must obviously, in view of these fundamental principles, do so with order, gently, and according to the mode of the soul. Since the order followed in the process of knowing involves the forms and images of created things, and since knowledge is acquired through the senses, God, to achieve his work gently and to lift the soul to supreme knowledge, must begin by touching the low state and extreme of the senses. And from there he must gradually bring the soul after its own manner to the other end, spiritual wisdom, which is incomprehensible to the senses. Thus, naturally or supernaturally, God brings people to His supreme spirit by first instructing them through discursive meditation and through forms, images, and sensible means, according to their own manner of coming to understand” (A.2.17:3, emphasis added). p.10 Note: This is the key chapter that can serve as a guide to reading John’s whole body of work. As we can see in the preceding two paragraphs, John sets before us an orderly scheme of guidance into the life of prayer. His primary interest was to educate spiritual seekers how to grow in holiness. He professed that growth in holiness comes about only through purification of the faculties: intellect, memory, and will. John’s explanation in The Ascent and The Dark Night of the purification is foundational for union with God. Beginning with The Spiritual Canticle or The Living Flame of Love, makes it more difficult to put into context what John is saying about the more advanced stages of transformation and union. St. John continues to explain the order in which one is guided toward union with God. Let us follow his explanation in The Living Flame of Love: “In The Dark Night of the Ascent of Mount Carmel we dealt with the intensity of this purgation… and the time or stage along the spiritual road in which each begins. … Let it suffice to know that the very God who desires to enter within the soul through the union and transformation of love is he who first assails and purges it with the light and heat of his divine flame, just as the fire that penetrates the log of wood is the same that first prepares it for this, as we said. Hence the very flame that is now gentle, since it has entered within the soul, is what was formerly oppressive, assailing it from without. Such is the meaning of the present verse, ‘Now you are not oppressive’” (The Living Flame of Love, stanza 1:25-26). The purgation of the soul leads to glorification and union with God. John chose to discuss in detail the process of union in The Spiritual Canticle (stanzas 10-40) and The Living Flame of Love. God’s very divine flame that was previously oppressive is now gentle and burning within the soul as the living flame of love. As can be seen, St. John of the Cross put forward an orderly guideline to follow and understand the doctrine behind the “oppressive state” (lower level) and the “non-oppressive state” (higher level). Moral theologian Fr. Mark O’Keefe, O.S.B., observes that an authentic spiritual life is built on a good Christian moral life. John of the Cross is profoundly aware of this truth when he first begins to explain the necessity of purification in Book One of the Ascent within the framework of “liberation.” This inner liberation is utterly essential so that we can be truly free to love God (see Introduction to Love Awakened by Love). Hence, it is important that we follow the guidelines proposed by Our Holy Father John of the Cross as we continue to journey on the road up Mount Carmel. St. John’s teaching is about this great journey from slavery to liberty to divine union. It is the knowledge and love of God that drive a soul to persevere and climb the glorious Mountain. At the end, John takes all those who walk in this path to the glad and guiding night of transformation and union with God. p.11 *O guiding night! O night more lovely than the dawn!* *O night that has united the Lover with his beloved,* *transforming the beloved in her Lover. (The Ascent of Mount Carmel, stanza five)* p.12 ## Formation Guidelines The following formation guidelines are divided into four separate categories for proper understanding of human transformation and union within the context of Christian and Carmelite formation.  Active night of the sense: Sense includes the five bodily senses (touch, sight, smell, hearing, and taste) and the interior senses of the imagination, phantasy, and sense memory (The Ascent of Mount Carmel, Book One)  Active night of the spirit: Purification of intellect, memory, and will by the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and love (The Ascent of Mount Carmel, Books Two and Three)  Passive nights of sense and of spirit: Summary of the dark night (passive purification) leading to God’s action (The Dark Night, Books One and Two)  Glorification: Understanding the concept of transformation and union – Trinitarian life (The Spiritual Canticle and The Living Flame of Love) Side note: “Before we continue, we need to recognize that the four nights – the active nights of sense and of spirit, and the passive nights of sense and of spirit – do unfold, in some way, like stages or phases that we pass through. At the different points of our journey, our focus is more exterior or interior, and we experience ourselves as more active or as more evidently receptive. There is a type of progression... This logical arrangement, however, does not coincide exactly with their normal unfolding in life... Thus, while acknowledging that the divine and human are active in each level and that these are not absolutely separable stages, we can see that the two nights of sense, active and passive, precede the two nights of spirit, active and passive” (Love Awakened by Love, ch. 7, pg. 127-128). ### Active Night of the Sense Book One of the Ascent of Mount Carmel: As discussed previously, (see Formation II, Year A, Part One), John uses the term “active night of the sense” to explain the purification process of our senses. He calls this night “the point of departure” (A.1.2:1). Its focus is on behavioral change, correcting obvious faults and self-centered ego. “The point of departure” is a sense of need, a recognition that our life will not be complete until God is at the center. In this active night, we work with God’s grace to free ourselves from disordered desires that we perceive through our senses. Note: A brief review of the syllabus (Formation II, Year A, Part One) would help the definitively professed members to understand the purification process of the senses (active night) according to St. John of the Cross. ### Active Night of the Spirit Realizing the need of continuous purgation, in Books Two and Three of the Ascent, John explains the purification of the spirit or higher part of the soul, consisting primarily of the p.13 faculties: intellect, memory and will. He also introduces the function of the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and love in the purification process of a human person. This period of purification is identified by John as the “active night of the spirit,” when the intellect is purified by faith, the memory is purified by hope, and the will is purified by charity. John is searching for union with a transcendent God. Accordingly, his explanation is that the soul might leave the “point of departure” for the means, which is “faith” “hope” and “love” – a way to emptying and purifying the spiritual faculties (intellect, memory, and will) of all that is not God (see A.2.6:6, emphasis added). This process of letting go of our disordered desires is not an intellectual pursuit, rather it is a passion, an encounter that enlightens and transforms the person. “What clearly follows is that when individuals have finished purifying and voiding themselves of all forms and apprehensible images, they will abide in this pure and simple light and be perfectly transformed in it. … [The] soul in its simplicity and purity would then be immediately transformed into simple and pure Wisdom, the Son of God” (A.2.15:4). Note: The active purification of the intellect by the practice of faith has already been covered in Formation II, Year A, Part Two. A quick review of the syllabus would help the definitively professed members to understand the purification process of the intellect by faith according to St. John of the Cross. Book Three of the Ascent: “We have already given instructions for the intellect, the first faculty of the soul, so that in all its apprehensions it may be united with God through pure faith, the first theological virtue. The same has to be done for the other two faculties, memory and will. They must undergo a purification of their respective apprehensions in order to reach union with God in perfect hope and charity” (A.3.1:1). ### Faith, Hope, and Love Theological virtues: faith, hope, and love (charity); working interdependently and being the likeness of God, they are the means that bridge the infinite distance between God and His creatures. They are the only proper and proximate means to union with Him (see Collected Works Glossary of Terms, pg. 776). Moral theologian Fr. Mark O’Keefe, O.S.B., makes an important observation about the three theological virtues: “For John of the Cross, faith, hope, and love are gifts of God as well as instruments of what I am calling an inner liberation, given to us precisely so that we can be ready to receive the gift of contemplative prayer that God wants to give. In this way, John of the Cross offers us a critical tool for the deepening of the Christian life, yet his teaching in this area is little discussed in commentaries on his thought, at least not in English. To understand his thinking on these virtues, it is necessary to see how these three virtues function within the context of the broader work of liberation that must first occur within the Christian and that must continue into a still deeper purification” (Love Awakened by Love, Introduction, pg. 5). Note: The point is that we need to prepare the soil (of the soul) with the help of the three theological virtues and make it a fertile ground to receive the prayer of contemplation that is ultimately a gift from God. p.14 Definitively professed members are called to live their life of prayer beyond initial stages within the context of active and passive purification of the intellect (by faith), the memory (by hope), and the will (by charity). According to the OCDS Constitutions, Secular Carmelites are called to live the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love. A few quotations are worth citing here:   Natural moral virtues are “acquired,” which is to say that we ourselves develop these good habits, with the help of grace, by our choices and actions over time. The theological virtues of faith, hope, and love are infused virtues that direct us beyond this merely human life. They are described as “infused” because they are given by God and not “acquired” by our own effort. More particularly they are “theological” virtues because they are directed immediately to God and enable us to cooperate with God’s action, drawing us into the divine life. Through the gift of the three theological virtues, we are given the necessary means to embrace this divine friendship and participate in it in this life. For John of the Cross, the same theological virtues that aim to unite us with God do so precisely by purifying us at the deepest level. (see Love Awakened by Love, ch. 3). The Rule of St. Albert is the original expression of the spirituality of Carmel. One of the principles of the Rule is: Arming ourselves with the practice of virtues, as we live an intense life of faith, hope, and charity (see OCDS Constitutions, Art. 6.f, emphasis added). One of the fundamental elements of the vocation of the OCDS is: “to give particular importance to prayer which, nourished by listening to the Word of God and by the liturgy, is conducive to relating with God as a friend, not just in prayer but in daily living. To be committed to this life of prayer demands being nourished by faith, hope and, above all, charity in order to live in the presence and the mystery of the living God” (Const., 9.c, emphasis added). “In the Secular Order a special place is given to the liturgy, understood as God’s Word celebrated in active hope, after having received it by faith and the commitment to live it in effective love” (Const., 23, emphasis added). “… Secular Carmelites are called to strive to make prayer penetrate their whole existence, in order to walk in the presence of the living God, through the constant exercise of faith, hope and love...” (Const., 17, emphasis added). Every aspect of life of the lay faithful enters into the plan of God, who desires that these very areas be the “places in time” where the love of Christ is revealed and realized for both the glory of the Father and service to others. Every activity, every situation, every responsibility are occasions ordained by Providence for a “continuous exercise of faith, hope and charity” (see Christifideles Laici, #59, emphasis added).  “Saint John of the Cross… inspires the Secular Carmelite to be vigilant in the practice of faith, hope and charity.” (Const. 8, emphasis added). p.15 Because these virtues of faith, hope and love have the function of withdrawing the soul from all that is less than God, they consequently have the mission of uniting the soul with God (see DN.2.21:11-12). p.16 # Links - [[ongoing-formation-2-ascent-three]] - [[ongoing-formation-2-the-dark-night-intro]] - [[ongoing-formation-2-the-dark-night-1]] - [[ongoing-formation-2-the-dark-night-2]] - [[ongoing-formation-2-glorification]] - [[ongoing-formation-2-spiritual-canticle]] - [[ongoing-formation-2-living-flame]] - [[ongoing-formation-2-appendix]] --- --- **Source:** Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, *Ongoing Formation Volume II: Human Transformation and Union According to the Writings of St. John of the Cross* (US National Formation Program, 2025).