Chapter 13
The Hidden Benefits of Spiritual Emptiness
Of other benefits which this night of sense causes in the soul. In the dryness and emptiness of this dark night of desire, wherein the soul leaves all things behind and is brought low in its own eyes, there is gained that spiritual humility which is the opposite of the spiritual pride which it had as a beginner. By means of this dark night the soul also acquires true obedience to God's will, freeing itself from the desires and attachments to its own will and pleasure. The soul also learns to walk in purity of faith, without seeking visions, sweetness,…
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Key Quotes & Analysis
"God humbles the soul greatly in order that He may afterwards exalt it greatly;"
Context: Explaining why the dark night feels so difficult and why it's actually beneficial
This reveals the paradoxical nature of spiritual growth - we have to be brought low before we can be authentically lifted up. It's not about punishment but about preparation for something greater.
In Today's Words:
John says God humbles the soul greatly so He may exalt it greatly afterward. The low place is ordered, not accidental. Chaplaincy seasons that shrink your ego prepare a later lifting you cannot engineer by performing holiness. John maps this for beginners who mistake dryness for failure instead of purgation ordered toward union with God.
"The soul also learns to walk in purity of faith, without seeking visions, sweetness, or any other kind of sign."
Context: Describing faith matured in the night
Faith no longer depends on perceptible consolation.
In Today's Words:
John says the soul learns purity of faith without hunting visions, sweetness, or signs. Mature belief keeps showing up when feeling and proof go quiet. You visit the chapel or the bedside because it is right, not because God performed for your senses. Juan stops chasing consolation and serves anyway.
"In the dryness and emptiness of this dark night of desire, wherein the soul leaves all things behind and is brought low in its own eyes, there is gained that spiritual humility which is the opposite of the spiritual pride which it had as a beginner."
Context: Opening benefit of the night
Dryness reverses beginner pride with real humility.
In Today's Words:
John says dryness and emptiness bring spiritual humility that overturns beginner pride. Leaving things behind and seeing yourself small is the curriculum. Early chaplaincy highs that made you feel special yield to ordinary faith without applause. Notice where peevishness, pride, or attachment flares when old comforts are withdrawn; that is the night beginning its work.
"if He did not ordain that, when these tempests assail the soul, it should feel them but little, and that they should speedily come to an end, it would be impossible for it to endure them."
Context: God's mercy in limiting the storm
Tempests are survivable because God moderates their felt intensity and duration.
In Today's Words:
John insists God limits how fiercely the soul feels these tempests and brings them to a swift end; otherwise endurance would be impossible. The night is real but not unbounded. That mercy matters when dryness feels total in the moment. Juan trusts the tempest is bounded even when chaplaincy feels endless.
Thematic Threads
Growth
In This Chapter
John shows that spiritual advancement requires periods of feeling abandoned and empty, not constant comfort and validation
Development
Builds on earlier themes about beginners needing to be weaned from spiritual consolations
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when mastering any skill requires pushing through phases where progress feels invisible
Humility
In This Chapter
True humility emerges from being stripped of false confidence and special feelings, not from pretending to be modest
Development
Deepens the earlier discussion of pride and self-deception in spiritual practice
In Your Life:
You see this when real competence at work comes from acknowledging what you don't know, not from acting humble while secretly thinking you're better than others
Faith
In This Chapter
Genuine faith grows stronger when it no longer depends on emotional rewards or obvious signs of progress
Development
Continues the theme of moving beyond beginner's need for constant spiritual consolation
In Your Life:
You experience this in any long-term commitment—marriage, parenting, career—where real dedication shows up when the initial excitement fades
Identity
In This Chapter
John reveals that feeling ordinary and unremarkable is often a sign of authentic spiritual progress, not failure
Development
Challenges earlier assumptions about spiritual identity being marked by special experiences
In Your Life:
You might see this when your professional identity shifts from needing to prove yourself to simply doing good work without fanfare
Expectations
In This Chapter
The chapter shows that expecting constant positive feedback and dramatic progress actually prevents real development
Development
Builds on themes about letting go of how we think spiritual life should feel
In Your Life:
You encounter this when learning that sustainable relationships require giving up the expectation of constant romance and excitement
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
This is not a test. Five prompts guide you through the chapter, from how it opens to how it closes, so you notice context and rhythm rather than facts to memorize. Sit with each question in your own words. When you see "One way to read it," treat it as a starting point, not the only answer.
- 1
What humility does John contrast with beginner pride?
analysis • surfaceOne way to read it
Spiritual humility gained in dryness, when the soul is brought low in its own eyes after leaving all things behind.
- 2
What does purity of faith refuse to seek?
analysis • mediumOne way to read it
Visions, sweetness, or any other kind of sign.
- 3
When have you mistaken loss of good feeling for spiritual failure?
application • mediumOne way to read it
Name a practice that felt dry though you continued it faithfully.
- 4
How does obedience to God's will differ from following your own pleasure?
application • deepOne way to read it
John says the soul frees itself from attachment to its own will and pleasure to obey God in the night.
- 5
Why does John say the soul could not endure the tempest without divine ordaining?
reflection • deepOne way to read it
God limits how much the soul feels and ends the storm speedily; otherwise endurance would be impossible.
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Growth Phases
Think of something you've gotten good at - a job skill, parenting, a hobby, or overcoming a personal challenge. Draw a simple timeline showing three phases: the honeymoon period when you got lots of encouragement, the middle phase when support disappeared and it got hard, and where you are now. Mark what you learned in each phase.
Consider:
- •Notice whether your real skills developed during the easy or difficult phases
- •Identify what kept you going when external rewards disappeared
- •Consider how recognizing this pattern might help you navigate current challenges
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you felt like you were failing or going backward, but later realized you were actually developing important strength or skills during that difficult period.
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 14: When Love Burns Through Emptiness
Having named humility, obedience, and pure faith as fruits of dryness, John closes the night of sense with a stanza on love kindled through yearning: how denial of sweet experiences purifies desire and prepares the soul for union as Book Two opens.
