Our Spiritual Journey

God is merciful, we are the beloved of God. God continually reaches out to us, but often we make ourselves unavailable to God by hiding within our lives, distracted by multiple centers and little interiority. What we need to do is center ourselves so that our lives focus on the journey of prayer.

This journey may be precipitated by a failure, fall, or loss. It will have phases including dark nights that purify our faith. It seems that just when we think we have all the pieces in place and are feeling content and satisfied, our joy in prayer may evaporate, and we cannot find words. It may be time for a more contemplative listening.

We might experience this night as negative, but it is actually a positive experience of God’s love drawing us past the place where we have prematurely settled down. “The brighter the light, the more the owl is blinded,” said St. John of the Cross. The outcome of our spiritual journey is an awakening to the reality of having been accompanied by a merciful God all along!

John Welch, OCarm, was a member of the Carmelite Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary and a longtime teacher and writer on Carmelite spirituality. He taught for thirty-three years at the Washington Theological Union, specializing in Carmelite spirituality and human development.

He authored several books on spirituality, including Spiritual Pilgrims, When Gods Die, and The Carmelite Way.