The other blind eye of whom we have spoken, who can hinder the soul in this kind of recollection, is the devil, who, being himself blind, desires the soul to be blind also. When the soul is in these lofty and solitary places wherein are infused the delicate unctions of the Holy Spirit (the devil has great grief and envy, for he sees the soul flying beyond him, and can in no wise lay hold on it, though he sees that it is gaining riches), the devil tries to cover this detachment and withdrawal, as it were, with cataracts of knowledge and mists of sensible sweetness, which are sometimes good, so that he may entice the soul more surely, and thus cause it to have commerce once more with sense, and to look at these things and embrace them, so that it may continue its journey to God in reliance upon this good knowledge and these delights. And herein he distracts it and very easily withdraws it from that solitude and recollection…the Holy Spirit is working these great things secretly….The soul, being of itself inclined to sensible enjoyment…is very easily led to cling to such kinds of knowledge and such delights, and withdraws itself from the solitude wherein God works. The soul reasons, previously it was doing nothing (stillness and quiet—adoration), this other state (the devil’s liking, supplied with sweet consolations) seems better, for now it is doing something (talking, instructing, educating, receiving attention as a knowledgeable knower of God, an elevated one amongst other religious advocates, one with a recognized righteous cause, a proponent, an esteemed identity). It is a great pity that the soul cannot realize how, for the sake of one mouthful, it is presenting itself from feeding holy upon God Himself…
In this way, with hardly any trouble, the devil works the greatest injuries, causing the soul to lose great riches, and dragging it forth like a fish, with the tiniest bait, from the depths of the pure waters of the spirit, where it had no support or foothold but was engulfed and immersed in God. And hereupon he drags it to the bank, giving it help and support, and showing it something whereon it may lean, so that it may walk up on its own feet with great labour instead of floating in the waters of Siloe, that go with silence, bathed in the unctions of God. –St John of the Cross ‘Living Flame of Love’
As He passed by, He saw a man blind from his birth. And his disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him. We must work the works of Him who sent Me, while it is day; night comes, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” As He said this, he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and anointed the man’s eyes with the clay, saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Silo’am” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar, said, “Is not this the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is he”; others said, “No, but he is like him.” He said, “I am the man.” They said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” He answered, “The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Silo’am and wash’; so I went and washed and received my sight.” They said to him, “Where is He?” He said, “I do not know.” –Gospel of Luke chapter 9
St John of the Cross. Euclid, Ohio.
