John of the Cross today captures the attention of many believers and non-believers alike with his depiction of the dark night as a typically human and Christian experience. Our era has witnessed dramatic periods during which the silence or absence of God, as well as the experienced calamities and sufferings in the form of wars and the extermination of many innocents, have allowed for a better understanding of this expression, as they have given it the character of a collective experience and made it applicable not only to one phase of the spiritual journey but to the very reality of life itself. (…)
Illness, famine, war, injustice, loneliness, loss of meaning in life, the very fragility of human existence, the painful awareness of sin, and the seeming absence of God are purifying experiences for a believer that can be referred to as the night of faith. (…) “He is able to extract good from evil so wisely and beautifully” (Spiritual Song 23,5). Ultimately, it is a true experiencing of the mystery of death and resurrection in Christ.
(John Paul II, apostolic letter Maestro nella fede, art. 14; December 14, 1990)
