A Dark Night of a Soul

“Yet until a soul is placed by God in the passive purgation of that dark night, it cannot purify itsself completely from these imperfections nor from others. But a person should insofaras possible strive to do his part in purifying and perfecting himself and there-by merit God’s divine cure; in this cure God will heal him of what, through his efforts, he was unable to remedy. No matter how much an individual does through his own efforts, he cannot actively purify himself enough to be disposed in the least degree for the divine union of the perfection of love. God must take over and purge him in that fire that is dark for him.”- Saint John of the Cross