Great Joy!

there is great joy and hope in the mystery of His love for us
there is great confusion in the mystery of His love for us
there is great suffering in the mystery of His love for us
the closer He gets to us
the darker it becomes
it is the opposite of what we are often told
what we tell ourselves
St. John of the Cross did not lie about the maddening nearness of our Beloved
Mother Teresa learned to embrace her darkness and smile at Him,
though He was distant and silent,
seemingly cruel
this mysterious love we are called to
the cross we carry
is relentless, demanding,
in this we can be sure
our soul's are worth much to Him
there is no resurrection to light
without these dark nights
alone with our crosses
there is great joy in this
learning what sinners we are
and how much He wants us still
mercy.

wkm
painting by Dave Marshall