Saint John of the Cross: Doctor Contemplation (St. Cross:... For Sale

• Publisher: Majosta
• Publication date: 19.12.2025
• Language: English
• Print length: 136 pages
• Dimensions: 12.7 x 0.9 x 20.3 cm
• Binding: paperback
• Author: St. Mary Magdalen OCD, Fr. Gabriel of

Doctor of Acquired Contemplation“St. John of the Cross, the Mystical Doctor, had, in his works, particularly called the attention of spiritual directors to the existence of these ‘mystical’ states of mental prayer; he had even sketched out the development in the soul of a form of prayer that depends, in great measure, upon its own efforts and which yet deserves the name of contemplation, whether because the intellect no longer reasons but is content to gaze upon God with a simple loving attention, or because this attention is often rendered easier by the concurrence; of a hidden infusion of divine light.”—Fr. Gabriel of Saint Mary MagdalenThis second volume offers an in-depth study of St. John of the Cross and the often-misunderstood stage of “acquired contemplation.” Across four parts, the book provides insight and guidance for those navigating this hidden terrain:The Real Question of Acquired Contemplation: Between ordinary meditation and fully infused contemplation lies a vital intermediate stage of prayer—one that demands its own distinct form of spiritual guidance.‘To Think of Nothing’: What some once called “thinking of nothing” is, rightly understood, the moment when a soul—tested by a subtle, purifying aridity—should gently set aside discursive meditation and rest in a simple, loving gaze of faith, cooperating with the first, hidden beginnings of infused contemplation.The Meeting with God: St. John of the Cross shows how human effort and divine action meet in early contemplation. The soul must prepare actively and lovingly attend to God even as He draws it into the quiet, purifying encounter that begins true contemplative prayer.The Doctor of Active Contemplation: Far from innovating, St. John restored the Church’s forgotten teaching on a humble, hidden form of contemplation—later called “active” or “acquired”—and the Carmelite tradition developed it into essential guidance for souls moving from meditation toward infused prayer.