MSI Press Blog

  Spiritual writers—most famously St. John of the Cross—speak of two “dark nights” that mark the deepening of the interior life: the dark night of the senses and the dark night of the soul . The language can sound dramatic, even ominous, but these nights are not punishments. They are thresholds. They describe what happens when the familiar scaffolding of our spiritual life is quietly removed so that something truer, freer, and more God‑shaped can emerge. Understanding the difference between these two nights helps us recognize where we are, what is being asked of us, and why the experience—though disorienting—can be profoundly good. 1. The Dark Night of the Senses: When the Old Supports Fall Away The first night is the more common and the more easily misunderstood. It occurs when the external and emotional “props” of the spiritual life stop working . What it feels like Prayer becomes dry, even boring. The practices that once brought comfort no longer “feel” spiritual. Old habits of...

  Turkish Van twins, Poncho and Simba, in their desk loft beds above my messy desk Every cat guardian knows the ancient feline law: “If you are working, I must sit on the warmest, most inconvenient object in the room.” For most of us, that object is the computer—followed closely by the one piece of paper we actually need. The solution, as it turns out, is not to fight cat nature but to elevate it. Literally. The Magic of Desk Loft Beds Some genius out there (Chewy sells them, and probably a few other places too) realized that cats don’t actually want your spreadsheet. They want height, proximity, and supervisory authority. Enter the desk loft bed: a small, sturdy perch that clamps onto your desk with a single post and gives your cat a throne from which to judge your life choices. A few highlights: The clamp attaches securely to the desk without leaving a mark. The bed is surprisingly sturdy—strong enough for small and average cats, and even for Moo, who at 16 pounds pours ...