Difference Between Spiritual Darkness and Spiritual Laziness: Lessons From Mother Teresa and Don Dolindo, by Elie Dib

In the spiritual journey, many saints have traversed periods of profound inner darkness. Among these, Mother Teresa of Calcutta represents a luminous example of faithfulness despite the darkness. For nearly fifty years of her life, Mother Teresa experienced spiritual desolation, a perceived absence of God’s presence that she called her “dark night.” Yet, despite this darkness, she never yielded to spiritual laziness. Each day, without fail, she began with adoration of the Eucharist, followed by Holy Mass and constant prayers that accompanied her tireless service to the poorest of the poor. Her life clearly demonstrates the difference between spiritual darkness and spiritual laziness.

This fundamental distinction was beautifully illuminated by Don Dolindo Ruotolo in his spiritual reflections. In his autobiography “Fui Chiamato Dolindo Che Significa Dolore” (I Was Called Dolindo Which Means Suffering), Don Dolindo reports an interior locution received from the Lord on May 6, 1918, in which this important difference is clarified. …

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