When prayer feels empty and heaven seems quiet, it’s easy to wonder if God has left you.

In this episode of Mind and Spirit, Catholic-integrated therapist, Luke Johanni, explores what the saints called the Dark Night of the Soul; a season when God withdraws the feeling of His presence not to punish, but to purify and deepen our love.

You’ll learn how to recognize the difference between spiritualdryness and depression, why God sometimes seems silent, and how therapy and faith together can guide you through the darkness toward renewal.

Luke draws from St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, St. Teresa of Calcutta, and St. John Paul II, blending Scripture, Catholic theology, and psychological insight to show that God’s silence is never absence. It’s the language of deeper love.

Whether you’re in a season of dryness or searching for meaning in suffering, this episode will help you rediscover hope, trust, and intimacy with God.

Sources:

1. Catechism of the Catholic Church §§164–165, 272–27
2. St. Augustine — Confessions (Book I, ch. 1)
3. St. John Paul II — Novo Millennio Ineunte (2001)
4. St. John Paul II — Salvifici Doloris (1984)
5. St. John of the Cross – Dark Night of the Soul
6. St. Teresa of Ávila — Interior Castle (Book IV)
7. St. Teresa of Calcutta – Come Be My Light
8. St. Thérèse of Lisieux — Story of a Soul
9. APA Dictionary of Psychology – APA.org
10. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ( ACT ) – Contextual Science Association
11. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ( CBT ) – NAMI.org
12. Viktor E. Frankl – Man’s Search for Meaning

Scripture Sources:

1. Book of Job 1–2; 19:25
2. Deuteronomy 31:6
3. Isaiah 49:15
4. John 16:33
5. Lamentations 3:7–8; 22–23
6. Mark 9:24
7. Psalm 22
8. Psalm 42:5
9. Romans 8:28