Ahead of the upcoming Beyond the Noise weekend retreat in Auckland, Vincent Maire speaks with retreat leader Fr Frank Bird about the life and wisdom of Christian mystic St John of the Cross. Drawing on his own journey with John’s writings — and his recent studies in Rome — Frank reflects on prayer, silence, transformation, and the deepening path of union with God. Their conversation offers a glimpse into what retreatants might expect as they encounter one of Christianity’s great mystical teachers.

We say that meditation comes before action. Meditation has made me aware of gifts I didn’t know I had, and how to use those gifts for the benefit of others rather than for my own needs. The insight that “meditation shrinks the ego and allows the soul to grow into the space that’s left behind” is both true and liberating.