December 14
Saints of the Day...and Events
 

St. John of the Cross, 1542-1591, Doctor of the Church of Mystical Theology
The Carmelite reformer with St. Teresa, mystic-poet and theologian-priest... the cross of Christ and our own Cross are the key of life.

    John is a saint because his life was a heroic effort to live up to his name: “of the Cross.” The folly of the cross came to full realization in time. “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34b) is the story of John’s life. The Paschal Mystery—through death to life—strongly marks John as reformer, mystic-poet and theologian-priest.

    Ordained a Carmelite priest at 25 (1567), John met Teresa of Jesus (Avila) and like her vowed himself to the primitive Rule of the Carmelites. As partner with Teresa and in his own right, John engaged in the work of reform, and came to experience the price of reform: increasing opposition, misunderstanding, persecution, imprisonment by the Order. He came to know the cross acutely—to experience the dying of Jesus—as he sat month after month in his dark, damp, narrow cell with only his God!

    Yet, the paradox! In this dying of imprisonment John came to life, uttering poetry. In the darkness of the dungeon, John’s spirit came into the Light. There are many mystics, many poets; John is unique as mystic-poet, expressing in his prison-cross the ecstasy of mystical union with God in the Spiritual Canticle.

    But as agony leads to ecstasy, so John had his Ascent to Mt. Carmel, as he named it in his prose masterpiece. As man-Christian-Carmelite, he experienced in himself this purifying ascent; as spiritual director, he sensed it in others; as psychologist-theologian, he described and analyzed it in his prose writings. His prose works are outstanding in underscoring the cost of discipleship, the path of union with God: rigorous discipline, abandonment, purification. Uniquely and strongly John underlines the gospel paradox: The cross leads to resurrection, agony to ecstasy, darkness to light, abandonment to possession, denial to self to union with God. If you want to save your life, you must lose it. John is truly “of the Cross.” He died at 49—a life short, but full.

     Born in poverty. Cared for the poor in the hospital in Medina. Lay Carmelite brother at age 21. Studied at Salamanca. Carmelite priest at age 25.
    Persuaded by Saint Teresa of Avila to begin the Discalced or barefoot reform within the Carmelite Order, he took the name John of the Cross. His reforms did not set well with some of his brothers, and he was imprisoned by them, escaping after nine months. His reforms revitalized the Order.
    Great contemplative and spiritual writer. Proclaimed Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XI on 24 August 1926.

Comment: He who knows the value of the Cross knows everything, he who doesn't know it knows nothing. John in his life and writings has a crucial word for us today. We tend to be rich, soft, comfortable. We shrink even from words like self-denial, mortification, purification, asceticism, discipline. We run from the cross. John’s message—like the gospel—is loud and clear: Don’t—if you really want to live!

Born 24 June 1542 at Fontiveros, Spain
Died 14 December 1591 at Ubeda
Beatified 25 January 1675 by Pope Clement X - Canonized 27 December 1726 by Pope Benedict XIII
Name Meaning God is gracious (= John)
Images Gallery of images of Saint John [7 images, 103 kb]
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Additional Information
          http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintOfDay/default.asp?id=1229
          http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintj23.htm
          St. John of the Cross
 
Works
Ascent of Mount Carmel
Dark Night of the Soul
A Spiritual Canticle of the Soul and the Bridegroom Christ
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Readings
- Never was fount so clear,
undimmed and bright;
From it alone, I know proceeds all light
although 'tis night.
 - If you do not learn to deny yourself, you can make no progress in perfection.
- In detachment, the spirit finds quiet and repose for coveting nothing. Nothing wearies it by elation, and nothing oppresses it by dejection, because it stands in the center of its own humility.
- The Lord measures our perfection neither by the multitude nor the magnitude of our deeds, but by the manner in which we perform them.
- I wish I could persuade spiritual persons that the way of perfection does not consist in many devices, nor in much cogitation, but in denying themselves completely and yielding themselves to suffer everything for the love of Christ. And if there is failure in this exercise, all other methods of walking in the spiritual way are merely a beating about the bush, and profitless trifling, although a person should have very high contemplation and communication with God.
- Live in the world as if only God and your soul were in it; then your heart will never be made captive by any earthly thing.
- O you souls who wish to go on with so much safety and consolation, if you knew how pleasing to God is suffering, and how much it helps in acquiring other good things, you would never seek consolation in anything; but you would rather look upon it as a great happiness to bear the Cross of the Lord.
- Though holy doctors have uncovered many mysteries and wonders, and devout souls have understood them in this earthly condition of ours, yet the greater part still remains to be unfolded by them, and even to be understood by them.
- We must then dig deeply in Christ. He is like a rich mine with many pockets containing treasures: however deep we dig, we will never find their end or their limit. Indeed, in every pocket new seams of fresh riches are discovered on all sides.
- For this reason the apostle Paul said of Christ, "In him are hidden all the treasures of the wisdom and knowledge of God." The soul cannot enter into these treasures, nor attain them, unless it first crosses into and enters the thicket of suffering, enduring interior and exterior labors, and unless it first receives from God very many blessings in the intellect and in the senses, and has undergone long spiritual training.
- The gate that gives entry into these riches of his wisdom is the cross; because it is a narrow gate, while many seek the joys that can be gained through it, it is given to few to desire to pass through it.
- In giving us His Son, His only Word, He spoke everything to us at once in this sole Word -- and He has no more to say...because what he spoke before to the prophets in parts, he has now spoken all at once by giving us the All Who is His Son. Saint John of the Cross
 

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