Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church

Today’s Gospel tells us that the disciples understood John the Baptist as the one who would lead them to the Savior. Indeed, it was John the Baptist who cleared the pathway to goodness, repentance, love, and new life through the redeemer of the world, Jesus Christ.

Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint John of the Cross. Born to a poor family in Spain, his father died when he was a toddler, and he lived a life of poverty and destitution with his mother and brother. After studying at a boarding school for poor children, John studied with the Jesuits, where he showed much promise and was led to enter the Carmelite Order, taking the name John of Saint Matthias. When he presided over his first Mass, he met a Carmelite nun, Teresa of Avila, who inspired him to reform the Carmelites. He founded the friars’ first house and took on the name of Father John of the Cross.

He was incredibly blessed when Mother Teresa became his spiritual guide, and in turn, he acted as her spiritual director. The Holy Spirit worked powerfully in their lives and through their mutual profound spiritual friendship.

The political climate of the Church disagreed with John’s stance on reformation and had him imprisoned in a dungeon where he endured extreme cruelty. However, God did not allow this abuse to go fruitless. Father John grew in his spiritual life and entered into an interior freedom through prayer and surrender to God. Through deep prayer and study, he was led to write some of the greatest spiritual treasures on mystical theology the Church has ever known, including Ascent to Mount Carmel, Dark Night of the Soul, Living Flame of Love, and Spiritual Canticles.

Prayer:

Loving God, I pray the response to today’s psalm, “Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face, and we shall be saved.” Help us heed the words of Saint John of the Cross that we “listen with the ear of our hearts” and turn ourselves to you. Fill us with the love and guidance of your most Holy Spirit that we may see your face – your face of unending love, forgiveness, compassion, peace, and all that is good. Amen.