St. John of the Cross

     One of the ways that Jesus revealed the meaning of the cross for us was when he said, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34b).  That’s the story of John.  His life was a truly heroic effort to live up to his adopted title: “of the Cross.” 

     He was ordained a priest in the Carmelite order in 1567 at age 25.  Not long afterward, he met a young nun, another Carmelite, who was named Theresa.  We know her as St. Teresa of Avila.  She was promoting a needed reform in the Carmelite order.  A central part of that effort was her rejection of the then-recent, more lax approach to the Carmelite Rule, and her glad adherence to the original form of the Rule, for it had once been an effective resource in the support of holiness within the Church.  St. Theresa convinced St. John of the Cross to do the same.

     Once he’d vowed himself to the original Rule, John put all his efforts into the work of building up the Church in holiness. 

     And sadly, he came to experience the price of reform, which came from some of his own culturally-influenced Carmelite brothers: misunderstanding, increasing opposition, persecution, and imprisonment. 

     He especially came to know the cross—to experience the dying of Jesus—as he sat month after month in his dark, damp, narrow cell (a dungeon, really), absolutely alone—except for God.  It was in the darkness of that dungeon that John’s spirit most deeply came into the Light of Christ.  

     In the church there have been many mystics, many poets, many authors.  John is unique as mystic-poet, expressing for us the ecstasy of mystical union with God in his The Spiritual Canticle.  He described his agony leading to the most wonderful ecstasy in his The Ascent to Mt. Carmel.  The latter was his prose masterpiece.  He was able to describe so well the soul’s purifying ascent.  If you read it, you’re in the presence of a truly great spiritual director, a psychologist, a theologian, and a pastor.  His works are outstanding in underscoring the cost of discipleship, the path of union with God.  John underlines the Gospel: that with Jesus with us, the cross leads to resurrection, agony leads to ecstasy, darkness leads to light, poverty leads to spiritual riches, denial of self leads to union with God.  As Jesus said, If we want to save our lives, we must lose them.  John was truly “of the Cross.” 

Reflection

     I think that John of the Cross has an important word for today.  I tend to be spiritually soft, comfortable, well-enough off.  I tend to shrink from words like self-denial, mortification, purification, asceticism, discipline.  I prefer to run from the cross.  In a country that seems intent on persecuting people like the Little Sisters of the Poor and those who stand for the sanctity of life, people like us, John’s message—like that of the Gospel—is clear:  If we really want to live, we mustn’t run from Jesus’ cross, but embrace it!

     St. John of the Cross, pray for us!