Saint John of the Cross: Doctor of Love

Feast Day: December 14th
Carmelite, Mystic, Doctor of the Church

The Carmelite Order celebrates the feast of Saint John of the Cross on December 14th. Saint John is first of my favorite male Saints, with St. Francis De Sales, as my second. Humanly speaking, his life was a story of poverty and sufferings but spiritually, it was a story of love between a creature and the Creator. To know Saint John we need to know some basic facts about him.

Juan de Yepes was born June 24, 1542 in Fontiveros, Spain. He had two brothers, Francisco and Luis. Luis died as a small child after his father's death. His father, Gonzalo De Yepes, belonged to a noble family of silk merchants. His mother, Catalina Alvarez, was an orphan girl who was raised by a local family and earned her living as a weaver. The two met when Gonzalo was on a business trip. Gonzalo fell in love with this attractive young woman and the two married "out of love" without the blessing of the Yepes family. Gonzalo was disinherited and the couple raised their family in hard work and financial straits but full of love and dedication. When Gonzalo died, Catalina was left to care for the boys. Life proved to be very difficult for her and the small family of three lived in abject poverty. Catalina assumed the heavy responsibility of feeding and raising her children. She was forced to move from place to place to look for a good paying job that would help her to meet even the bare necessities of life. This childhood experience of self-sacrificing love will form John and he would develop this subject and used it as a structure in his explanation of the Divine love of God and the standard of what our own response to God's love should be. His sayings of: "Where there is no love, put love and you will find love," "Love is repaid by love alone," "In the evening of life you will be examined in love," "When you experience something unpleasant, look at Jesus Crucified and be silent," are all sentiments formed by his own experience of self-emptying love.

Catalina was described as a very devout Christian woman who brought up her sons "with the greatest Christian spirit, and encouraged them to be devoted to the Mother of God." Years later, Saint John would recount a story of his childhood. He had fallen into a pond and a very beautiful lady appeared and stretched her hand to him in the motion of helping him. Young Juan refused to extend his hand to her because he did not want to get her dirty. A workman with a pole eventually fished him out of the pond and rescued him. Saint John often said that it was for this reason that he was very devoted and fond of Our Lady.

We cannot speak of Saint John without mentioning Saint Teresa of Avila. The two met when St. John went back to Medina del Campo to celebrate his First Mass after ordination. He had entered the Carmelites but felt unhappy thinking he was called to a more austere life of the Carthusians. St. Teresa had founded a reformed Carmelite community of nuns in the same town and was beginning a process of finding men to join her reform for the friars. This was to be a providential meeting. They met and talked and St. John confided to her his plans. St. Teresa for her part convinced John to join her reform and assured him that whatever he was looking for with the Carthusians, he would find in the Reformed Carmel. John agreed provided that he did not have to wait long.

John and Teresa suffered much for the reform of Carmel. It resulted in St. John being held prisoner for 9 months in a Toledo cell by his fellow Carmelite brothers. True to the practice of the times, he received the beatings and penalty imposed on a "renegade " religious. He was in a solitary confinement, deprived of any kind of mental or physical activity, in the cold and dark prison cell with a very small window to allow a little bit of light to enter. When the time ordained by God came, he escaped and made his way to a monastery of Reformed Carmelite Nuns in Toledo. They barely recognized him for they found him emaciated, confused and looking barely alive.

St. John's experience in imprisonment brought with it a purification of the purest quality. It would bring out the sparkle already in the diamond that was St. John. It produced the most beautiful poetry Spain  ever had, the 'Spiritual Canticle." John of the Cross would serve the Discalced Order in a spiritual way. He is considered to be the co-founder of the Order along with Saint Teresa of Avila. He died in Ubeda December 14, 1591 from a blood poisoning originating from a gangrenous ulcerated leg sore. He was beatified by Pope Clement January 25, 1675. His canonization occurred 50 years later on December 27, 1726 by Pope Benedict XIII. He was declared a Doctor of the Universal Church by Pope Pius XI August 24, 1926.

Personally, I love Saint John because he is a true voice of Truth. He is dependable because he doesn't water down the demands of the Gospel. He points to what is true and necessary and does not mince words to soften the blow. He challenges but at the same time he comforts with his words of love and understanding. He demands but at the same time understands the frailty of human nature. He holds up an ideal but makes room for human weakness. He feeds us with the solid meat of the spiritual. He is austere but at the same time poetic and eloquent. He speaks of mortification and detachment but always in the context of loving. He reminds us that we are special and loved by God. He reminds that we have been bought by the blood and death of Jesus and that nothing - no suffering, no trial, no persecution- can ever make us repay what He did out of love. Except to love Him back.

Saint John wrote his major works of The Dark Night, Ascent of Mount Carmel, Spiritual Canticle and Living Flame of Love. He also wrote some prose, prayers and Counsels. We have some surviving letters he wrote.

Saint John of the Cross is known as the Doctor of the Dark Night. That is an inaccurate description. His dark night was only a means to the greater end of transforming union in love. He is a Doctor of Love. Only if we see him in this light, will we cease to be afraid of him and his doctrine.


What is St. John's relevance in our modern day and age?  I believe first and foremost that he, like John the Baptist", is the voice that cries in the wilderness, "make straight the way of the Lord!"  his voice bears the impact of conscience.  Our lives can become filled with so many needs, longings and wants, ambitions and plans.  We find our plates full , and yet, still go away hungry and thirsty.  We find ourselves in a world of options and freedoms, and yet, find ourselves enslaved and limited.   We find ourselves soaring so high in our spiritual adventure, and suddenly, find ourselves on a rapid descent and sometimes ending with a fatal crash on the ground of life.  What does John of the Cross say to all these?  "On the way to the mountain, nothing, nothing, nothing. And at the top of the mountain, still nothing."  (Ascent of Mount Carmel).  God is much greater than all the goods of this earth.  Much greater than the loftiest of our spiritual experiences.  Much greater than our mind can conceive.  He teaches us that the ascent to union with God is accomplished in darkness and nakedness.  He teaches that God is not found AFTER the darkness passes, but that God is IN the darkness, and to embrace this darkness is the surest way to find God.  Faith, Hope and Love, the three things that last.  In the end, these are the surest guides we can depend on. We are living in these times of faith-crisis.  We look for signs and miracles.  We exalt grand spiritual experiences and gravitate to what our intellect can understand.  We are confronted by worldly idols and created some ourselves.  We put out our hands and frantically grab whatever makes us happy, only to be disappointed because they all make us feel empty.  In short, we look for God in all the wrong places.  St. John invites us to journey WITHIN.

Saint John of the Cross, pray for us!

What Is the Doctrine of "Nada?"

 
The word "nada" or "nothing" in English is used to summarize the whole doctrine of St. John of the Cross. And yet, this is a premature assumption because "nada" in St John, is only a means to an end, not the end in itself. This is important to know because St. John was not a "quietist" (a heretical movement in the Church during his time). The reputation he has of being a "hard to follow" guide comes from his insistence on this doctrine of the "nada."

St. John left us a sketch to summarize his whole doctrine. The sketch is of Mount Carmel itself. To climb the mount, he drew up paths. Along these paths are both spiritual and natural goods one encounters on the road to life. But all these paths lead to nowhere except one. He drew a narrow path right in the middle of the sketch leading one straight to the summit of the mountain. He wrote "and on this path is NOTHING (nada), NOTHING (nada), NOTHING (nada), and still at the summit NOTHING!"

In the Ascent of Mount Carmel , Chapter II and III, St. John wrote why he used the analogy of darkness to explain his doctrine. First reason, the way to God is dark. Our journey is illumined by faith alone (or should be illumined). Second, the experience of God is darkness to the senses. The purification and purgation necessary for transformation are experienced as darkness by our senses. They are painful to us because they imply detachment and withdrawal from things not purely for God's glory. When God begins to withdraw the soul from the state of beginners to the state of proficients, the sensible part of the soul experiences difficulties and confusion because God is now strengthening the spirit. This is experienced as pure darkness. Third reason, God as the goal of our journey, is Himself darkness to our intellect. We cannot fully comprehend God or the ways of God. Our intellect is finite and cannot possible grasp something infinite. That is why you hear about experiences of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta and St.Therese and many other holy souls. Everything is experienced as pure darkness, the objects of faith and hope are now cast into the dark and cannot anymore shed light to the intellect. At this point, only the WILL to believe, to hope and to love remains.

Portrait of St. John of the Cross

"About Me" is an interesting phrase to see when one is looking at blogs and facebook pages. St. John was never known to write anything about himself. Spiritual writers and scholars on St. John indicate that when he wrote about spiritual experiences in his major works, he was indirectly profiling his own spiritual experiences. We do have documented descriptions of John by the many people who knew him or lived with him. Through their words and witness, we can picture this saint and imagine his personality and character.

Physical Portrait
"The venerable Father was between small and medium in height, well proportioned in body, although thin from the rigorous penance he performed. His face was of brownish color, somewhat gaunt, more rounded than long; he was venerably bald with a little hair in front. The forehead was broad; the eyes black with a gentle gaze. The eyebrows were clearly formed. The mouth and lips, with the rest of the face and body were well proportioned. He allowed the beard to grow slightly so that with his short habit of coarse wool he seemed more venerable and edifying. " (Jeronimo de San Jose- early biographer).

Character
"He had a special demeanor, given by God".. "Our Lord God had given him a holy demeanor, which is all respected." "In all his being and and work, he breathed the air of a free and energetic man." "His life was one of detachment, not through mortification, but through vitality and freedom. Things were a hindrance to him when they were not necessary. He was kindhearted and understanding with others as he was sober and austere with himself." " Even before he had written his books, he was portrayed as profound and intelligent. This he was in his biblical interpretations, theological reasonings, and spiritual discernment. The professors in University of Baeza, after attending the academic reunions at the College of the Discalced Carmelites, presided over by Fray John, left saying: "What a profound man we have here!" "Joy was an ever-present facet of his spirit, behavior, and leadership style. But it was not an explosive kind of joy and laughter. He laughed on occasion, smiled a great deal. When he was superior, it pained him to see his brothers fall into sadness. He would take them into the country and try to alleviate their sadness. In caring for the sick where the atmosphere tended to be somewhat dismal, he multiplied his efforts to promote good humor by telling stories and even jokes. ""Fraternal was his predominant trait in his dealings with others. His office and prestige did not interfere with the simplicity of his relationships. . He was always lowering and depreciating himself. ""Saint John of the Cross was a combination of warmth of feeling and reserve. .. The affective component stands out in John's conduct and his writings. There was more than fraternal charity involved; he also possessed sensitivity, passion, feeling, and affection. He shows it at every step, but in a veiled form because of his moderate and reserved bearing. He was not greatly expressive in words and gesture. He showed this rather in his tone of confidence and familiarity, which by its strength of sentiments substituted for a more exuberant expression."(Fr. Frederico Ruiz, biographer)

I love to imagine St. John according to the descriptions of him. Somehow, they make him human and none of the austere and sad statue I see of him. When one reads his letters, his tender and affective side, even shows even more.

December 14- Short VIdeo on St. John of the Cross

"FIrst Impressions Need Not be Lasting!"

December 14th, Feast of St. John of the Cross, is fast approaching. 

My first impression of Saint John was a a man who never laughed, who was always gazing up to heaven and beating his chest. A man who talked about raining in your parade, with his insistence on denial of this thing and that. Only after I read his letters and read comments by witnesses to his life that I began to change my opinion of him. He was gentle, he was joyful and he was kind to his confreres. He loved to dance and played the tambourines as he carried the Infant Jesus around. He was a wonderful spiritual director who had the knack of making people see the the changes they needed without being judgmental or pushy. After reading his works,most especially his letters, you come out with a resolution to be more serious about the spiritual life and to ask God for the grace to do it. He sets you out on a journey which is personal, solid and authentic. You feel encouraged reading him and motivated to be better  because he almost seems to be able to read your mind and answer your unspoken questions about the spiritual life. He can be intimidating because he does not water down the demands of the Gospel.  He offers the strong spiritual meat of the spirit.  He is a good shepherd and spiritual director because he points out the hidden crevices one can fall into in the arduous climb to the mount of perfection. In a way, one who is self-assured and comfortable with their spiritual status, may not like him because he pulls the red carpet off one's feet and shatters illusions by showing that the thought of virtues were after all imperfections. John of the Cross can open the eyes of so many people who think of  themselves "religious." It takes prudence and common sense to read St. John. We have to know when we are ready to receive his message. He said it himself that not all would take to what he was writing because "we are not talking about sensible things but achieving a nakedness of spirit necessary to union with God." If you find at initial take that your soul does not profit from his counsels, put the book down, and go back another time. You will find that somewhere in his writings is the experience you are going through. I am continually sustained by his writings. I owe him a great deal and I am proud to call him "my holy father" since he is truly the father of my soul. I believe that sooner or later, the works of St. John of the Cross must be studied by anyone who is serious about growth in the spiritual life.

The Spiritual Canticle

carmelitesisters©

 

I

THE BRIDE

Where have You hidden Yourself,
And abandoned me in my groaning, O my Beloved?
You have fled like the hart,
Having wounded me.
I ran after You, crying; but You were gone.

II
O shepherds, you who go
Through the sheepcots up the hill,
If you shall see Him
Whom I love the most,
Tell Him I languish, suffer, and die.

III
In search of my Love
I will go over mountains and strands;
I will gather no flowers,
I will fear no wild beasts;
And pass by the mighty and the frontiers.

IV
O groves and thickets
Planted by the hand of the Beloved;
O verdant meads
Enameled with flowers,
Tell me, has He passed by you?

V
ANSWER OF THE CREATURES

A thousand graces diffusing
He passed through the groves in haste,
And merely regarding them
As He passed
Clothed them with His beauty.

VI
THE BRIDE

Oh! who can heal me?
Give me at once Yourself,
Send me no more
A messenger
Who cannot tell me what I wish.

VII
All they who serve are telling me
Of Your unnumbered graces;
And all wound me more and more,
And something leaves me dying,
I know not what, of which they are darkly speaking.

VIII
But how you persevere, O life,
Not living where you live;
The arrows bring death
Which you receive
From your conceptions of the Beloved.

IX
Why, after wounding
This heart, have You not healed it?
And why, after stealing it,
Have You thus abandoned it,
And not carried away the stolen prey?

X
Quench my troubles,
For no one else can soothe them;
And let my eyes behold You,
For You are their light,
And I will keep them for You alone.

XI
Reveal Your presence,
And let the vision and Your beauty kill me,
Behold the malady
Of love is incurable
Except in Your presence and before Your face.

XII
O crystal well!
Oh that on Your silvered surface
You would mirror forth at once
Those eyes desired
Which are outlined in my heart!

XIII
Turn them away, O my Beloved!
I am on the wing:

THE BRIDEGROOM

Return, My Dove!
The wounded hart
Looms on the hill
In the air of your flight and is refreshed.

XIV
My Beloved is the mountains,
The solitary wooded valleys,
The strange islands,
The roaring torrents,
The whisper of the amorous gales;

XV
The tranquil night
At the approaches of the dawn,
The silent music,
The murmuring solitude,
The supper which revives, and enkindles love.

XVI
Catch us the foxes,
For our vineyard has flourished;
While of roses
We make a nosegay,
And let no one appear on the hill.

XVII
O killing north wind, cease!
Come, south wind, that awakens love!
Blow through my garden,
And let its odors flow,
And the Beloved shall feed among the flowers.

XVIII
O nymphs of Judea!
While amid the flowers and the rose-trees
The amber sends forth its perfume,
Tarry in the suburbs,
And touch not our thresholds.

XIX
Hide yourself, O my Beloved!
Turn Your face to the mountains,
Do not speak,
But regard the companions
Of her who is traveling amidst strange islands.

XX
THE BRIDEGROOM

Light-winged birds,
Lions, fawns, bounding does,
Mountains, valleys, strands,
Waters, winds, heat,
And the terrors that keep watch by night;

XXI
By the soft lyres
And the siren strains, I adjure you,
Let your fury cease,
And touch not the wall,
That the bride may sleep in greater security.

XXII
The bride has entered
The pleasant and desirable garden,
And there reposes to her heart's content;
Her neck reclining
On the sweet arms of the Beloved.

XXIII
Beneath the apple-tree
There were you betrothed;
There I gave you My hand,
And you were redeemed
Where your mother was corrupted.

XXIV
THE BRIDE

Our bed is of flowers
By dens of lions encompassed,
Hung with purple,
Made in peace,
And crowned with a thousand shields of gold.

XXV
In Your footsteps
The young ones run Your way;
At the touch of the fire
And by the spiced wine,
The divine balsam flows.

XXVI
In the inner cellar
Of my Beloved have I drunk; and when I went forth
Over all the plain
I knew nothing,
And lost the flock I followed before.

XXVII
There He gave me His breasts,
There He taught me the science full of sweetness.
And there I gave to Him
Myself without reserve;
There I promised to be His bride.

XXVIII
My soul is occupied,
And all my substance in His service;
Now I guard no flock,
Nor have I any other employment:
My sole occupation is love.

XXIX
If, then, on the common land
I am no longer seen or found,
You will say that I am lost;
That, being enamored,
I lost myself; and yet was found.

XXX
Of emeralds, and of flowers
In the early morning gathered,
We will make the garlands,
Flowering in Your love,
And bound together with one hair of my head.

XXXI
By that one hair
You have observed fluttering on my neck,
And on my neck regarded,
You were captivated;
And wounded by one of my eyes.

XXXII
When You regarded me,
Your eyes imprinted in me Your grace:
For this You loved me again,
And thereby my eyes merited
To adore what in You they saw

XXXIII
Despise me not,
For if I was swarthy once
You can regard me now;
Since You have regarded me,
Grace and beauty have You given me.

XXXIV
THE BRIDEGROOM

The little white dove
Has returned to the ark with the bough;
And now the turtle-dove
Its desired mate
On the green banks has found.

XXXV
In solitude she lived,
And in solitude built her nest;
And in solitude, alone
Has the Beloved guided her,
In solitude also wounded with love.

XXXVI
THE BRIDE

Let us rejoice, O my Beloved!
Let us go forth to see ourselves in Your beauty,
To the mountain and the hill,
Where the pure water flows:
Let us enter into the heart of the thicket.

XXXVII
We shall go at once
To the deep caverns of the rock
Which are all secret,
There we shall enter in
And taste of the new wine of the pomegranate.

XXXVIII
There you will show me
That which my soul desired;
And there You will give at once,
O You, my life!
That which You gave me the other day.

XXXIX
The breathing of the air,
The song of the sweet nightingale,
The grove and its beauty
In the serene night,
With the flame that consumes, and gives no pains.

XL
None saw it;
Neither did Aminadab appear
The siege was intermitted,
And the cavalry dismounted
At the sight of the waters.

St John of the Cross

MASTER IN THE FAITH

Pope John Paul II

Apostolic Letter Of His Holiness John Paul II To The Very Reverend  Father Felipe Sainz De Baranda Superior General Of The Order Of The Discalced Brothers Of The Blessed Virgin Mary Of Mount Carmel On The Occasion Of The IV Centenary Of The Death Of  Saint John Of The Cross, Doctor Of The Church  I Introduction 1. Master in the faith and witness to the living God, Saint John of the Cross is present in the memory of the Church, especially today as we celebrate the IV Centenary of his passing to glory, which took place on 14 December 1591, when he was called from his convent of Ubeda to the house of the Father. The Church finds joy in attesting to the abundant fruits of holiness and wisdom  that this her son continues to bear through the example of his life and the light of his writings. Indeed, his person and his teachings draw the interest of people from the most diverse religious and cultural surroundings. He understands them and speaks to the deepest aspirations of the human person and of the believer. Therefore, I cherish  the hope that this jubilee celebration may serve to increase the luster of his central message— the theological life in faith, hope and love—and to make it more widely known.  Full Article