Saint John of the Cross

The real name of John of the Cross is Juan de Yepes Alvarez. “He was the youngest child of Gonzales of Yepes, and born at Fontibere near Avila, in Old Castile, in 1542.”[1] When he was two and a half years old, his father died which caused his family to have financial problems. As a result, they had to move to Arévalo where they remained until 1551. Later on, they moved to Medina del Campo where, at the age of nine, the little boy was admitted to the College in order to start his studies. John learned the trades of being a carpenter, tailor, and painter. In Medina del Campo, he served as an altar boy at the church-convent of Magdalen and helped at the Hospital of the Conception. From 1559 to 1563, John studied humanities and classical languages at the Jesuit College. In 1563, at the age of twenty-one, he felt the call to the religious life. John became a Carmelite in the convent of Santa Ana where he later made simple vows.

In Salamanca, John studied philosophy and theology at the Carmelite College of San Andrés. He was “ordained a Carmelite priest in 1567 at age 25…and vowed himself to the primitive Rule of the Carmelites.” [2] In Medina del Campo, he celebrated his first Mass and it was there where he had his first encounter with Teresa of Avila, a Spanish mystic and Carmelite nun. "During this encounter, St. Theresa of Avila talked with John about the Carmelite reform and asked for his help, especially in the masculine branch."[3] He learned the lifestyle of the Carmelites, especially the way in which they met the statutes with its entire primitive rigor. Once informed about their religious way of life, he thought of doing the same with his brothers so they could live the same spirit of fervor and zeal as Teresa.

When John became the first Discalced Carmelite, his name changed from John of St. Matthias to John of the Cross. From 1569 to 1571, he was the rector of the novitiate in Duruelo and then in Mancera de Abajo, Salamanca. On October 6, 1571, Teresa of Avila requested and obtained from the Apostolic Commissioner the approved permission for John to become the confessor of the Monastery of the Incarnation in Avila. He stayed at the monastery until 1577 and his spiritual life during these years was very noticeable throughout the city. However, “many Carmelites felt threatened by the reform, and some members of John's own Order kidnapped him.”[4] Misunderstandings, intrigues, and the enmity of the Carmelites of the Ancient Observance made John's life miserable. “He was locked in a cell six feet by ten feet and beaten three times a week by the monks.”[5] In 1578, he escaped from prison and sought refuge in Almodóvar where he was appointed vicar of the convent of Jaén Calvary.

In 1591, John contracted a disease and had to return to the convent of Úbeda. There, he physically suffered and even endured persecution by Friar Diego Evangelista. Also, a Superior made John's life impossible, but John of the Cross gave a great testimony to what is obedience because he even obeyed the most unjust orders. John died in Úbeda in 1591 at the age of forty-nine years. He became the first saint of the Discalced Carmelites Order. Saint John of the Cross was a Doctor and spiritual teacher who knew how to communicate his thoughts and reach the hearts of his listeners. Even today there are many followers of John of the Cross who are interested in his lectures, sermons, writings, and catechesis. “John is a saint because his life was a heroic effort to live up to his name: “of the Cross” [6]

John was a great writer who wrote numerous works, but there is only a little information available about them. Moreover, it is believed that only the written works of the last fourteen years of his life are known. He wrote his works based on his personal life and inspired by the people whom he spiritually helped, but especially by the Sacred Scriptures. He used to study the Fathers of the Church and even had knowledge of ancient philosophers such as Aristotle and Boethius. “John left many books of practical advice on spiritual growth and prayer that are just as relevant today as they were then.” [7] For example, The Ascent of Mt. Carmel, The Dark Night of the Soul; A Spiritual Canticle of the Soul; Bridegroom Christ. The Dark Night “is the continuation of a previous work, The Ascent to Mt. Carmel, which outlines the structure of John’s psychologically sophisticated mystical theology.”[8]

After his death, John's life of holiness spread out to many places. His body was taken to Segovia in 1593 where the first amputations were done to his body in order to obtain the first relics. In 1662, he was declared Venerable and God performed many miracles through him. “St. John was canonized by Benedict XIII in 1726, and his office in the Roman Breviary was appointed on the 24th of November. His body remains at Segovia.”[9]

            [1] “St. John of the Cross”, at EWTN Global Catholic Network (25 July, 2016), at ewtn.com.

            [2] “St. John of the Cross”, at American Catholic (25 July, 2016), at americancatholic.org.

            [3] “Theology of the Heart-Life of the Saints-St. John of the Cross” at Ardent Hearts of Love: The Saints (25 July, 2016), at piercedhearts.org.

            [4] “St. John of the Cross- saints and angels”, at Catholic Online (25 July, 2016), at www. catholiconline.org.

            [5] “St. John of the Cross- saints and angels”, at Catholic Online (25 July, 2016), at www. catholiconline.org.

            [6] “St. John of the Cross”, at American Catholic (25 July, 2016), at americancatholic.org.

            [7] “St. John of the Cross- saints and angels”, at Catholic Online (25 July, 2016), at www. catholiconline.org.

            [8] Odorisio, David M. “Of Gods and Stones: Alchemy, Jung, and The Dark Night of St. John of the Cross - Journal of Transpersonal Psychology,” Vol. 47. (2015) 19

            [9] “St. John of the Cross”, at EWTN Global Catholic Network (25 July, 2016), at ewtn.com.

Bibliography 

            David M. Odorisio, Of Gods and Stones: Alchemy, Jung, and The Dark Night of St.
                        John of the Cross - Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, Vol. 47. 2015.

            St. John of the Cross- saints and angels, at Catholic Online. 25 July, 2016, at                        
                        www.catholic.org/search/?q=St.+John+of+the+Cross 

           St. John of the Cross, at EWTN Global Catholic Network, 25 July, 2016, at 

                        www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/J/stjohnofthecross.asp

           St. John of the Cross, at American Catholic, 25 July, 2016, at
                        www.americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/saint.aspx?id=1229

           Theology of the Heart-Life of the Saints, The Saints, 25 July, 2016, at
                        www.piercedhearts.org/theology_heart/life_saints/john_cross.html