Solemnity of St John of the Cross

V/​ I will turn to you O God, 

R/​ to God who gives joy to my youth

V/​ Give me the Wisdom that sits by your throne; 

R/ that I may be counted among your children

Lord, in your all-providential plan, you have led me to this moment to rediscover me in your Word and Wisdom. Aid me to make this time of meditation and prayer enriching, transforming, and liberating for my well-being and others. Amen!

SOLEMNITY OF ST JOHN OF THE CROSS (1542 – 1591)

Doctor of Detachment and father of the Reformed Carmel

1 Cor 2:1-10; Ps 37:3-6, 30-31; Rom 8:14-18,28-30; Lk 14:25-33

The saints of Carmel express one underlying conviction, that our desire for God is first of all awakened by God’s desire for us. And each time we turn our eyes to God in faith, it is on the basis that His loving gaze is constantly upon us with the whole affection and power of his person as Father. Fostering freedom to reciprocate this loving intimacy sums up John of the Cross’s life and legacy. His teachings are anchored on the freedom to live unencumbered in the here and now in detachment from all that is not God, however noble and spiritually edifying they may appear. He offers us the wisdom to tap into the riches of St. Paul, and other great intimate friends and disciples of Jesus. Understood correctly, the strong admonition by Christ; “anyone who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” is vital to the freedom of the children of God. This act of renunciation suggests a right attachment, wherein our capacity for love is elevated and transformed in our affections and vital acts to their more glorious good.

As a sure guide, John offers how one can overcome the darkness of depression and pressure of seaming hopelessness that could break anyone. His profound insight is very important for our world today that promotes in every way possible the culture of utility and attachment, and proposes lifestyles and addictions as a coping mechanism, which in every way detests the cross or every form of sacrificial commitment. Whenever John’s story is mentioned, it is never complete without his parents’ beautiful love stories and sacrifice. The first hand experience of his parent’s choice of love over wealth, in the face of suffering impressed in John’s soul a genuine Conviction and joy lived out in an undivided attention to love. 

We should not mistake John for one unenthusiastic fellow who cared little about joyous life. On the contrary, he was a Joy to be with; he was so passionate a fellow, that he rejected all that doesn’t pass for real joy. Every attempt at living passionately and meaningfully is to be intimately united to Christ, sharing his passion, and his vision for life. Whence the whole of creation attains her purpose in the one longing for goodness in every circumstance of life. “We know that by turning everything to their good,” says Paul, “God co-operates with all those who love him… in order to become true images of His only begotten Son.” Our capacity for this goodness is sustained by God’s Word, embodied in Christ. Through the sanctifying action of the Holy Spirit at work in us, we become by participation what Christ is by nature, says John of the Cross.

John of the Cross is referred to as the great saint of Advent. Like John the Baptist, John of the Cross is the prophet of the dark nights or wilderness and ascent to the unspeakable joy of Divine union through the enduring wait of a lover. “The endurance of darkness,” said he, “is preparation for great light.” John proposes in this darkness an unparalleled experience God, affirmed and elevated in the mystery of the incarnation story, which our Advent liturgies present to us yearly.

As we await the coming of Christ at Christmas, help us Lord to attain the freedom your Spirit gives in the renunciation of all that is not you. Give us the courage to order my affections to their rightful good. May we like John of the Cross be transformed into the praise of God. Amen!