Homily: Feast of St. John of the Cross
Feast of St. John of the Cross “The Love Doctor”
Who is perhaps the most famous romantic poet in Spanish History? We might make a case for St. John of the Cross. St. John’s love poetry was mystical in that he was in love with God. But his love poetry was very passionate as well.
Probably what is even more interesting about John’s writings on love were that they were written while he was suffering great physical and psychological turmoil. He was attacked and betrayed by the church that he was so fond of. He had given in his life to the service of the Gospel, and he was maybe one of the sincerest Christians ever, yet he was treated badly.
John was a member of the Carmelite order. He lived at the time of the reformation. He joined the Carmelites in 1563. He met Teresa of Avila at the time of his first Mass in 1567. She was trying to reform the Carmelites and she enlisted John’s help. He wanted a more austere life, so he eagerly embraced what Teresa was trying to accomplish. The two of them started the discalced Carmelites or “shoeless Carmelites.”
As a reformer John was a threat to many of his brethren. He was kidnapped by other Carmelites and imprisoned twice. The second time he was held near Toledo. He spent 9 months in a small room in total darkness. There was only one slit of a window where air could come in. The cell was bitter cold in the winter and stifling hot in the summer. By the time John got out he was half starved, and the clothes had literally rotted off his back. Yet it was this time that John wrote most eloquently about the love of God.
After his escape, John was a religious superior for several houses, but after Teresa’s death he was once again persecuted by his brother Carmelites. He was sent into exile and routinely beaten by his superiors. At the time of his death, he could barely speak. His life story revolves around carrying great crosses with unmatched fidelity.
“In the inner wine cellar
I drank of my beloved, and when I went abroad
Through all this valley
I no longer knew anything,
And lost the herd which I was following”
The Spiritual Canticle
Reflection Questions:
- Can love be painful? Have I experienced such pain?
- John of the Cross would not compromise his integrity. What do I refuse to let go of?
Dear Parishioners,
Remember that Christ the King will be having their Reconciliation Service tonight at 6:30 p.m. Advent is a penitential season. We are to seek conversion in our life. This is all about changing. We can’t change anything in our life unless we name what the faults are that we have. We need to examine our conscience, confess, make amends, receive absolution.
One of the traditions of Advent is that people wanted to be in the state of grace by Christmas. It is hard to feel close to the Lord if we are caught up in shame and guilt. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a healing remedy. Hopefully we will experience this sacrament in these days before the Feast of the Incarnation.
May Our Lady and the Angels and Saints Watch over you.
Fr. Mark