John of the Cross is one of the acknowledged masters of mystical theology. It is thought among present day theologians that there is no other writer who has had a greater influence on Catholic spirituality than John of the Cross. He is a canonized saint of the Catholic Church and was made a Doctor of the Church because of his extreme influence on present day doctrine. His dedication as a leader in service is surpassed only by his deep faith in the workings of the Trinity through Jesus on earth as a model and the Holy Spirit as our guide to a life of spirituality.

John of the Cross was born Juan de Yepes in 1542 to a poor family of Spanish nobility. When John was a boy, he attended a school for poor children, gaining a basic education, and the opportunity to learn skills from local craftsmen. When he was 17, John began to work at the Plague Hospital de la Concepcion, and its founder offered to let him attend the Jesuit College, so long as he did not neglect his hospital duties. From 1559 to 1563, John studied with the Jesuits, learning Lat

Wojotyla, Karol. Faith According to Saint John of the Cross. Saint Ignatius Press. San Francisco, California, The United States 1981.

John was locked up in the monastery prison because of his strong convictions toward reform. He was placed in a windowless dark room of six by ten feet, with little light, and with little air. This hole of a cell was exposed to the terribly cold winter months and the suffocating heat of the summer months. This, aside for the beatings, the filth, the forced fasting, and the lice, made it an unfavorable situation for anyone. However, John did not see the situation as the rest of humanity would see it. John found the situation to be a blessing because he was able to remove all of his earthly needs and desires, and find the true place where God was hidden. God brought John his greatest joys in those times of pain and suffering. In a sense, the oppressors whom imprisoned John, gave him what he truly wanted. God.

in, Greek, and other subjects. He was offered the chance to study for the secular priesthood, which would have given him material security, but he felt God was calling him to Religious life. At age 20, he entered the Carmelite Order, being clothed with the habit on February 24, 1563, and taking the name Juan de Santo Matia (John of Saint Matthias). He was ordained in 1567, and said his first Mass in Medina del Campo. During that trip, he first met Teresa of Avila, and she encouraged him to promote her reform among the men's Order.

John found it impossible to ignore any person of the world who was in personal distress. However, John did not limit himself to only assisting others who were seeking spiritual enlightenment, but he looked for ways to help those with material needs as well. John was a selfless man who lived for the service of others. There were countless examples and stories of how John would go to great lengths to help out his fellow man in the least. Further, this lifestyle of service did not end at the material needs of others, but transmitted in the physical needs of the sick. Taking pains to show the most delicate sympathy for the sick, he knew how to care for them, comfort them, and give them hope. He would not allow the question of money to interfere with his desire to give his sick friars the best possible care. He was a true leader in service.

Swietlicki, Catherine. Spanish Christian Cabala. University of Missouri Press. Columbia, Missouri, The United States 1986.

John of the Cross was a very influential individual in the Catholic Church who further extended the lifestyle of service in which Christ instilled. Although most people would gather that John might have been angered or disillusioned by his imprisonment, persecution, and suffering throughout his life, rather John?fs reaction was quite the opposite. These painful events in his life transformed him into a man of charity who held a deep compassion for those who suffered. John saw a clear vision of the beauty of God?fs creation and its intimacy with the Blessed Trinity. Through suffering like Christ suffered, John was

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