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

John spent much of his time working for the reformation of the Carmelite Order and in the overall service of others. However, there were said problems with his ideas of reform from certain members of his Order. On the night of December 2, 1577, a group of Carmelites, lay people, and men-at-arms broke into John’s quarters, seized him, and took him away. The men led John away, handcuffed, and blindfolded, to a monastery in Toledo. John stood accused of being rebellious and as an overall threat to the Order. John would have to submit to the demands of the Order, or undergo severe punishment. Nonetheless, John refused to renounce the reform in which he so truly had faith.

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

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