Christmas is a time of great joy because of the birth of our Savior, Jesus! However, if we reflect on the Nativity narrative, we will see hints that point to the reason why He was born. Jesus was born to this world on a wooden manger, and he left the world on a wooden cross. Even though this might seem like a damper on what is supposed to be a festive season, the saint for this month, St. John of the Cross, shows us the great irony of Christianity. If we want to save our life, we must first be willing to lose it.
John was born as Juan de Yepes y Alvarez, in Spain in 1542. His father was an accountant to a rich family, but he was disavowed when they found out he married a poor woman from the lower class. His father died when he was three, and his older brother, Luis died two years after that probably because of malnutrition. As a child, John was sent to a boarding school for poor and orphaned children. He was inspired by his Catholic education to pursue a life as a religious. As he grew older, he worked in a hospital while attending a Jesuit school. He became a Carmelite monk in 1563 and was ordained a priest in 1567.
John was inspired by the famous Carmelite mystic, Teresa of Avila, to adopt a simple, but strict spiritual routine. She recruited him to help reform her order to return to prayer and simplicity. Her followers went barefoot and were therefore known as the discalced Carmelites because discalced means barefoot in Latin. This was also the time when he changed his name to John of the Cross in light of his new mission to reform the Carmelites. However, his efforts were received poorly, and he was imprisoned for his opposition. A cell was made for him in the monastery that was so small he could barely lie on the floor. He was fed only bread and water, and occasional scraps of salt fish. Each week he was taken into public and lashed, then returned to his cell. His only luxuries were a prayer book and an oil lamp to read it by.
To pass the time, he wrote poems on paper that was smuggled to him by the friar who was in charge of guarding his cell. During this time, he wrote his finest poetry about the experience of the human soul and how it connects with Jesus Christ. The Dark Night of the Soul was his best-known work where he describes the painful process of finding God by getting rid of his worldly attachment to basically everything! It was an incredibly tedious and humbling process for John, but he endured because of his faith in God. He described the Dark Night of the Soul as an experience “in which the soul sings of the fortunate adventure that it had in passing through the dark night of faith…to union with the Beloved.”. After nine months, John managed to pry his cell door from its hinges and escape. Near the end of his life, the Discalced Carmelites did not like the way he criticized them. Once again, he was forced into solitude and died on December 14, 1591. He was the patron of Mystics, Contemplatives, and Spanish poets.
He changed his name to John of Cross to signify his resolve to embark on his new mission to reform the Carmelite Order. Instead of being welcomed and accepted, he was cast aside and imprisoned. In a sense, he had lost everything as he wasted away in his tiny cell. He had no freedom, no community, and no access to the Sacraments. It would have been easy for him to just give up and resign himself to his fate that he would die. However, as he prayed and prayed, he came to realize that he did not need the things of this earth. Instead, he used the suffering and the silence to focus and grow deeper in love with God. God sent His only Son and as we celebrate that this Christmas, let us also not forget what St, John of the Cross learned: if you want to save your life, you must be willing to lose it first. On behalf of the S.E.E.D. Northeast Team, Merry Christmas!
Here is a good prayer if you need St, John of the Cross’ intercession:
Oh God, by whose grace your servant, John of the Cross,
kindled with the flame of Your love,
become a burning and shining light in Your Church:
Grant that we also may be aflame
with the spirit of love and discipline,
and walk before You as children of light,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with You,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.
Be awesome and blossom 🌱
By: anh Daniel
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