“In the twilight of life, God will not judge us on our earthly possessions and human success, but rather on how much we have loved.” (John of the Cross.)
He was born Juan de Yepes y Alvarez at Fontiveros, Old Castile, into a converso family in 1542, near Avila, a town of around 2,000 people. He is a major figure of the Counter-Reformation in Spain, and is one of the thirty-seventh Doctors of the Church. His feast day is celebrated on December 14.

John of the Cross is known for his writings. He is the patron saint of mystics and contemplatives and of Spanish poets. He has inspired many other holy men and women to pursue God into the mysterious heights and depths of divine love. He was mentored by and corresponded with the older Carmelite, St. Teresa of Avila. In 1572, John travelled to Avila at the invitation of Teresa to become her confessor and spiritual guide.

While he was there, he had a vision of Christ and made a drawing that remains to this day called, “Christ from Above.” The little drawing shows Christ on the cross, looking down on him from above. The image has been preserved for centuries. After Jesus’ Ascension and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, John, together with Peter, took a prominent part in the founding and guidance of the church. His pure faith and trust in Jesus’ teachings, gave him a unique place in Jesus’ heart. John was the only one of the Twelve Apostles who did not forsake the Saviour in the hour of His Passion. John writes, “So when Jesus saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!”

John of the Cross, the mystical reformer of Carmel, died at the age of forty nine, (of which he had spent twenty-eight in a religious state) on December 14, 1591 and was beatified by Pope Clement X in 1675. He was canonized by Pope Benedict XIII on December 27, 1726. His remains rest in the convent of the Discalced Carmelites of Segovia, founded by the saint in the 16th century.

As one of the four evangelists, his symbol is an eagle (for far-sightedness or vision). “Faith, “is like the feet wherewith the soul journeys to God, and love is the guide that directs it.”(John of the Cross). Uniquely and strongly John underlines the gospel paradox: The cross leads to resurrection, agony to ecstasy, darkness to light, abandonment to possession, denial to self to union with God. If you want to save your life, you must lose it.
“Strive to preserve your heart in peace; let no event of this world disturb it.” (John of the Cross)

-Tr. Sherida D’souza