St. John of the Cross, Priest, Doctor of the Church (Memorial) ~ 14 December

"With what procrastinations do you wait, 

since from this very moment 

you can love God in your heart?"

~ St. John of the Cross ~

St. John on the Cross (San Juan de la Cruz) was named Juan de Yepes at his bith in June, 1542 and was the Castilian son of a poor silk weaver of Fontiberos, Toledo, Spain.

St. John in 1563 he offered himself as a lay brother to the Carmelite friars, who, however, perceiving his unusual talents, ordained him in 1567 as a Carmelite priest at 25, he met St.Teresa of Jesus (St.Teresa of Avila) at the Carmelite priory of Medina and like her vowed himself to the primitive rule of the Carmelites. John is a saint because his life was a heroic effort to live up to his name: “of the Cross.” where “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Mark 8:34), and the Way of the Cross is the story of John’s life. He had a great devotion to Our Lord's Passion and voluntarily sought out humiliations. When Our Lord asked him what reward he would ask for his labors, John answered: "To suffer and to be despised for Thee." In April, 1571, John was appointed rector of a Discalced Carmelite college at the university of Alcalá near Madrid. In September, 1572, John was brought by Teresa to serve for the next five years as a confessor and spiritual director, along with another friar, for the 130 nuns at the Convent of the Incarnation in Ávila. One day at some point between 1574 and 1577, while praying in the Monastery of the Incarnation in Ávila, in a loft overlooking the sanctuary, John had a vision of the crucified Christ, which led him to create his famous drawing of Christ "from above". In 1641, this drawing was placed in a smallmonstrance and kept in Ávila.

St. John died in Úbeda, Spain on 14 December, 1591, of erysipelas. he was only beatified in 1675 by Pope Clement X, and was canonized by Benedict XIII in 1726. St. John was a great contemplative and spiritual writer. He was proclaimed Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XI on 24 August, 1926. He is the patron of contemplative life, mystical theology, mystics, and Spanish poets.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, 

You gave Saint John of the Cross 

the grace of complete self-denial 

and an ardent love for the cross of Christ. 

Grant that by following always in his footsteps 

we may come to the eternal vision of Your glory. 

Amen.

O God, who gave the Priest Saint John
an outstanding dedication to perfect self-denial
and love of the Cross,
grant that, by imitating him closely at all times,
we may come to contemplate eternally your glory.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Saturday, 14 December, 2013 

St. John of the Cross, Priest, Doctor of the Church (Memorial)

Reading

Sirach 48: 1 - 4, 9 - 11
1	Then the prophet Elijah arose like a fire, and his word burned like a torch.
2	He brought a famine upon them, and by his zeal he made them few in number.
3	By the word of the Lord he shut up the heavens, and also three times brought down fire.
4	How glorious you were, O Elijah, in your wondrous deeds! And who has the right to boast which you have?
9	You who were taken up by a whirlwind of fire, in a chariot with horses of fire;
10	you who are ready at the appointed time, it is written, to calm the wrath of God before it breaks out in fury, to turn the heart of the father to the son, and to restore the tribes of Jacob.
11	Blessed are those who saw you, and those who have been adorned in love; for we also shall surely live.

Psalm

Psalms 80: 2 - 3, 15 - 16, 18 - 19
2	before E'phraim and Benjamin and Manas'seh! Stir up thy might, and come to save us!
3	Restore us, O God; let thy face shine, that we may be saved!
15	the stock which thy right hand planted.
16	They have burned it with fire, they have cut it down; may they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance!
18	Then we will never turn back from thee; give us life, and we will call on thy name!
19	Restore us, O LORD God of hosts! let thy face shine, that we may be saved!

Gospel

Matthew 17: 10 - 13
10	And the disciples asked him, "Then why do the scribes say that first Eli'jah must come?"
11	He replied, "Eli'jah does come, and he is to restore all things;
12	but I tell you that Eli'jah has already come, and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of man will suffer at their hands."
13	Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

Mine are the heavens 

and mine is the earth. 

Mine are the nations, 

the just are mine 

and mine the sinners. 

The angels are mine, 

and the Mother of God, 

and all things are mine; 

and God himself is mine 

and for me, 

because Christ is mine 

and all for me. 

What do you ask, then, 

and seek my soul? 

Yours is all of this, 

and all is for you. 

Do not engage your self 

in something less 

or pay heed to the crumbs 

that fall from your Father's table. 

Go forth and exult 

in your Glory! 

Hide yourself in it and rejoice, 

and you will obtain 

the supplications of your heart.

~ St. John of the Cross ~