St. John of the Cross
Born 1542
Died 1591
Feastday November
24th
Born
in poverty. Cared for the poor in the hospital in Medina. Lay Carmelite brother
in 1563 at age 21, though he lived stricter than their Rule. Studied at Salamanca.
Carmelite priest, ordained in 1567 at age 25. Persuaded by Saint Teresa of
Avila to begin the Discalced or barefoot reform within the Carmelite Order, he
took the name John of the Cross. Master of novices. Spiritual director and
confessor at Saint Teresa's convent. His reforms did not set well with some of
his brothers, and he was ordered to return to Medina. He refused, and was
imprisoned at Toledo, Spain, escaping after nine months. Vicar-general of
Andalusia. His reforms revitalized the Order. Great contemplative and spiritual
writer. Proclaimed Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XI on 24 August 1926.1
1. Taken from the Patron
Saints Index at http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintj23.htm
“The devil causes many to believe in vain visions and false prophecies; and strives to make them presume that God and the saints are speaking with them; and they often trust their own fancy. And the devil is also accustomed, in this state, to fill them with presumption and pride, so that they become attracted by vanity and arrogance, and allow themselves to be seen engaging in outward acts which appear holy, such as raptures and other manifestations. Thus they become bold with God, and lose holy fear, which is the key and the custodian of all the virtues; and in some of these souls so many are the falsehoods and deceits which tend to multiply, and so inveterate do they grow, that it is very doubtful if such souls will return to the pure road of virtue and true spirituality…” 1
“It is always well, then, that the soul should reject these things, and close its eyes to them, whencesoever they come. For, unless it does so, it will prepare the way for those things that come from the devil, and will give him such influence that, not only will his visions come in place of God's, but his visions will begin to increase, and those of God to cease, in such manner that the devil will have all the power and God will have none. So it has happened to many incautious and ignorant souls, who rely on these things to such an extent that many of them have found it hard to return to God in purity of faith; and many have been unable to return, so securely has the devil rooted himself in them; for which reason it is well to resist and reject them all. For, by the rejection of evil visions, the errors of the devil are avoided, and by the rejection of good visions no hindrance is offered to faith and the spirit harvests the fruit of them….” 2
“It
is clear, then, that these sensual apprehensions and visions cannot be a means
to union, since they bear no proportion to God; and this was one of the reasons
why Christ desired that the Magdalene and Saint Thomas should not touch Him.
And so the devil rejoices greatly when a soul desires to receive revelations,
and when he sees it inclined to them, for he has then a great occasion and
opportunity to insinuate errors and, in so far as he is able, to derogate from
faith; for, as I have said, he renders the soul that desires them very gross,
and at times even leads it into many temptations and unseemly ways…” 3
References
1. St John of the
Cross The Dark Night of the Soul
Bk 2, Chapter 1 (Burns and Oates 1935) p 88
2. St John of the
Cross Ascent of Mount Carmel Bk 2 Chapter X (Translated and edited with a General Introduction by E. Allison
Peers)
3. ibid Chapter 11