From the Vatican Information Service:
VATICAN CITY, 16 FEB 2011 (VIS) - In his general audience today, held in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope focused his attention on St. John of the Cross, "spiritual friend to St. Teresa and, with her, reformer of the Carmelite religious family. Proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pius XI in 1926, he is traditionally known as the 'Doctor mysticus', the Mystical Doctor", the Holy Father said.
John was born to a poor family at Fontiveros near the Spanish town of Avila in 1542 and entered the Carmelite order at Medina del Campo. Ordained a priest in 1567, it was on the occasion of his first Mass that he met Teresa, "who explained to him her plan for the reform of the Carmelites". In his renewal of his religious profession John took the name "of the Cross" and collaborated enthusiastically in the process of reform, something "which brought him great suffering", and even led to his imprisonment following an unjust accusation. While preparing a journey to Mexico he fell seriously ill and died in December 1591. He was beatified by Clement X in 1675 and canonised by Benedict XIII in 1726.
St. John of the Cross, said Benedict XVI, "is considered one of most important lyric poets of Spanish literature. He wrote four major works: 'Ascent of Mount Carmel', 'Dark Night of the Soul', 'Spiritual Canticle' and 'Living Flame of Love'.
"In his 'Spiritual Canticle' St. John outlines the soul's journey of purification", the Holy Father added. "The 'Living Flame of Love' continues in the same line, describing in greater detail the condition of union with God. ... 'Ascent of Mount Carmel' outlines the spiritual itinerary from the point of view of a progressive purification of the soul, which is necessary in order to scale the heights of Christian perfection, symbolised by the summit of Mount Carmel".
The Pope continued his catechesis by explaining how "the 'Dark Night of the Soul' describes the 'passive' aspect; in other words, God's contribution to the process of purifying the soul. Human effort alone, in fact, is incapable of reaching the deepest roots of a person's bad inclinations and habits. It can halt them but not eradicate them completely. To do this, we need a special action by God which radically purifies the spirit and disposes it to the union of love with Him".
"The rate of increase of faith, hope and charity goes hand in hand with the work of purification and with progressive union with God, until attaining transformation into Him. When this goal is reached, the soul is immersed in Trinitarian life itself. ... This is why the Mystical Doctor held that there is no true union of love with God that does not culminate in Trinitarian union".
The Pope completed his remarks by asking whether the life of St. John of the Cross has anything to say to everyday Christians, or whether it is an example only for the few select souls who can follow the path of purification and mystical ascesis. "The journey with Christ, travelling with Christ ... is not an additional weight to the already sufficiently-heavy burden of our lives", he said. "It is something totally different. ... It is a light, a power which helps us carry our everyday burden. ... Allowing ourselves to be loved by Christ is the light which helps us to carry the daily burden, and sanctity is not a task we must accomplish on our own, a very difficult task. ... Let us ask God to help us become saints, to allow ourselves to be loved by God, which is the vocation and true redemption of us all".
This might be obvious, but as I read each of the Holy Father's audiences, a few themes consistently come through:
1. The Saints are both part of the history of the Church and a living reality within and of the Church, here and now—the Communion of Saints. They are, put simply, family.
2. In their earthly pilgrimages, the Saints lived for and pointed to the reality of the Church Triumphant; they were animated by God's love and grace and, as Benedict XVI states in today's audience, their ultimate goal was Trinitarian union. Now, in heaven, they continue this work of pointing us toward that glorious goal.
3. By studying the lives and words of the Saints, we see that they were individuals with distinct personalities and gifts who are not only sources of encouragement to us here and now, but are brothers and sisters who desire that we too acheive eternal, blessed union with God. We can take comfort in knowing that they were real, flesh-and-blood men and woman who sinned and struggled—and yet acheived holiness through their abandonment to God.
4. The Saints did not see the Church, doctrine, Magisterial authority, and the moral law as impediments or obstacles to spiritual growth in Christ, but as necessary and blessed gifts oriented to such growth. Whatever struggles each might have faced, they loved the Church because they understood that she is the bride of Christ and the household of God—not a merely human construct to be assaulted and undermined because of personal biases or ideological agendas.
5. Each and every one of us is called to be a saint, to be perfect, to be filled with the divine life of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In the words of the Pope: "Be holy! Be saints!"
A great introduction to the life and thought of St. John of the Cross can be found in Fr. Thomas Dubay's book, Fire Within: St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and the Gospel--On Prayer. Here is an excerpt from that book:
Other recent papal general audiences:
• Benedict XVI reflects on St. Peter Canisius, "the second apostle of Germany" (Feb. 9, 2011)
• Benedict XVI: "St. Teresa of Avila's love for the Church was unconditional" (Feb. 2, 2011)
• Pope: "With her shining witness St. Joan of Arc invites us to the highest degree of Christian life..." (Jan. 26, 2011)
• Benedict XVI reflects on St. Catherine of Genoa, author of "Treatise on Purgatory" (Jan. 12, 2011)
• St. Catherine of Bologna "strongly invites us always to allow ourselves to be guided by God, to do His will every day..." (Dec. 29, 2010)
• St. Veronica Giuliani "was in particular a courageous witness of the beauty and power of divine Love." (Dec. 15, 2010)
• Benedict XVI: "Julian of Norwich understood the central message of spiritual life: that God is love." (Dec. 1, 2010)
• The Holy Father reflects on St. Catherine of Siena: mystic, counsellor, Doctor (Wed., November 24, 2010)
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