St. John of the Cross
Feast 12-14 · Canonized 1726
Patron of
About
John was born Juan de Yepes in 1542 in Fontiveros, Spain. He entered the Carmelite Order and, with St. Teresa of Avila, worked to reform it, founding the Discalced Carmelites. His reforms brought him imprisonment by his own brethren, and for nine months he was held in a tiny cell in Toledo.
In that darkness he composed some of the greatest poetry in the Spanish language, including the Spiritual Canticle. His writings, especially The Dark Night of the Soul and The Ascent of Mount Carmel, describe the soul's journey through purification to union with God.
John died in 1591 and was canonized in 1726 and declared a Doctor of the Church. He is the patron of contemplatives, mystics, and poets.
Suggested prayer
O God, who gave St. John of the Cross grace to compose his greatest poetry in the darkness of a prison cell, grant through his intercession that all who seek you in silence and contemplation may find light in the darkness. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.