📅 December 14th: Memorial of St. John of the Cross, Priest & Doctor of the Church 🙏

Happy Feast Day! Today we honor St. John of the Cross (1542–1591), the mystical genius of Carmel and co-founder (with St. Teresa of Ávila) of the Discalced Carmelites.

Born in Spain, he endured imprisonment and torture by his own religious brothers for pushing radical reform. In a freezing Toledo cell, he composed some of the most sublime spiritual poetry ever written — including the “Spiritual Canticle” and “Dark Night of the Soul.”

His famous teaching: to reach perfect union with God, the soul must pass through the “dark night” — total detachment from everything that is not God. No comfort, no consolations, no images… only pure faith and love.

Most quoted line:

“Where there is no love, put love — and you will find love.”

In this late Advent darkness, St. John of the Cross teaches us that the deepest night is just before the dawn of Christmas. Let go, trust, and let God love you into freedom.

“Nothing, nothing, nothing… and even on the Mount nothing.”

(St. John’s map to the summit of Mount Carmel)

#Avi #Catholic #SaintOfTheDay #StJohnOfTheCross #MysticalTheology