Saint John of the Cross, Doctor of the Church, was a Spanish Carmelite priest. He died when he was only forty-nine years old. He was the great friend and supporter of Saint Teresa of Avila. He has been called the “mystic of mystics.” His brilliant works, The Ascent of Mount Carmel, The Dark Night of the Soul, The Spiritual Canticle, and The Living Flame of Love, are beautiful inspirations for those who wish to be detached from all worldly things and dedicate themselves wholly to God. Saint John suffered great persecutions, even from his own Order. He was once kept in prison for nine months and slandered by everyone. But his motto and his prayer was “to suffer and to be despised.” He gloriously lived up to his title, “of the Cross.”
See also: Saint John of the Cross
