by Wyatt North
– St. John of the Cross
John of St. Matthias was ordained in 1567 and found himself attracted to the simplicity of a cloistered life. When he met Teresa of Avila, a charismatic Carmelite nun, he admired her strict routine, simple life, and devotion to prayer, as well as her desire to reintroduce such practices to the Carmelite order. Her barefoot followers became known as the discalced Carmelites. On the day in 1568 that Teresa founded a new monastery, John renamed himself John of the Cross. Four years later, He accepted her invitation to come to Avila and become confessor and spiritual guide for Teresa and the other 130 nuns, a role he would fulfill for the next five years. During that period, John had a vision of Jesus on the cross looking down at him, which he captured in a drawing called Christ from Above, which still exists and inspired Salvador Dali’s painting, Christ of Saint John of the Cross.
“Though the path is plain and smooth for men of good will, he who walks it will not travel far, and will do so only with difficulty, if he does not have good feet: that is, courage and a persevering spirit.”
– St. John of the Cross
As a rift grew between the mainstream Carmelites and the Discalced Carmelites grew, John worked with Teresa to achieve her goal of restoring the original, stricter “Primitive Rule.” She felt that the order became too liberal after the rule was relaxed by Pope Eugene IV in 1432. The conflict between the two Carmelite factions was escalated by the involvement of representatives from the Vatican and the political intrigues of the court of King Phillip II. In 1577, John disobeyed an order to leave Avila and return to his original house. His decision was based largely on the fact that his work to reform the Carmelite order had already been approved by the Papal Nuncio. He did not expect his decision to lead to being kidnapped from his residence by a group of Carmelites who took him under guard to the main house in Toledo where he was tried for disobedience and sentenced to imprisonment in the monastery.
“Behold how many there are who are called, and how few who are chosen! And behold, if you have no care for yourself, your perdition is more certain than your amendment, especially since the way that leads to eternal life is so narrow.”
– St. John of the Cross
John’s imprisonment in a tiny monastery cell was a spiritually and physically difficult time for him. He slept on the floor of a cell so small he could barely straighten his legs, and he lived on bread and water. He was subjected to weekly public lashings. He spent his time reading the prayer book he was allowed to keep and writing poetry on paper slipped to him by a guard. After his death, he would become known as an influential poet and was named the patron saint of Spanish poets. John finally escaped after nine months and joined Teresa’s group of discalced Carmelites in Toledo. After recuperating in the hospital for more than a month, he went to Andalusia to serve as rector of a new college and to support the discalced Carmelites there. The rift ended the next year when Pope Gregory authorized the split and established the Discalced Carmelites as a separate order, which then numbered about 500 members (300 friars and 200 nuns) in 22 houses. John spent the last years of his life opening new houses throughout Spain.
“Obedience is a penance of reason, and, on that account, a sacrifice more acceptable than all corporal penances and mortifications.”
– St. John of the Cross
One of the miracles attributed to St. John of the Cross during his lifetime occurred at the convent of the Incarnation, where he had been summoned to administer the Last Sacraments to a sister who was dying, but she passed before he arrived. He was chastised by one of the sisters, saying “Is this the way you take care of your children? This one has died without confession.” John entered the church and begged God’s help until he received word that the sister had been restored to life. On his way back to her bedside, John encountered the nun who had chastised him earlier, and he asked her, “My child, are you satisfied?” In the infirmary, he heard the now-living nun’s confession and administered the Last Sacraments, and she soon passed away quietly.
“Contemplation is nothing else than a secret, peaceful, and loving infusion of God, which if admitted, will set the soul on fire with the Spirit of love.”
– St. John of the Cross
In 1573, John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila were both in the parlor of the Incarnation on Trinity Sunday, on opposite sides of the grating, where they had been talking about the Most Blessed Trinity. When Sister Beatriz of Jesus entered with a message for Theresa, she saw her raised in the air, unaware of the presence of Sister Beatriz. Sister Beatriz called other sisters to witness Teresa’s levitation, and they became aware of John of the Cross in a similar state on the other side of the grating. The explanation they arrived at was that the two had fallen into ecstasy simultaneously over their contemplation of the Most Blessed Trinity.
“Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you, remember Christ crucified and be silent.”
– St. John of the Cross
St. John of the Cross contracted an infection in an isolated Andalusian monastery and traveled to the monastery at Ubeda for medical care. Based on a description of his symptoms, it is likely that he was suffering from erysipelas, a staph infection similar to cellulitis that causes high fevers, tremors, chills, fatigue, vomiting, and headaches. Without antibiotics, which certainly weren’t available in 1591, the prognosis was grim: sepsis and death, which was John’s fate. Initially buried at Ubeda, his body was secretly moved to the monastery in Segovia, but the people of Ubeda petitioned Pope Clement VIII for its return. In a compromise, different parts of his body were assigned to each monastery as relics. John of the Cross was canonized in 1726 by Pope Benedict XIII and is the patron saint of contemplatives, mystics, and Spanish poets. Pope Pius XI declared St. John of the Cross a Doctor of the Church in 1926.
“If you would rise, shun luxury, for luxury lowers and degrades.”
– St. John Chrysostom
John was not born with the name Chrysostom, which translates from the Greek as “golden-mouthed.” In fact, the name does not appear in the historical record until 553, more than half a century after his death. It was used in recognition of the oratorical skills of the man who has been called the greatest Christian preacher ever. His reputation as an orator stemmed in part from his considerable natural talent for speaking, but is also reflects his intelligence, vast biblical knowledge, and deep conviction in his message, which he believed came to him from God. His homilies, delivered in an apparently spontaneous and entertaining manner, were often interrupted by applause from the congregation.
“A comprehended god is no god.”
– St. John Chrysostom
John’s mother was widowed shortly after his birth in 344 in Antioch, and she raised John and his older sister on her own. His early education in the best schools in Antioch befitted the son of a high-ranking officer in the Syrian army, with an emphasis on classical rather than ecclesiastical learning. The period in which John grew up was a troubled and chaotic one, rife with religious conflict among Pagans, Manichaeans, Arians, Gnostics, Apollinarians, Jews, and Christians. The Catholic Church itself was split between eastern and western bishops. Antioch, the second city of the Eastern part of the Roman Empire, was the backdrop for much turmoil during John’s lifetime.
“If we knew that a place was unhealthy and subject to pestilence, would we not withdraw our children from it, without being stopped by the riches that they might heap up in it, or by the fact that their health had not as yet suffered? ... Among seculars shipwrecks are more frequent and sudden, because the difficulties of navigation are greater; but with anchorites storms are less violent, the calm is almost undisturbed. This is why we seek to draw as many as we can to the religious life.”
– St. John Chrysostom
John’s turn from classical and secular learning toward religious studies was inspired in large part by meeting the bishop Meletius when John was in his mid-twenties. He studied Scripture and the sermons of Meletius and within three y
ears was ordained lector, or reader. But John sought spiritual perfection and entered an ascetic community where his time was spent in prayer, scriptural studies, manual labor, and writing on subjects related to asceticism and monasticism. Four years later, seeking an even more rigorous spiritual life, he became a hermit living in a cave near Antioch, with the apparent intention of remaining there indefinitely. However declining health due to extreme fasting and sleep deprivation forced his return to Antioch.
“Necessity urges us to pray for ourselves. Fraternal Charity obliges us to pray for others. God finds the prayer motivated by charity to be more meritorious than the prayer motivated by necessity.”
– St. John Chrysostom
In early 381 or thereabouts, the bishop Meletius made John of Chrysostom deacon before leaving for Constantinople where he would die the same year. John developed a good relationship with Meletius’ successor, Flavian, who ordained him as priest in 386. Shortly after he became a priest, there was civil unrest in Antioch over new taxes imposed by Emperor Theodosius, and when a mob tore down statues of the emperor, there was widespread fear of retaliation against the people of Antioch. Father John delivered a series of sermons meant to calm the public’s fears and helped Bishop Flavian secure a pardon from the emperor. For the next dozen years, it fell upon John to do most of the religious instruction and education in Antioch. His many writings during this period helped secure his reputation as a renowned theological writer.
“There is nothing colder than a Christian who is not concerned about the salvation of others . . . Do not say, I cannot help others: for, if you are truly a Christian it is impossible not to.”
– St. John Chrysostom
Father John was probably on track to succeed Flavian as bishop of Antioch, but the bishop of Constantinople died first, leaving a void that Emperor Areadius need to fill without delay or controversy. Without the knowledge of the multiple competitors for the position, Emperor Areadius had John brought to Constantinople, announced that John would be the new bishop. The Patriarch of Alexandria, who had been supporting another candidate, ordained John Chrysostom as Bishop of Constantinople in 398. It was a sudden, unexpected change for John, but he wasted no time in trying to bring about reconciliation between eastern and western Catholics and reforming ecclesiastical life in Constantinople. He began by reducing expenses and increasing discipline, effectively “cleaning house” from top to bottom, first among the clergy and then among the people, regardless of class. Some people took offense at being rebuked for their excesses, but they flocked to hear his sermons. Learning that their new bishop used the savings from economizing in his own household to build a hospital was visible proof of his commitment to the poor and suffering.
“Faithfulness in little things is a big thing.”
– St. John Chrysostom
Wealthy and noble citizens of Constantinople chafed at John’s remonstrance over their moral failings and abuse of power. He had little patience with political intrigue or injustice, and his relationship with the Imperial Court became strained beginning around the year 401. The Empress and her courtiers found some allies among the ecclesiastical ranks, and when John left Constantinople for a few months to take care of an important Church matter, tensions between the Court and the See escalated, and plots abounded. Theophilis, Patriarch of Alexandria, conspired with some clerics who opposed Chrysostom and compiled a list of ludicrous charges against him. After considerable political machinations and maneuvering, John Chrysostom was deposed and exiled, not once but twice! His exile only increased the chaos. His followers were prosecuted for the conflagration that destroyed the cathedral, the senate building, and other landmarks in Constantinople. Those who refused to align themselves with the new archbishop faced the confiscation of their property and exile. Western Catholics sided with Chrysostom, and relations between east and west were worse than ever. Through it all, John Chrysostom held onto the hope of eventual vindication.
“As the body without the soul cannot love, so the soul without prayer is dead and emits an offensive odor.”
– St. John Chrysostom
In exile, John Chrysostom was forced on several occasions to move farther away from Constantinople, and with each move, his living conditions became harsher. Finally, in the summer of 407, his removal to Pithyus, at the outermost edge of the empire, was ordered. The soldiers guarding him made the journey a literal death march, exposing John to the harshest of conditions and walking long distances with little sustenance. His health, already precarious, deteriorated quickly, but when he asked for a rest stop in Comana, he was forced to keep walking. The party hadn’t gone far when John collapsed and was brought back to Comana, where he died within hours. Recognized as a Doctor of the Church, St. John Chrysostom is the patron saint of Constantinople, education, epileptics, lecturers, orators, and teachers.
“I ask you to consider that our Lord Jesus Christ is your true head and that you are a member of his body. He belongs to you as the head belongs to the body. All that is his is yours: breath, heart, body, soul and all his faculties. All of these you must use as if they belonged to you, so that in serving him you may give him praise, love and glory.”
– St. John Eudes
At 32, John Eudes, a member of the community of Oratorians, began his work as a parish missionary in 1633. In 1643, he left the Oratorians and founded the Congregation of Jesus and Mary, known as the Eudists, because the Oratorians did not support his goal of founding seminaries to improve the instruction and spiritual formation of the clergy. The Eudists had some limited success in establishing seminaries but faced much opposition. In his parish mission work, John saw firsthand the plight of prostitutes who wanted to reform. Touched by their earnest desire to change their lives, he founded, with Madeleine Lamy, an advocate for fallen women, a religious community called the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge. In 1666 Alexander III approved the community as an institute for the care of penitent prostitutes. St. John Eudes is best known for his work with Sister Mary Margaret Alacoque to initiate devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Holy Heart of Mary. He died in 1680 and was canonized in 1925 by Pope Pius XI.
“If we look forward to receiving God's mercy, we can never fail to do good so long as we have the strength. For if we share with the poor, out of love for God, whatever he has given to us, we shall receive according to his promise a hundredfold in eternal happiness. What a fine profit, what a blessed reward! With outstretched arms he begs us to turn toward him, to weep for our sins, and to become the servants of love, first for ourselves, then for our neighbors. Just as water extinguishes a fire, so love wipes away sin.”
– St. John of God
John of God was born in 1495 and ran away at the age of 8 to travel with an itinerant priest. It was the first of the many impulsive moves that would shape the course of his life. His impulsive decisions led John to the brink of death on more than one occasion. After one particularly close call, he made a spur-of-the-moment vow to change his life, and though his impulses continued to rule his life, his rash actions from that point on were always aimed at helping others, though he often seemed eccentric if not irrational to observers. John’s dramatic response to hearing a sermon on repentance caused him to behave so eccentrically that friends took him to the Royal Hospital where he was confined with the lunatics. The abusive treatment he experienced there, standard for the time, convinced him that God wanted him to found a hospital for the poor. John nursed and fed the sick and poor on the streets and in abandoned buildings until he was able to move his makeshift hospital into an old Carmelite monastery. He died on his 55th birthday of pneumonia contracted by jumping into a raging river to save a drowning boy. He is regarded as the founder of the Brothers Hospitallers.
“Opting for peace does not mean a passive acquiescence to evil or compromise of principle. It demands an active struggle against hatred, oppression and disunity, but not by using methods of violence. Building peace requires creative and courageous action.�
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– Pope St. John Paul II
Pope John Paul II, elected in 1978, became the first non-Italian pope in 455 years and the first ever from a Slavic country. Canonized only nine years after his death in 2005, he was a contemporary of many people alive today. His papacy and his travels received extensive media coverage, making him familiar to Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Born Karol J. Wojtyla in Wadowice, Poland in 1920, he’d lost both parents and his only sibling by the time he reached adulthood. His college education was interrupted by the Nazi occupation, and Karol labored in a quarry and a chemical factory while preparing for the priesthood by studying at an “underground” seminary run by Cardinal Sapieha, the archbishop of Cracow. Once the war ended, he was able to complete his undergraduate education and was ordained on November 1, 1946 before going to Rome to earn his Doctorate of Theology. He earned a second doctorate in philosophy in 1953 and taught philosophy at the University of Lublin. Five years later, Communist authorities approved his appointment as auxiliary bishop of Krakow, believing Karol to be an apolitical intellectual. Little did they know that he espoused nonviolent political activism and would support the rise of the Solidarity Movement in the 1980s and contribute to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1999.