St. John of the Cross, Mystic

In this Wednesday in the third week of Advent, the Church remembers St. John of the Cross who was born in Spain in 1542 as Juan de Yepes Alvarez. Although John was a Roman Catholic priest of the Carmelite order who lived during the time the Reformation, he is still honored by the Anglican Communion because of his life of prayer and his works on mystical theology. He is considered one of the foremost poets in the Spanish language. Two of them, the Spiritual Canticle and Dark Night of the Soul are considered by many to be among the best poems ever written in Spanish.

John of the Cross also wrote four treatises on mystical theology, two of them concerning the two poems above, and supposedly explaining the meaning of the poems verse by verse and even word by word. Ascent of Mount Carmel is a systematic study of the ascetical endeavor of a soul looking for perfect union with God. Living Flame of Love describes a greater intimacy, as the soul responds to God's love.

St. John of the Cross died on this day in 1591.

Let us pray: Judge eternal, throned in splendor, you gave Juan de la Cruz strength of purpose and mystical faith that sustained him even through the dark night of the soul: Shed your light on all who love you, in unity with Jesus Christ our Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

The Advent Series (Hope, Peace, Joy and Love) continues every Sunday after the service.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially Cindy Katz, Robert Strawder, Katie Putman, Roylene Lemons, the unemployed, the addicted, the poor, the weary, the depressed, the lonely, and those who have no one to pray for them.

“In the evening of life, we will be judged on love alone.”—John of the Cross

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550