ST JOHN OF THE CROSS

Posted: 14.12.20 in Articles category

On 14 December we remember St John of the Cross, the sixteenth century Spanish monk, priest and poet. He is most well known for his phrase ' the dark night of the soul', but there is so much more to the saint's life journey that has much to teach us today. Daniel Munoz has written a delightful introduction to the saint including material about the saint's understanding of nature - to be celebrated as God's creation and cared for in reflecting God's beauty. According to St John, creation leads us to God and one of its very purposes is to 'awaken our love for God'. One story about the saint tells of an occasion when he was walking near Granada and noticed some fish swimming in a river. He called his fellow Carmelite friars across to look, saying:

"Come here, my brothers, to see how these little animals and creatures of God are praising him, so that your spirits may be lifted! For, since they who have no understanding are praising God, how much more should we do so ourselves." And saying these words he entered into prayer, and the friars left him there in contemplation.

In his book Transformed by the Beloved Daniel Munoz points out that St John's view of creation mirrored ideas expressed in the Psalms where creation seems to be conversing with God in praise and worship. Munoz goes on to write that people of great faith like John of the Cross with a high view of creation "recognised their interconnectedness with all things, celebrated the divine breath that gives life to all that is created, and viewed the entire universe as one big choir whose songs of praise we humans are invited to join". They are like the writers of Psalm 96 and 148 in noting how the trees will sing for joy and the flying birds praise the Lord.