who gives wings to humans
Dear brothers and sistersL ' love of Christ is not a burden to humans, but "almost gives wings." He said the Pope speaks of St. John of the Cross's general audience Wednesday, Feb. 16, in the Paul VI.
two weeks ago I presented the figure of the great English mystic Teresa of Jesus Today I would like talk about another important Saint of those lands, spiritual friend of St. Teresa, reformer, along with her family's religious Carmelite St. John of the Cross was proclaimed Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XI in 1926 and nicknamed the tradition Doctor mysticus "Mystical Doctor".
John of the Cross was born in 1542 in the small village of Fontiveros, near Avila, in Old Castile, Gonzalo de Yepes and Catalina Alvarez. The family was poor, because his father, of noble origin Toledo, had been out of the house and disinherited for marrying Catalina, a humble silk weaver. Lost his father at an early age, John, nine years, he went, with his mother and his brother Francisco, Medina del Campo, near Valladolid, commercial and cultural center. Here he attended the Colegio de los Doctrinos, also performing some menial work for the nuns of the convent church of Mary Magdalene. Then, because of its human qualities and his results in his studies, he was admitted as a nurse in the Hospital of the Conception of the first, then at the Jesuit College, recently founded in Medina del Campo: John came here eighteen years and studied for three years the humanities, rhetoric and classical languages. At the end of training, he was clear about his own vocation and religious life, among the many orders present in Medina, he felt called to Caramel.
summer in 1563 he began his novitiate at the Carmelites of the city, taking the religious name of Matthias. The following year was assigned to the prestigious University of Salamanca, where he studied for three years, arts and philosophy. In 1567 he was ordained priest and returned to Medina del Campo to celebrate his first Mass surrounded by the affection of family members. Right here was the first meeting between John and Teresa of Jesus The meeting was decisive for both: Teresa explained his plan to reform the Carmelite Order and even suggested that the male line to John to accede "to the greater glory of God "The young priest was fascinated by the ideas of Teresa, and has become a big supporter of the project. The two worked together few months, sharing ideas and proposals as soon as possible to inaugurate the first house of the Discalced Carmelites: The opening took place December 28, 1568 at Duruelo, lonely place in the province of Avila. By John formed the first community reformed three other male companions. In renewing their religious profession according to the first Rule, the four adopted a new name: John was called then "the Cross", as will then be universally known. At the end of 1572, at the request of Teresa, became confessor and vicar of the monastery of the Incarnation in Avila, where Santa was prioress. They were years of close collaboration and spiritual friendship that enriched both. At that period are Teresian the most important works and the first writings of John.Membership of the Carmelite reform was not easy and it cost too much suffering to John. The most traumatic episode was, in 1577, his abduction and his incarceration in the convent of the Carmelites of the Ancient Observance of Toledo, following an unjust accusation. The saint was imprisoned for months, subjected to physical and mental hardships and difficulties. Here he composed, along with other poems, the famous Spiritual Canticle. Finally, on the night between 16 and 17 August 1578, he escaped so adventurous, sheltering in the monastery of Carmelite nuns in the city. Santa Teresa and fellow reformed celebrated with immense joy for his release and, after a short recovery time of the forces, John moved in Andalusia, where he spent ten years in various monasteries, especially in Granada. He took on increasingly important positions in the Order, to become the Vicar Provincial, and completed the drafting of its spiritual treatises. He then returned to his homeland, as a member of the General Government of Teresa's religious family, which now enjoyed full legal autonomy. He lived in Caramel, Segovia, performing the office of superior of the community. In 1591 he was relieved of all responsibility and for the new religious Province of Mexico. While preparing for the long trip with ten other companions, retired to a convent solitary near Jaén, where he fell seriously ill. John faced with exemplary patience, serenity and enormous suffering. He died on the night between 13 and 14 December 1591, while the brothers recite the Office in the morning. Took leave of them saying: "Today I am going to sing the Office in the sky." His mortal remains were transferred to Segovia. She was beatified by Clement X in 1675 and canonized by Benedict XIII in 1726.John is considered one of the major lyric poets of English literature. The major works are four: Ascent to Mount Caramel, Dark Night, Spiritual Canticle and flame of love alive.The Spiritual Canticle, St. John presents the process of purification of the soul, namely, the progressive joyous possession of God, until the soul comes to feel that love God with the same love with which she is loved by Him alive the flame of love continues in this perspective, describing in detail the state of transforming union The comparison to God used by John is always that of the fire as much as the fire burns through the timber, the more you do to become red-hot flame, so the Holy Spirit, during the dark night that cleanses and "clean" the soul, over time the lights and warms like a flame. The life of the soul is a continual feast of the Holy Spirit that reveals the glory of union with God in eternity.Rise Mount Caramel has the spiritual journey from the point of view of the progressive purification of the soul, to scale the summit of Christian perfection, symbolized by the summit of Mount Caramel. This purification is proposed as a way that man is doing, working with the divine action, to free the soul from all attachment or affection contrary to the will of God purification, in order to reach the union of love with God to be total, starting with the meaning of life and continues with that obtained by means of the three theological virtues: faith, hope and charity, purifying the intention, memory and desire. The Dark Night describes the appearance of "passive", ie the intervention of God in this process of "purification" of the soul. Human effort, in fact, is unable by itself to reach the deep roots of evil inclinations and habits of the people: it can only slow down, but not eradicate them completely. To do this, you need the special action of God who purifies the spirit and has radically union of love with him St. John calls "passive" such purification, because, although accepted by the soul, is made from ' mysterious action of the Holy Spirit, as a flame of fire, consumes all impurities. In this state, the soul is subjected to every kind of evidence, as if he were in a dark night. These
information on major works of the saint help us move closer to the highlights of his vast and profound mystical doctrine, whose purpose is to describe a sure way to achieve holiness, the state of perfection to which God calls us all. According to John of the Cross, all that is created by God is good. Through the creatures, we can arrive at the discovery of him in them has left a trace behind. Faith, however, is the only source given to man to know God as He is in Himself as the Triune God. All that God wanted to communicate to man, he has said in Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. Jesus Christ is the one definitive way to the Father (Cf. Jn 14, 6). Anything that is created is nothing compared to God and nothing is beyond him: therefore, to achieve perfect love of God, love each other in Christ should conform to the divine love. Hence the insistence of St. John of the Cross on the need of the cleansing and emptying of the interior to become God, which is the only goal of perfection. This "purification" is not the mere absence of physical things or their use, what makes the soul pure and free, however, is to eliminate any dependence on disordered things. Everything must be placed in God as the center and end of life. The long and arduous process of purification requires some personal effort, but the real star is God all that man can do is "disporsi" be open to the divine action and do not ask obstacles. Living the theological virtues, the man rises and gives value to their commitment. The pace of growth in faith, hope and charity go hand in hand with the work of purification and the progressive union with God to turn him in when we reach this goal, the soul is immersed in the same life Trinity, so that St. John says that it comes to love God with the same love with which He loves, because he loves the Holy Spirit. That's why the Doctor Monk argues that there is no true union of love culminates in union with God except the Trinity. In this state supreme soul Holy God knows everything and no longer has to go through to get the creatures to Him the soul feels now flooded by divine love and rejoices fully in it.Dear brothers and sisters, in the end the question remains: this holy mystical with its high, with this arduous journey to the summit of perfection has to say something to us, the Christian living in normal circumstances of this life today or is an example, a model for only a few chosen souls who can actually take this path of purification, mystical ascent? To find the answer we must first keep in mind that the life of Saint John of the Cross was not a "fly in the clouds mystical", but was a very hard life, very practical and concrete, is to reform, where he encountered much opposition from both the provincial superior, both of his brothers in prison, where he was exposed to incredible abuse and physical abuse. It was a hard life, but just in the past months in prison he wrote one of his finest works. And so we can understand that the journey with Christ, walking with Christ, "the Way," is not a burden added to the already hard enough burden of our lives, not something that would make it even heavier this burden, but it's completely different, is a light, a force that helps us to carry this burden. If a man carries with it a great love, love this almost gives wings, and more easily bear all the hardships of life, it carries within it this great light, this is the faith: to be loved by God and be loved by God in Christ Jesus be loved This is the light that helps us to bear the burden of every day. And holiness is not our work very difficult, but it is precisely this "open": open the windows of our soul so that God's light can enter, do not forget God because its light is the opening to its strength, there is the joy of the redeemed. Let us ask the Lord to help us find holiness, be loved by God, which is the vocation of all of us and the real redemption. Thanks.
(© L'Osservatore Romano - 17 February 2011)
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