Catholic For Life
  • Home
  • Homily
  • Mass Reading
  • Pro-Life
  • News
    • Catholic Events
  • Reflections
    • Videos
    • Morning Inspirational messages
    • Saints
    • Night inspirational messages
    • Quotes
  • Prayers
  • About Us
  • Donate
No Result
View All Result
Catholic For Life
  • Home
  • Homily
  • Mass Reading
  • Pro-Life
  • News
    • Catholic Events
  • Reflections
    • Videos
    • Morning Inspirational messages
    • Saints
    • Night inspirational messages
    • Quotes
  • Prayers
  • About Us
  • Donate
No Result
View All Result
Catholic For Life
No Result
View All Result

Saint John of the Cross

Martha Oluchukwu Eze by Martha Oluchukwu Eze
December 14, 2016
in Saints
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0

John was born in Spain in 1542, he learned the importance of self-sacrificing love from his parents. His father gave up wealth, status, and comfort when he married a weaver’s daughter and was disowned by his noble family.

After his father died, his mother kept the destitute family together as they wandered homeless in search of work. These were the examples of sacrifice that John followed with his own great love — God.

When the family finally found work, John still went hungry in the middle of the wealthiest city in Spain. At fourteen, John took a job caring for hospital patients who suffered from incurable diseases and madness. It was out of this poverty and suffering, that John learned to search for beauty and happiness not in the world, but in God.

After John joined the Carmelite order, Saint Teresa of Avila asked him to help her reform movement. John supported her belief that the order should return to its life of prayer. But many Carmelites felt threatened by this reform, and some members of John’s own order kidnapped him.

He was locked in a cell six feet by ten feet and beaten three times a week by the monks. There was only one tiny window high up near the ceiling. Yet in that unbearable dark, cold, and desolation, his love and faith were like fire and light. He had nothing left but God — and God brought John his greatest joys in that tiny cell. After nine months, John escaped by unscrewing the lock on his door and creeping past the guard.

Taking only the mystical poetry he had written in his cell, he climbed out a window using a rope made of stirps of blankets. With no idea where he was, he followed a dog to civilization. He hid from pursuers in a convent infirmary where he read his poetry to the nuns.

From then on his life was devoted to sharing and explaining his experience of God’s love. His life of poverty and persecution could have produced a bitter cynic. Instead it gave birth to a compassionate mystic, who lived by the beliefs that “Who has ever seen people persuaded to love God by harshness?” and “Where there is no love, put love — and you will find love.”
John left us many books of practical advice on spiritual growth and prayer that are just as relevant today as they were then.

These books include: Ascent of Mount Carmel
Dark Night of the Soul and
A Spiritual Canticle of the Soul and the Bridegroom Christ

Since joy comes only from God, John believed that someone who seeks happiness in the world is like “a famished person who opens his mouth to satisfy himself with air.”

He taught that only by breaking the rope of our desires could we fly up to God. Above all, he was concerned for those who suffered dryness or depression in their spiritual life and offered encouragement that God loved them and was leading them deeper into faith.

“What more do you want, o soul! And what else do you search for outside, when within yourself you possess your riches, delights, satisfaction and kingdom — your beloved whom you desire and seek? Desire him there, adore him there. Do not go in pursuit of him outside yourself. You will only become distracted and you won’t find him, or enjoy him more than by seeking him within you.” — Saint John of the Cross

In His Footsteps: John of the Cross believed it was just as dangerous to get attached to spiritual delights as worldly pleasures.

Do you expect to get something — a good feeling, a sense of God — from prayer or worship? Do you continue to pray and worship when you feel alone or dry?

Prayer: Saint John of the Cross, in the darkness of your worst moments, when you were alone and persecuted, you found God.

Help me to have faith that God is there especially in the times when God seems absent and far away. Amen

Previous Post

The Power of Networking Is Underestimated

Next Post

Suffering People are a Reflection of Jesus Himself

Related Posts

NAMES OF SAINTS AND FEAST DAYS

NAMES OF SAINTS AND FEAST DAYS

by Catholic For Life
June 1, 2023
0

NAMES OF SAINTS AND FEAST DAYS: We grouped the saints according to feast days, and make sure that their is...

HOMILY FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF ST. JOHN THE APOSTLE

HOMILY FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF ST. JOHN THE APOSTLE

by Martha Oluchukwu Eze
December 23, 2022
0

HOMILY FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF ST. JOHN THE APOSTLE BY: ANONYMOUS HOMILY THEME: One of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus....

A SHORT PROFILE/BIOGRAPHY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL

A SHORT PROFILE/BIOGRAPHY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL

by Catholic For Life
September 28, 2022
0

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL was born in Gascony in France in the year 1581. He had his studies and was...

YEAR B: HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF THE 24TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (3)

HOMILY FOR THE FEAST OF SAINT MATTHEW, APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST

by Catholic For Life
September 20, 2022
0

HOMILY FOR THE FEAST OF SAINT MATTHEW, APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST THEME: I DESIRE MERCY AND NOT SACRIFICE…….” I did not...

Next Post
Suffering People are a Reflection of Jesus Himself

Suffering People are a Reflection of Jesus Himself

Say the Rosary for the People of Aleppo

Say the Rosary for the People of Aleppo

CLICK TO BUY THIS

The Art of Oratory

Homily

HOMILY FOR THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST (CORPUS CHRISTI) – YEAR A

HOMILY FOR THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST (CORPUS CHRISTI) – YEAR A

June 6, 2023
YEAR B: HOMILY FOR THE 20TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (1)

SUNDAY HOMILY: SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST (YEAR A)

June 6, 2023
YEAR B: HOMILY FOR THE 20TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (1)

CATHOLIC HOMILY: THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST (YEAR A)

June 6, 2023
YEAR A: HOMILY FOR THE MOST HOLY TRINITY 2023

HOMILY FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY YEAR A. (5)

June 3, 2023
YEAR A: HOMILY FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY

HOMILY FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY. (4)

June 3, 2023
YEAR A: HOMILY FOR THE MOST HOLY TRINITY 2023

HOMILY FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY. (3)

June 3, 2023

Prayer

Nine days Novena to Sacred Heart of Jesus

Nine days Novena to Sacred Heart of Jesus

June 1, 2023
PRAYERS TO ST. PHILOMENA

PRAYERS TO ST. PHILOMENA

June 1, 2023
NOVENA TO ROSA MYSTICA (DAY ONE – DAY NINE)

NOVENA TO ROSA MYSTICA (DAY ONE – DAY NINE)

June 1, 2023
O Come To The Throne Of Grace LYRICS

O Come To The Throne Of Grace LYRICS

June 1, 2023

Articles 

HOMILY FOR HOLY THURSDAY

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF HOLY THURSDAY?

April 6, 2023
HOMILY FOR THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD  (MASS DURING THE DAY AT CHRISTMAS) (3)

WAS JESUS BORN ON DECEMBER 25? WHY DO YOU CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS.

December 24, 2022
CATHOLIC KNIGHTHOOD: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

CATHOLIC KNIGHTHOOD: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

September 30, 2022

Kneeling or Bowing Before Images

September 15, 2022

News

Nicaragua: Bishop Alvarez sentenced to 26 years’ imprisonment

Nicaragua: Bishop Alvarez sentenced to 26 years’ imprisonment

February 15, 2023
Breaking News: Pope Francis Creates Catholic Diocese of Aguleri, Appoints Bishop Isizoh as the first Bishop.

Breaking News: Pope Francis Creates Catholic Diocese of Aguleri, Appoints Bishop Isizoh as the first Bishop.

February 12, 2023
Pope grieving for victims of quakes in Turkey and Syria

Pope grieving for victims of quakes in Turkey and Syria

February 7, 2023

“God accompanies people with same-sex attraction”, Pope Francis

February 6, 2023

Mass Reading

Reading for Thursday, Third Week in Ordinary Time Year A

CATHOLIC MASS READING FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST (CORPUS CHRISTI) – YEAR A

June 6, 2023
Reading for Thursday, Third Week in Ordinary Time Year A

CATHOLIC MASS READING FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY (YEAR A)

June 1, 2023
Reading for Thursday, Third Week in Ordinary Time Year A

CATHOLIC MASS READING FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF PENTECOST SUNDAY

May 24, 2023

CLICK TO BUY THIS

Flashbacks of Turmoil

Reflections

HOMILY FOR THE 3RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A

HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF 9TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME. (1)

June 8, 2023

REFLECTION FOR THURSDAY OF 7TH WEEK OF EASTER. (1)

May 25, 2023
YEAR A: HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE 25TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (1)

HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF 6TH WEEK OF EASTER. (1)

May 20, 2023
  • Home
  • Homily
  • Mass Reading
  • Pro-Life
  • News
  • Reflections
  • Prayers
  • About Us
  • Donate
Call us: +1 234 JEG THEME

© 2023 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Homily
  • Mass Reading
  • Pro-Life
  • News
    • Catholic Events
  • Reflections
    • Videos
    • Morning Inspirational messages
    • Saints
    • Night inspirational messages
    • Quotes
  • Prayers
  • About Us
  • Donate

© 2023 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.