St. John of the Cross, the companion of St. Teresa in her work of restoring the Carmelite Order. born in Fontiveros, Spain, in 1542 and died in 1591 at the early age of 49.
In so short a lifetime, he contributed in no small way to Catholic spirituality. In 1926 Pope Pius X1 declared him a doctor of the universal Church.
Today there is a renewed interest in mysticism and so the writings of St. John are of special relevance and widely studied, even by non Christians.
The central theme of his teaching is the great mystery of the Divine Indwelling, the abiding presence of God in the human heart, the birthright of every baptized person.
Like all the saints he was full of the joy of the Holy Spirit. May he remember us in the joy of his Lord.