Remembering St John of the Cross

Today's saint, John of the Cross, lived in Spain in the 16th century. He worked with St Teresa of Avila to reform the Carmelite order and was persecuted by his fellow Carmelites who did not accept his strictness. Through his suffering, he developed a deep spiritual life, expressing it through his poetic writings. He was considered a mystic, one who experiences the love of God in a deep and intensive way. The great theologian, Karl Rahner says that we will only be true christians if we experience the presence of God in a real way in our lives. Isaiah says the same thing in today's first reading (Isaiah 45: 6-8,18,21-26) ''I am the Lord and there is no other; turn to me and be saved.'' When the disciples of John the Baptist came to ask Jesus, ''Are you the one who is to come or must we wait for someone else?'' he did not answer with many words but told them to look at what he was doing. ''The blind see, the lame walk, the good news is proclaimed to the poor and happy is the one who does not lose faith in me.'' (Luke 7:19-23). We have heard the saying, ''When all is said and done, more is said than done.'' As the feast of Christmas rapidly approaches may our experience of Jesus in prayer show itself in actions for our own good and the good of others.