St John Of The Cross Popular Books

St John Of The Cross Biography & Facts

John of the Cross, OCD (Spanish: Juan de la Cruz; Latin: Ioannes a Cruce; born Juan de Yepes y Álvarez; 24 June 1542 – 14 December 1591) was a Spanish Catholic priest, mystic, and Carmelite friar of converso origin. He is a major figure of the Counter-Reformation in Spain, and he is one of the thirty-seven Doctors of the Church. John of the Cross is known for his writings. He was mentored by and corresponded with the older Carmelite, Teresa of Ávila. Both his poetry and his studies on the development of the soul are considered the summit of mystical Spanish literature and among the greatest works of all Spanish literature. He was canonized by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726. In 1926, he was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XI, and is also known as the "mystical doctor". Life Early life and education He was born Juan de Yepes y Álvarez at Fontiveros, Old Castile, into a converso family (descendants of Jewish converts to Catholicism) in Fontiveros, near Ávila, a town of around 2,000 people. His father, Gonzalo, was an accountant to richer relatives who were silk merchants. In 1529 Gonzalo married John's mother, Catalina, who was an orphan of a lower class; he was rejected by his family and forced to work with his wife as a weaver. John's father died in 1545, while John was still only around three years old. Two years later, John's older brother, Luis, died, probably as a result of malnourishment due to the poverty to which the family had been reduced. As a result, John's mother Catalina moved with John and his surviving brother Francisco, first to Arévalo in 1548, and then in 1551 to Medina del Campo, where she was able to find work.In Medina, John entered a school for 160 poor children, mostly orphans, to receive a basic education, mainly in Christian doctrine. They were given some food, clothing, and lodging. While studying there, he was chosen to serve as an altar boy at a nearby monastery of Augustinian nuns. Growing up, John worked at a hospital and studied the humanities at a Jesuit school from 1559 to 1563. The Society of Jesus was at that time a new organisation, having been founded only a few years earlier by the Spaniard St. Ignatius of Loyola. In 1563 he entered the Carmelite Order, adopting the name John of St. Matthias.In the following year (1564), he made his first vows and enrolled in Salamanca University, where he studied theology and philosophy. There he met Fray Luis de León, who taught biblical studies (Exegesis, Hebrew, and Aramaic) at the university. Joining the Reform of Teresa of Ávila John was ordained as a priest in 1567. He subsequently thought about joining the strict Carthusian Order, which appealed to him because of its practice of solitary and silent contemplation. His journey from Salamanca to Medina del Campo, probably in September 1567, became pivotal. In Medina he met the influential Carmelite nun, Teresa of Ávila. She was staying in Medina to found the second of her new convents. She immediately talked to him about her reformation projects for the Order: she was seeking to restore the purity of the Carmelite Order by reverting to the observance of its "Primitive Rule" of 1209, which had been relaxed by Pope Eugene IV in 1432.Under the Rule, much of the day and night was to be divided between the recitation of the Liturgy of the Hours, study and devotional reading, the celebration of Mass and periods of solitude. In the case of friars, time was to be spent evangelizing the population around the monastery. There was to be total abstinence from meat and a lengthy period of fasting from the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (14 September) until Easter. There were to be long periods of silence, especially between Compline and Prime. Simpler, coarser, and shorter habits were to be adopted. There was also an injunction against wearing covered shoes (also previously mitigated in 1432). That particular observance distinguished the "discalced", i.e., barefoot, followers of Teresa from traditional Carmelites, and they would be formally recognized as the separate Order of Discalced Carmelites in 1580. Teresa asked John to delay his entry into the Carthusian order and to follow her. Having spent a final year studying in Salamanca, in August 1568 John travelled with Teresa from Medina to Valladolid, where Teresa intended to found another convent. After a spell at Teresa's side in Valladolid, learning more about the new form of Carmelite life, in October 1568, John left Valladolid, accompanied by Friar Antonio de Jesús de Heredia, to found a new monastery for Carmelite friars, the first to follow Teresa's principles. They were given the use of a derelict house at Duruelo, which had been donated to Teresa. On 28 November 1568, the monastery was established, and on that same day, John changed his name to "John of the Cross".Soon after, in June 1570, the friars found the house at Duruelo was too small, and so moved to the nearby town of Mancera de Abajo, midway between Ávila and Salamanca. John moved from the first community to set up a new community at Pastrana in October 1570, and then a further community at Alcalá de Henares, as a house for the academic training of the friars. In 1572 he arrived in Ávila, at Teresa's invitation. She had been appointed prioress of the Convent of the Incarnation there in 1571. John became the spiritual director and confessor of Teresa and the other 130 nuns there, as well as for a wide range of laypeople in the city. In 1574, John accompanied Teresa for the foundation of a new religious community in Segovia, returning to Ávila after staying there a week. Aside from the one trip, John seems to have remained in Ávila between 1572 and 1577. At some time between 1574 and 1577, while praying in a loft overlooking the sanctuary in the Monastery of the Incarnation in Ávila, John had a vision of the crucified Christ, which led him to create his drawing of Christ "from above". In 1641, this drawing was placed in a small monstrance and kept in Ávila. This same drawing inspired the artist Salvador Dalí's 1951 work Christ of Saint John of the Cross. Height of Carmelite tensions The years 1575–77 saw a great increase in tensions among Spanish Carmelite friars over the reforms of Teresa and John. Since 1566 the reforms had been overseen by Canonical Visitors from the Dominican Order, with one appointed to Castile and a second to Andalusia. The Visitors had substantial powers: they could move members of religious communities from one house to another or from one province to the next. They could assist religious superiors in the discharge of their office, and could delegate superiors between the Dominican or Carmelite orders. In Castile, the Visitor was Pedro Fernández, who prudently balanced the interests of the Discalced Carmelites with those of the nuns and friars who did not desire reform.In Andalusia to the south, the Visitor was Francisco Vargas, and tensions rose due to his clear preference for the Discalced fr.... Discover the St John Of The Cross popular books. Find the top 100 most popular St John Of The Cross books.

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  • The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross synopsis, comments

    The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross

    John of the Cross

    This revised edition of The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross was produced to mark the fourth centenary of the death of St. John of the Cross (1542–1591). The result is an E...

  • The Wound of Knowledge synopsis, comments

    The Wound of Knowledge

    Rowan Williams

    In this classic treatise on Christian spirituality, Rowan Williams takes us with a new eye along a road marked out by Paul, John, Ignatius, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Origen,...

  • St. John of the Cross OCT synopsis, comments

    St. John of the Cross OCT

    Peter Tyler

    Peter Tyler endeavours to represent St John of the Cross in the truest light, covering his life from the angles of John as Theologian, as Mystic, Psychologist, and Artist. Tyler dr...

  • The Dark Night of the Soul synopsis, comments

    The Dark Night of the Soul

    St. John of the Cross

    Your Special Annotated edition includes: Glossary of medieval Catholic terminology Biography of St. John of the Cross NarrativeEssayThe Incredible Account of St. John’s Final Ho...

  • St. John of the Cross synopsis, comments

    St. John of the Cross

    Stephen Payne OCD, John Sullivan OCD, Michael Dodd OCD, Daniel Chowning OCD & Kieran Kavanaugh, O.C.D.

    This volume represents an opportunity for the Discalced Carmelite friars to express their gratitude to the one we call “our Holy Father,” St. John of the Cross, and to explore his ...

  • St. John of the Cross for Beginners synopsis, comments

    St. John of the Cross for Beginners

    William Meninger

    Fr. William Meninger guides the reader through two basic works of inner development, The Ascent of Mount Carmel and The Dark Night of the Soul, by St. John of the Cross (15421591) ...

  • A Lenten Journey with Jesus Christ and St. John of the Cross synopsis, comments

    A Lenten Journey with Jesus Christ and St. John of the Cross

    Rev. George Mangiaracina, O.C.D.

    An Invitation from St. John of the Cross Thus, with the guidance of John of the Cross, Lent can become a period of renewal, a period where we reorder our priorities from many thing...

  • Saint John of the Cross synopsis, comments

    Saint John of the Cross

    Father Paschasius Heriz

    Saint John of the Cross knew darkness and despair in life, but his love of God protected him through it all, all of which led to him later becoming the patron saint of the destitut...

  • The Poems of St. John of the Cross synopsis, comments

    The Poems of St. John of the Cross

    Willis Barnstone

    Saint John’s poetry of love and joy describes the soul’s passage through dark night to final illumination in mystical union with Absolute Being. The allegory the poet uses is that ...

  • A Month of Prayer with St. John of the Cross synopsis, comments

    A Month of Prayer with St. John of the Cross

    Wyatt North

    Saint John of the Cross (15421591) was a major reformer of the Carmelite Order. He was canonized as a saint by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726. What he accomplished in the monasteries p...

  • The Maple Leaf and the White Cross synopsis, comments

    The Maple Leaf and the White Cross

    Christopher McCreery

    As a foundation of the Order of St. John, St. John Ambulance has been providing first aid training programs in Canada for the past 125 years. From the sweatshops of the Victorian e...

  • Union with God synopsis, comments

    Union with God

    Gabriel Of St. Mary Magdalen

    Christian perfection consists in the twofold way of charity: service of neighbor and our direct quest for God's love. Many of us discover ways to love our neighbor, but few achieve...

  • The Essential St. John of the Cross synopsis, comments

    The Essential St. John of the Cross

    Saint John of the Cross

    Collected here in this omnibus edition are all three of St. John of the Cross' major works as well as twenty of his magnificent poems. The Ascent of Mount Carmel is the third m...

  • My Kingdom for a Horse synopsis, comments

    My Kingdom for a Horse

    Ed West

    From William Shakespeare's series of history dramas to Sir Walter Scott and George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, not to mention the smashhit TV show Game of Thrones, the Br...

  • Twenty Poems by St. John of the Cross synopsis, comments

    Twenty Poems by St. John of the Cross

    Saint John of the Cross

    Saint John of the Cross was a reformer of the Carmelite Order and is considered, along with Saint Teresa of Ávila, as a founder of the Discalced Carmelites. He is particularly know...

  • Mystical Paths to God synopsis, comments

    Mystical Paths to God

    Brother Lawrence

    Collected in this Omnibus edition are three classic works exploring the mystical nature of God. Included are The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence, Interior Castl...

  • The Life of St Teresa of Avila by Herself synopsis, comments

    The Life of St Teresa of Avila by Herself

    Teresa of Ávila & J. Cohen

    Born in the Castilian town of Ávila in 1515, Teresa entered the Carmelite convent of the Incarnation when she was twentyone. Tormented by illness, doubts and selfrecrimination, she...

  • The Impact of God synopsis, comments

    The Impact of God

    Iain Matthew

    St John of the Cross testifies to a God who longs to meet us in our deepest need. Whilst rejection and imprisonment played their part in the life of this sixteenthcentury Spanish f...

  • Stories of the Saints synopsis, comments

    Stories of the Saints

    Carey Wallace & Nick Thornborrow

    Performing Miracles. Facing Wild Lions. Confronting Demons. Transforming the World. From Augustine to Mother Teresa, officially canonized as St. Teresa of Calcutta, discover sevent...

  • Dark Night of the Soul synopsis, comments

    Dark Night of the Soul

    E. Allison Peers

    This new edition of the Image classic, with more than 100,000 copies sold, brings E. Allison Peers's magnificent translation of St. John of the Cross's masterpiece Dark Night of th...

  • Be With synopsis, comments

    Be With

    Forrest Gander

    WINNER OF THE 2019 PULITZER PRIZE IN POETRY LONGLISTED FOR THE 2018 NATIONAL BOOK AWARDPublishers Weekly Best Poetry Book of 2018 Forrest Gander’s first book of poems since hi...

  • Saint John of the Cross synopsis, comments

    Saint John of the Cross

    Bob Lord & Penny Lord

    Saint John of the Cross was a Carmelite Reformer and Doctor of the Church. Bob and Penny traveled to Spain and many of the places in the life of Saint John of the Cross to bring th...

  • A Brief Guide to Spiritual Classics synopsis, comments

    A Brief Guide to Spiritual Classics

    James M. Russell

    This very readable brief guide examines a wide range of spiritual writing that can be read for enjoyment or inspiration, including some books that come from beyond any religious tr...

  • Urchin synopsis, comments

    Urchin

    Kate Story

    They say Dorthea’s family is cursed. The house built by GreatGreatGrandfather on the Southside Road has never been at peace. Old people say it lies on a fairy patha gateway to the ...

  • Three Paths to God synopsis, comments

    Three Paths to God

    Brother Lawrence

    Collected in this omnibus edition are three classic works exploring the mystical nature of God. Included are The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence, Interior Castl...

  • The Essential St. John of the Cross synopsis, comments

    The Essential St. John of the Cross

    St. John of the Cross

    Collected here in this omnibus edition are all three of St. John of the Cross' major works as well as twenty of his magnificent poems. The Ascent of Mount Carmel is the third major...

  • A Spiritual Canticle of the Soul and the Bridegroom Christ synopsis, comments

    A Spiritual Canticle of the Soul and the Bridegroom Christ

    St. John of the Cross

    In A Spiritual Canticle of the Soul and the Bridegroom Christ, St. John states: "I do not purpose here to set forth all that greatness and fullness the spirit of love, which is fru...

  • Seeking the Beloved synopsis, comments

    Seeking the Beloved

    Wayne Simsic

    Prayer is not just time set aside for God or the use of certain techniquesit is primarily an intimate relationship with God the Beloved. If we hunger for a prayer that is deeper th...

  • My Only Friend is Darkness synopsis, comments

    My Only Friend is Darkness

    Barbara Dent

    This wise and widelyacclaimed book is written for those “who have advanced far enough in love to God to enter the Night of Faith and feel the need of explanation, guidance and reas...

  • My Life as a Replica synopsis, comments

    My Life as a Replica

    Sally Foster

    In 1970 a concrete replica of the St John’s Cross arrived in Iona sitting incongruously on the deck of a puffer delivering the island’s annual supply of coal. What is the story beh...

  • The Power of the Infinity Symbol synopsis, comments

    The Power of the Infinity Symbol

    Barbara Heider-Rauter

    A guide to the spiritual meaning and magic of the infinity symbol and how to activate its positive powers Explains how the infinity symbol is the antidote to a negative, imbalance...