Saint John of the Cross was born on June 24, 1542 in Fontiveros, Spain. John’s father was a very wealthy man with a high status in society. He sacrificed this high position because he fell in love with John’s mother. This sacrificed his position because John’s mother was from a poor family of weavers. However John’s father loved her very much and was more than willing to give up his prestige in the eyes of others to gain the love of his life. This resulted in John’s father being disowned by his own family.
John’s father passed away while John was still just a young boy. This left Saint John of the Cross and his mother to live on the streets in poverty. Saint John and his mother both tried desperately to find a job to earn money, but their attempts failed. This is why anybody suffering or in need of a job should pray to Saint John of the Cross, for he is their patron saint.
Eventually John and his mother would find work. However neither of them were earning enough to provide ample food supply for the two of them. This meant that most nights John would go hungry because his mother was much more important to him than he was to himself. Saint John of the Cross worked at a center for people with terrible diseases and mental issues. This job really taught him to rely on God to provide joy in his life. John put his faith completely in God at this point in his life.
Saint John of the Cross then decided to join a religious society called the Carmelite Order. The order’s leader, Saint Teresa of Avila, required Saint John’s help. She wanted to return the order to the way it had used to be, which meant that it’s members would spend many hours a day in prayer.
Other members of the Carmelite Order resented Saint Teresa and Saint John’s efforts. They took matters into their own hands and took Saint John from his home while he slept one day.
The cell that Saint John was placed in by his captors was extraordinarily small. There was no daylight in the cell and John was brutally beaten three times a week. Saint John of the Cross never lost faith while in the cell though. In fact he became even more spiritual during this time.
Saint John would find a way to escape from his cell one day by unscrewing the gate and waiting until the guards were asleep to sneak out. He proceeded to climb out of a window, but when he reached the ground he realized that he had absolutely no clue where he was. A local dog walked by Saint John and John chose to follow the dog back to wherever it was going.
He followed the dog to a small town and found a convent. He explained his story to the nuns there and they let him stay there with them. Saint John shared with them his wonderful outlooks on life and his beautiful poetry. Saint John would pass away on December 14, 1591 due to an illness. His poetry was finally shared with the world when it was published around the year 1618. Pope Benedict XIII canonized Saint John of the Cross in 1726, and his feast day falls on November 24th each year.
