Dear Carmelite Brothers and Sisters-
As eyes turn towards the events ready to unfold in Madrid, Spain for World Youth Day early next week, it is with interest that we note that two of the nine patron saints for the event are Discalced Carmelites, and two others closely linked. These patron saints are as follows:
St. John of the Cross (1542-1591)
Birth: June 24, 1542, Fontiveros, Spain
Feast Day: December 14th
Title in the Church: Doctor of Mystical Theology
Known for: reforming the male branch of the Discalced Carmelites,
Relationship to a saint: spiritual son of and spiritual director to St. Teresa of Avila
Main works: The Ascent of Mt. Carmel, The Dark Night, The Living Flame of Love, The Spiritual Canticle
Patron Saint of: contemplative life, mystical theology, mystics and Spanish poets
Imitate the saint: Reach union of God through prayer, don't settle for mediocrity, cling to God in the face of persecution and never back down, turn every suffering into an opportunity to grow in holiness, don't be afraid of the tasks entrusted to you, trust in the guidance of Our Blessed Mother.
Did you know? St. John of the Cross was taken prisoner by his own brothers in the very order he was working to reform in December 4, 1577. He was taken to an ancient monastery in Toledo where he kept silent under the false accusations, deprived of celebrating Mass, tortured and beaten by his fellow friars. At the night of August 16, 1578, by the inspiration and guidance of Our Blessed Mother, he made an incredible escape from the monastery and found refuge in the convent of St. Teresa of Avila.
St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)
Baptismal Name: Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada
Birth: March 28th, 1515; Avila, Spain
Feast Day: October 15th
Title in the Church: Doctor of Prayer (first woman proclaimed as a Doctor of the Church)
Known for: Her reform of the Carmelite order, founding 15 monasteries of Discalced Carmelites; lived an intense mystical life
Patron Saint of: writers
Relationship to a saint: spiritually directed by St. John of the Cross, who continued her reform in the male branch.
Main works: Her autobiography, The Interior Castle, The Way of Perfection
Imitate the saint: Center your life on prayer, give your heart to the Lord, live humility by standing in the truth about yourself, strive to practice the virtues in every moment
Did you know? When she was young, her and her brother Rodrigo liked to read the lives of the saints. They were fascinated by the fact that they would go directly to heaven after they died. It seemed to them that "they paid a really cheap price for going to rejoice in God". In this way, they decided to go to the land of the Moors (the mortal enemies of the Christians) in order to become martyrs.
Through various writings of Blessed JPII, we know he was a Discalced Carmelite at heart and even sought to continue his studies for the priesthood with them, but was advised to finish what he had started and become a diocesan priest. His thesis paper was on St. John of the Cross and he was a tertiary member of the Discalced Carmelites.
It is with interest that I read about St. John of Avila as well:
St. John of Avila (1500-1569)
Birth: January 6, 1500; Almodóvar del Campo, near Toledo, Spain
Feast Day: May 10th
Known for: celebrating Mass with great devotion, tremendous gift of preaching, encouraging frequent communion, efforts to reform the lay state and the clergy, apostolic and social works, wise spiritual council, charity, prudence and discretion.
Patron Saint of: Spanish secular clergy
Relationship to a saint: St. Teresa of Avila, Saint John of God, Saint Francis Borgia, Venerable Louis of Granada were among the disciples attracted by his preaching and saintly reputation.
Main works: Audi Fili and Spiritual Letters
Imitate the saint: cultivate a profound love for Jesus in the Eucharist, be a reformer of your day where there is a need, take your spiritual formation seriously, preach and live the truth even though you may be persecuted for it.
Did you know? In Salamanca, St. John became very close with the Society of Jesus. He guided many of the Jesuits, studied with them, wanted to transfer schools, and helped the order when it was experiencing many difficulties in Salamanca. Seeing the union between St. John and the Jesuits, St. Ignatius desired that he join the order. Though God's providence and St. John's sickness prevented this from happening, he continued to help the Jesuits tremendously. Much of the Jesuit expansion in Spain is attributed to St. John.
We know how many youthful blesseds and saints our order has produced with the likes of St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Teresa of the Andes, Bl. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Teresa Margaret (Redi) of the Sacred Heart. How important it is in our day to pray for our young people that they may embrace the holiness that Our Lord has set out before them and to recognize that He has a plan for them. Let's pray for all those gathered in the next few days to come for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit and most especially that many young men may hear the call to the priesthood according to Our Lord's Divine Will, and young woman may respond to the call to religious life. Amen.
