Counsels of Light and Love of St. John of the Cross

by John of the Cross, Thomas Merton (Introduction)

A manual of the so-called simple cautions and points of light and love of the world's most celebrated mystic, introduced by Thomas Merton. †

Genres: Religion, Prayer, Mysticism

96 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1977

About the author

St. John of the Cross (Spanish: Juan de la Cruz), born June 24 1542, Juan de Yepes Álvarez, was a major Counter-Reformation figure, a Spanish mystic, Catholic saint, Carmelite friar and priest. He was a reformer of the Carmelite Order and is considered, along with St Teresa of Ávila, as a founder of the Discalced Carmelites. He's also known for his writings. Both his poetry & his studies on the growth of the soul are considered the summit of mystical Spanish literature & a peak of all Spanish literature. He was canonized as a saint in 1726 by Pope Benedict XIII. He is one of the 33 Doctors of the Church. (less)

Reviews

[booklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent addition to any Carmelite library. Although it includes mostly what is already in the relevant sections of The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, it offers a few things which that book does not have, such as:
1) an interesting introduction by Thomas Merton,
2) historically typical writing, and
3) topical grouping of the Sayings of Light and Love.

#1 is self-explanatory, #2 refers to the quaint language used during the era of the book's publication and before. This book was published in 1953, pre-Vatican II and it seems to have retained some of the terms which were used by the 16th century Carmelites. For example, the compendium referenced above, we have something called, Precautions. In this older version, they are called, ‘Cautions which any who would be a true religious and would quickly attain to perfection must needs bear ever in mind’. In both places, they are addressed to the Carmelite Nuns of Beas while the saint lived at El Calvario (1578-79), after he had escaped from prison in Toledo. These warnings represented some of the fruits of his years as spiritual director in Avila. So while being the same thing in both books, this book gives you more of a feel for how they were originally intended by the Mystical Doctor.

#3, the grouping of the 'Sayings of Light and Love' which are just listed in the 839-page tome of his collected works. Here they are grouped topically, primarily according to virtue: 1) prudence; 2) peace; 3) conformity to Divine Will; 4) suffering; 5) obedience; 6) diligence; 7) presence of God; 8) prayer; 9) love of neighbor; 10) interior and exterior mortifications; 11) Divine Love and 12) purity of intention.

I was very pleased that I purchased this prior to my talk on the 'Sayings of Light and Love' for my community this past weekend as it was helpful in filling in a number of gaps in my knowledge, not that there aren't many more even larger which need attention.

[Suz · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is so much wisdom contained in this short work that it is pointless to articulate just how profound, until you've read the words for yourself.

I think one has to understand the type of life St. John of the Cross lived to really grasp at the depth of his feeling. His faith was not an easy one, reflective of the suffering he underwent — which, instead of turning him into an embittered cynic, transformed him into a saint. You only have to read his poetry to comprehend the profundity of his emotions in their raw, unadulterated honesty. All that he wrote came from the heart, and he lived up to them. I think that's the inspiring part.

One sutra (shall I call it that?) I found incredibly moving: "At the evening of life, you will be examined in love. Learn to love as God desires to be loved and abandon your own ways of acting."

As a sadhaka, I want to emulate St. John of the Cross. This little book is a delight for anyone of any faith; you only have to have love for the Lord, whatever you might call Him, to see the same love bleeding through these sayings.

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A COLLECTION OF JOHN'S SHORTER, MISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS

John of the Cross (1542-1591) was a Spanish mystic, Carmelite friar and priest, who was---along with Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582)---a founder of the Discalced Carmelites. He wrote many famous books of mysticism, such as 'Dark Night of the Soul,' 'Ascent of Mount Carmel,' 'Spiritual Canticle,' and 'Living Flame of Love.' This book is a collection of John's lesser-known prose writings and poems.

He wrote, "It is necessary to see that the evils which the soul receives come from the enemies mentioned above: the world, the devil, and the flesh. The world is the least difficult; the devil is the hardest to understand. The flesh is the most tenacious of all and its assaults continue for as long as the old man exists." (Pg. 15) He advises, "except when you are commanded by obligation you should be moved to nothing; however good or full of charity it may seem, whether it be for yourself or anyone in or out of the house, unless ordered by obedience. In observing this you will obtain merit and security." (Pg. 19)

He suggests, "do not wait for desire before performing a virtuous deed, since reason and understanding are sufficient" (pg. 31), and "It is better to conquer the tongue than to fast on bread and water." (Pg. 35) He states, "It is better to be heavy burdened and near one who is strong than relieved of one's load and near one who is weak." (Pg. 42)

He asserts that "One single thought of a man is of greater worth than the whole world: therefore God alone is worthy of him." (Pg. 52) He counsels that we should "Never take a man as an example... however holy he is, or else the devil will set his imperfections before you. But imitate Christ Who is the sum of perfection and holiness, and you will never go astray." (Pg. 53)

John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila are essential reading for anyone even marginally interested in Christian mysticism.

[Dcn. Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful short maxims - well worth reading, overall maybe 20 pages?

Some of them need more context / explanation however, which you can find in St. John of the Cross's other works.