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)
A long and difficult read for most, but well worth the effort.
There are long potions that are illuminating and touch the soul. There are also lengthy portions that are difficult to understand and lean on obscure and nebulous concepts that some readers will not be prepared to understand. It is important to push through, because the next section may be an answer you are looking for. The dark night is often represented as something negative in modern usage, but it should be interpreted as a time of cleansing and purging as we die to self. The dark night is part of God's process of drawing is near to him by teaching us to separate ourselves from all other resources and pleasures. Most of us will simply be unwilling to walk the path that leads through this darkness and the result will be that we never draw as near to God as possible. There are just too many pleasures and distractions that keep us living like the lost world around us. I would take issue with some of the theology of this book, but it is still a great resource.
Lectura del año. Creo que es imprescindible para cualquier cristiano. Yo lo leí por recomendación, también porque es una lectura que me ha venido bien personalmente.
Puede hacerse un poco tedioso por el hecho de que el lenguaje místico es muy simbólico y eso complica algunas veces la lectura (añadido a que es una obra del siglo XVII). Aún así, sobre todo a la gente del camino, está obra te clarifica tanto las cosas, de verdad, es maravillosa.
En fin, qué decir. Leed santos, que leer santos, santifica.