St. John of the Cross (23 November): Butler's Lives of the Saints

About this sermon

On November 24, the Church honors St. John of the Cross, the great Carmelite mystic and Doctor of the Church. In this reading from Butler’s Lives of the Saints (narrated by Fr. Alban), we follow his remarkable journey from humble beginnings in Old Castile to the heights of contemplative union with God. Born Juan de Yepes in 1542 near Ávila, St. John of the Cross was marked from childhood by deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, heroic charity towards the sick, and extraordinary austerity. As a young Carmelite, he embraced severe penance, intense prayer, and hidden life, seeking to conform himself entirely to Christ Crucified. Through his encounter with St. Teresa of Ávila, he became a key instrument in the reform of the Carmelite Order, helping to found the Discalced Carmelites (“barefoot” Carmelites). His fidelity to the reform brought fierce persecution, including harsh imprisonment in Toledo, where he endured darkness, dryness, temptation, and abandonment—what he would later describe so powerfully as the “dark night of the soul.” This reading recounts: His early devotion and charity to the sick His radical poverty, mortification, and love for the Cross His collaboration with St. Teresa in the reform of Carmel His mystical trials: scruples, desolation, and spiritual dryness His unjust imprisonment and heroic patience His burning love for God and neighbor, especially the poor and his enemies His final illness, holy death on December 14, 1591, and later canonization St. John of the Cross shows us that true Christian perfection is the way of the Cross: to suffer with Christ, to let self-love die, and to be purified so that the soul can be united to God in pure love. “To suffer for the sake of God is the true sign of His love,” he used to say, seeing trials as a gift that prepares the soul for deeper union with the Lord. 00:00 – Introduction & opening 00:20 – Birth & early life of St. John of the Cross 03:40 – Carmelite vocation & meeting St. Teresa of Ávila 06:45 – Austerities, contemplation & the “dark night” of the soul 10:40 – Imprisonment at Toledo & love of suffering 14:45 – Mystical gifts, charity for souls & spiritual direction 18:30 – Persecutions within the order & hidden humiliations 21:30 – Final illness, heroic patience & holy death 24:30 – Reflections: the spirit of the Cross in the Christian life https://sensusfidelium.com/the-lives-of-the-fathers-martyrs-and-other-principal-saints/november/st-john-of-the-cross/ Get Butler's Lives of the Saints here: https://loretopublications.idevaffiliate.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=102&url=1 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 Support Catholic Businesses here - https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ Sensus Fidelium Press - https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ Sensus Fidelium Apps - https://sensusfidelium.tv/ Support Sensus Fidelium - https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 🙏🏻PLEASE HELP OUR CHANNEL GROW 🙏🏻 ▶ 1. Become a Channel Patron: https://www.patreon.com/SensusFidelium ▶ 2. Visit the website https://www.sensusfidelium.com for Gueranger, Saint of the Day, Apologetics, Meditation by the Saints, Scripture Study and more. ▶ 3. Subscribe to Other Video Platforms 🔴 BitChute --- https://www.bitchute.com/channel/Sensus_Fidelium/ 🔴 Rumble --- https://rumble.com/c/c-298311 🔴 My Catholic Tube - https://mycatholictube.com/videos/sensus-fidelium-channel/ 🔴 ODYSEE - https://odysee.com/@SensusFidelium:c 🔴 UGETube - https://videos.utahgunexchange.com/@Sensus%20Fidelium 🔴 BrandNewTube - https://brandnewtube.com/@SensusFidelium 🔴 GloriaTV - https://gloria.tv/Sensus%20Fidelium 🔴 Brighteon - https://www.brighteon.com/channels/sensusfidelium ▶ 4. Paypal, Bitcoin, Anedot, Stripe, Square & PO Box donations - https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ ▶ 5. YouTube: Click Subscribe, then Click "Notification Bell" = 🔔 ▶ 6. Please share this video 📲, and help others find Christ inside the Catholic Church! Please share this video on Facebook and Twitter using the share button. ▶ 7. Follow on Social Media: 🔴 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SensusFidelium/ 🔴 Twitter: https://https://twitter.com/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 YouTube: Click Subscribe, then Click "Notification Bell" = 🔔 🔴 Parler: https://parler.com/profile/Sensusfidelium/posts 🔴 SP3RN: https://www.sp3rn.com/community/pages/14-sensus-fidelium 🔴 GAB: https://gab.com/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 Bastyon: https://bastyon.com/sensusfidelium 🔴 GETTR: https://gettr.com/user/sensus_fidelium 🔴 INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/sensusfidelium/ 🔴 Telegram: https//t.me/RealSensusFidelium 🔴 Truth Social - @SensusFidelium ▶ 8. Follow on iTunes: 🔴 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sensus-fidelium-catholic-podcast/id1477010758 #SaintJohnoftheCross #LivesOfTheSaints #Catholic #TraditionalCatholic #Carmelite #CarmeliteSpirituality #DarkNightOfTheSoul #DoctorOfTheChurch #CatholicSaints #SaintOfTheDay #Catholi

Topics

• Jesus Christ