Saturday 14 December 2024
St John of the Cross
Ecclesiasticus 48:1-4, 9-11. Lord, make us turn to you, let us see your face and we shall be saved – Psalm 79(80):2-3, 15-16, 18-19. Matthew 17:10-13.
Lord, make us turn to you
The psalm we read today is a prayer in which the people of Israel ask God to deliver them from their enemies. Like them we also feel pressure from those who would like to break down the structures that bind us together as the people of God. It is natural that we should turn to God at a time like this and pray, ‘Restore us, O God, let your face shine upon us’.
St John of the Cross, whose feast day is today, was a Catholic priest, mystic and Carmelite friar in 16th century Spain. He is known for his poetry and studies in mystical Spanish literature. Correspondent with and protégé of St Teresa of Ávila, he founded a new monastery for Carmelite friars and the first to follow Teresa’s principles of reformation. Two of his works, the Spiritual Canticle and the Dark Night of the Soul, are considered masterpieces of Spanish poetry.
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