Saint John of the Cross

<p>John was born in 1542 at Fontiveros, Spain. He entered the Carmelite community and was ordained in 1567. With the great Carmelite mystic, Teresa of Avila, he worked for the reformation of his order, and helped found the reformed ('Discalced') Carmelites. During his life, he suffered much, enduring imprisonment, humiliation and ill-treatment. His writings are both classics of spirituality and of Spanish literature. His best-known works are <em>The Ascent of Mount Carmel, The Dark Night of the Soul, </em>and <em>The Living Flame of Love.</em> He died in 1591, was canonized in 1726 and proclaimed Doctor of the Church in 1926.©2011 <em>Living with Christ, </em>Novalis - Bayard Press Canada Inc., <strong>http://www.livingwithchrist.ca/</strong&gt;. Reprinted with permission.</p>