Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church

Lectionary: 186


He said in reply, "Elijah will indeed come and restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased. So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands."
Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.


Advent invites us to "Turn away from sin and live by the Gospel." This is the message of John the Baptist and Jesus. Saint John of the Cross, Carmelite and friend of Saint Theresa of Avila, practiced an ascetic penance, resolutely mortifying his body with fasting and midnight vigils.
Centuries later, when we are urged to consult a doctor at least once a year, and all our disciplines are directed toward a longer, more productive and satisfying life, the life style of John -- either the Baptist or the Spaniard -- seems downright bizarre. In those days longevity was considered a blessing, not a birthright; not many saints attained it.

It struck me recently that I would enjoy more freedom if I don't do what I want to do. If being forced to obey a threatening, domineering person is humiliating, isn't doing what I want to do because I want to do it even more embarrassing? People around me might say, "He can't help himself. He has to obey his own ideas, needs, and desires despite the common good."

As we live in the Church we continually ask God to guide us by the Spirit of the Church. Just as an inspired basketball team moves easily up and down the court, passing the ball, searching for open shots, and pressuring their opponents into mistakes, so does an inspired Church move freely in its members. No one needs attention, no one needs to distract, for they are focussed on the prize, who is the Lord. 

Penance teaches me to notice when I'm getting in the way of our common pursuit. As a reliable member of the team, I practice the usual disciplines of good health: adequate rest, hygiene, sobriety, balanced diet, and so forth. I study and stay abreast of current thought. 

I listen for the Spirit like a sailor listening for the wind, as we all do, so that I'll know what we all know, when to act and when not to act, and what do in that moment. 

Saint John the Baptist, alone in the wilderness, paid close attention to the Spirit of God. Despite his solitude people came to him seeking counsel and advice. He had to urge them to repent of their sins; the Spirit gave him no other words. As soon as he saw the distant figure of Jesus approaching, he knew this is the One. Learning of Herod's adultery, the Baptist spoke out; he condemned the ruler for polluting the marriage bed and blaspheming the Sacrament of Matrimony. 

When that led to his arrest, confinement, and execution, he knew he had spoken wisely. The Spirit assured him even in the darkness of Herod's dungeon. 

Is that what he wanted to do? Did his body urge him to live on locust and wild honey, wrapped in animal skins? Did his fears tell him to say nothing about the governor and his corruption? 

John might have done what he wanted to do, and failed to prepare the Way of the Lord. But he lived by the Spirit of God, and so we honor him in the same Spirit many centuries later.