Saint John of the Cross

Recently a group of Secular Carmelites from Davao City made a pilgrimage to the significant places in Spain where the Carmelite Spirituality had been enriched by the reforms of St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross. It was a self-managed pilgrimage, meaning, that there were no tour guides, no pre-packaged itinerary and hotel bookings and no local contacts to host them. They relied wholly on the guidance and promptings of the Holy Spirit to lead them to the holy places where the relics and the memorabilia of these two great Carmelite Saints can be personally experienced. One of the places that they visited is Segovia. Segovia is a popular tourist destination because of its natural beauty and ancient character. One of its famous landmark is the Roman aqueduct that still stands in the center of the city.

The Carmelite pilgrims who visited Segovia did not even know that there is an ancient roman aqueduct in Segovia. They just happened to discover it as they were roaming around the city to search for a Carmelite convent. It is that convent that they came to Segovia for to visit because it is in that convent that the reliquary of the incorrupt body of St. John of the Cross can be found. The search was made difficult because of the little Spanish words that the pilgrims speak and also because not many residents of Segovia know where the convent is.

As always, throughout the pilgrimage, when the pilgrims were in the brink of despair the Holy Spirit would send a human angel to help them find their destination. She is an elderly woman who knows some English. They asked her what bus to take to go to the Carmelite convent. Instead she suggested that they walk because it is “beautiful to walk” and it would only take 20 minutes of walking according to her. The walk was indeed beautiful but it took them almost an hour to reach their destination. Visiting the convent and being physically present in the sacred space where St. John of the Cross dwelt and spent a part of his life was an experience that was beyond the ordinary reality. Profoundly moved, interiorly and exteriorly, was all that the pilgrims could say about their visit to the convent of St. John of the Cross in Segovia.

It was in Segovia that St. John of the Cross, perhaps reached the highest stage of his spiritual life. It was in Segovia where he had many of his mystical experiences. And he loved being in Segovia where he could also tend the garden and the orchard. As one of the pilgrims who went to Segovia, I made a resolution in front of the altar where the reliquary of St. John of the Cross is placed to help make him known to more Christians in the Philippines.

The Solemnity of St. John of the Cross is celebrated every 14th of December. It is therefore on the occasion of his Feast day that I begin the series of articles about John of the Cross and his Spirituality so that others will know him more and learn from his spiritual teachings. (Cesar R. Ledesma, OCDS)