Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, priest
(Isaiah 48: 17-19; Matthew 11:
16-19)
St. John of the Cross lived in
the turbulent sixteenth century. The Protestant
Reformation split the Western Church in half. The decadence of the Renaissance popes was
being corrected by the reforms of the Council of Trent. Reformers of major religious orders were calling
their numbers back to their original ideals.
John of the Cross played such a role in the Carmelites of Spain.
John believed that the Carmelites
had long abandoned the semi-eremitical life of their foundation in the twelfth
century. Along with others he founded a monastery
of friars who would live a solitary life of contemplation and praise to God. In this endeavor he pairs well with John the
Baptist whom Jesus extols in today’s gospel.
Of course, John of the Cross also composed theological treatises
exploring the mystical life.
Jesus presents John as the yang
to his yin. John called for reform so
that people could escape the wrath of God who was sending his Messiah to judge
them. Jesus, the actual Messiah, urges
reform so that the people could experience the tender love of God. This message does not oppose John’s complimented
it. The people, as today’s reading
testifies, found excuses to sidestep both figures.
Our society finds itself in the
position of those people. We can hear
voices urging reform both to avoid the turmoil of civil unrest and to experience
the solace of social harmony. We await
the return of Christ who will bring justice to the earth.
