The Diocese of Phoenix recently celebrated the feast day of St. John of the Cross, who was a Doctor of the Church who lived during the 16th century in Spain and was known for his mystical spirituality. 

His feast day is Dec. 14.

“Today, we celebrate a great mystical doctor of the Church, St. John of the Cross. Ora pro nobis!” the Diocese of Phoenix posted on Facebook. 

According to the Crossroads Initiative website, “The title ‘Doctor of the Church,’ unlike the popular title ‘Father of the Church,’ is an official designation that is bestowed by the Pope in recognition of the outstanding contribution a person has made to the understanding and interpretation of the sacred Scriptures and the development of Christian doctrine.”

There are only 36 Doctors of the Church in the Catholic tradition, making it a significant distinction for an individual to have received. 

According to Britannica, “St. John of the Cross lived in 16th century Spain. He is considered one of the greatest Christian mystics and Spanish poets. After working with St. Teresa of Avila and studying St. Thomas Aquinas, John was able to write out his steps to achieving mystical ascent, which is described as distancing the self from the distractions of the world in order to achieve a sublime meeting of the soul and God. He described this union in his poems such as ‘The Spiritual Canticle’ and ‘The Living Flame of Love.’”

Among some of his most famous quotes is: “Never give up prayer, and should you find dryness and difficulty, persevere in it for this very reason. God often desires to see what love your soul has, and love is not tried by ease and satisfaction.”

Another favorite is “In the inner stillness where meditation leads, the Spirit secretly anoints the soul and heals our deepest wounds.”