John was born in Avila, Spain in 1542 to a poor family. After his father and older brother died when he was very young, he was sent to a religious boarding school for poor and orphaned children. He quickly discerned a call to religious life, joined the Carmelites, and was ordained a priest. Amid a conflict in the Carmelite order over reforms, John was kidnapped by fellow Carmelites, lashed once a week, and imprisoned in a tiny cell where he wrote almost 2,500 poems on scraps of paper. After nine months he escaped, then went on to establish new Carmelite houses across Spain. His writings earned him the title Doctor of the Church.
CHALLENGE
Many people on their path to growing closer to God feel a sense of spiritual emptiness. On this topic, St. John of the Cross wrote the short but important book The Dark Night of the Soul. Today, your challenge buy or borrow a copy of Dark Night of the Soul and commit to reading it by the end of the year. If you’ve already read it, read it again.
A print copy of The Saint Challenge is a great Christmas gift for a family member or friend. Buy your copy today to ensure delivery by Christmas!
