In the evening of life, we will be judged on love alone.”
Saint John of the Cross
Saint John of the Cross was born on June 24, 1542 at Fontiveros, Old Castile and died on December 14, 1591 in Úbeda, a city in the province of Jaén, Andalusia. He was a Spanish Catholic priest, mystic, and a Carmelite friar. He is a major figure of the Counter-Reformation in Spain, and he is one of the thirty-seven Doctors of the Church.
John of the Cross is known for his writings. He was mentored by and corresponded extensively with Saint Teresa of Ávila. Both his poetry and his studies on the journey of the soul toward union with God are considered the summit of mystical Spanish literature and among the greatest works of all Spanish literature. He was canonized by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726. In 1926, he was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XI, and is commonly known as the “Mystical Doctor”.
