The following article on the Precautions of Saint John of the Cross is based on notes from the second presentation given at the Bay Area Regional Day of Recollection, 20 April 2024, by Father Joseph Mary, OCD. (House of Prayer, Napa, CA)
When you have an important goal to accomplish, you prepare yourself for the difficulties you are likely to encounter along the way. You check out your enemies and possible obstacles. Our life journey is no exception. We have three primary enemies in life: the world, the flesh, and the devil. We are in a battle to win eternal life. During this time of spiritual warfare, we must fight against our spiritual enemies. In order to engage with each of these three enemies, we would do well to listen to the “Precautions” of St. John of the Cross. He lists three precautions for each of these three enemies.
The World isn’t inherently bad. God created it to be good. In fact, at the end of each day of creation, we are told that “God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:1-31).
We, too, were created to be not only good, but very good. “God looked at everything he had made, and found it very good” (Genesis 1:1-31). Because of sin, the world fell from that state of goodness and so we need to heed these three precautions from St. John when we are interacting with the world.
Don’t give anyone the affection you owe to God. Detach from everyone so that you can love God. This may sound extreme and severe but you are not meant to despise others, only to love them equally. Love people and be kind but you must maintain boundaries. Don’t be attached to them. Desire that they become saints. Love others as you love yourself. Love all equally and do not prefer anyone. Only God deserves your attachment. Speak the truth and live the vocation you have been given. Sometimes we are too attached to others. Attraction is normal, but attachment is a problem. When we are attached to someone or something, we lose our freedom. Love equally.
Don't misunderstand this first precaution. We are definitely called to love others, but we can only love them because we love God first. Don’t use people or keep them close because of what they can do for you. Cultivate your relationship with God first. Then you can allow his love to flow through you. Everything you do is for God. Jesus said “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37)
Love is never about taking in. It’s about pouring out.
Abhor all manner of possessions and don’t depend on temporal goods. Maintain a balance. Material goods are for us to use and not to become attached to. You should be in control of them and not let them control you. Detach from things. Restrain your excessive desires. Occupy yourself with higher things, with the kingdom of God. Material things can easily become idols if we get attached to them. Use things well and properly. Attachments can make you selfish. Give up worldly goods to obtain what God has prepared for you in the next life. All the goods God gives us are not for us to keep. They are for us to distribute. Love is never about taking in. It’s about pouring out. Be attached to God! “If you do this you will attain to silence, and have peace in your senses” (St. John of the Cross)
This third precaution is most important for maintaining your peace of mind and harmony in your interactions with others. You can never know what is in the heart of another person or why they do what they do. St. John advises us that "even if you were living among devils, you should so live as not to turn back in thought to consider what they are doing, but forget them utterly. You are to keep your soul wholly to God, and not to suffer the thought of this or that to disturb you."
Unfortunately, Fr. Joseph Mary was only able to cover the three precautions involving our first enemy, the world. But St. John of the Cross wrote more on this topic and provided three precautions for the flesh and three for the devil. If you want to delve into all St. John’s precautions about our battle against the world the flesh, and the devil, read them here:
