Saturday – 2nd Week of Advent C – Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church

Saint John of the Cross was born on June 24, 1542, in Fontiveros, Spain. He was a contemporary of Saint Teresa of Ávila and a key figure in the Counter-Reformation. Together, they worked to reform the Carmelite order, emphasizing a return to a life of prayer, simplicity, and genuine communion with God. What a wonderful reflection that can be for all of us: is my communion and relationship with God genuine? What can be insincere in my communication with God?
Saint John entered the Carmelite order in 1563 and became a priest in 1567. He faced great adversity during his life, including imprisonment and persecution due to his reform efforts. Yet, it was through suffering and trials that John discovered deep spiritual insights that he penned in his writings, most notably "The Ascent of Mount Carmel" and "The Dark Night of the Soul."
As we reflect on today’s readings, we see a clear connection between the fiery prophets of the Old Testament and the contemplative life that Saint John of the Cross embodies. In the first reading from Sirach, for example, we hear about Elijah, a prophet whose fervor and zeal for God’s word were like a flaming furnace—transforming, enlightening, and purging. Elijah’s mission was to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and restore the tribes of Jacob.
Saint John of the Cross took these prophetic words to heart in his own life. He faced trials and darkness, symbolizing the ‘dark night’ that comes before the illumination of the soul.
For John, understanding and embracing this darkness was essential to recognizing the light of God. Just as Elijah anticipated the Messiah’s coming, John of the Cross teaches us how to prepare our hearts during this Advent season. He beckons us beyond surface-level observance into a transformative relationship with Christ - again, to make our love for him genuine, but Saint John also knew that this is a lifelong process and labour of love in and of itself. When we desire to grow in our love for God and others, that, in and of itself, is a labour of love which the Lord in turn blesses with amazing graces.

Through the Responsorial Psalm we plead, “Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.” This longing for God reflects a central theme in both John’s work and our Advent reflection. Advent, after all, is not merely about the anticipation of the memorial of Christ’s birth but about conversion—turning away from our distractions, sins, and self-sufficiencies. Saint John’s example guides us in this way through his emphasis on prayer and contemplative solitude, inviting us to seek God’s face deeply and earnestly.
In today’s Gospel, we learn about the mysterious presence of Elijah in the person of John the Baptist. Jesus reveals that John the Baptist, through his ministry, is the fulfillment of Elijah’s prophecy—it is he who has come to prepare the way of the Lord. John the Baptist embodies the very zeal and passion we see in Elijah. He calls us not only to prepare for Christ’s coming but to do so with the intensity that characterized these prophets.
As we enter deeper into Advent, let us take a cue from Saint John of the Cross. He teaches us that the path to God often runs through the cross, suffering, and surrender to Divine Love. This may involve embracing our own "dark nights" during which we may feel God’s absence or silence. Yet, just as John found profound union with God amidst trials, we are reminded that every moment of struggle carries the seeds of grace, leading us towards the abiding presence of God, always with us in the profoundest of ways.
As we celebrate Saint John of the Cross today, let us ask for his intercession. Now that he in heaven he struggles no longer got perfection, for God sent him many graces to sanctify him along his journey. He does the same with us. Saint John responded generously to those graces and may he, our Blessed Mother, and all the angels and saints, help us to do the same. Amen.