This Week in Christian History: Augsburg Confession, First Crusade, John of the Cross

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, June 24, 2018

John of the Cross Born - June 24, 1542

Saint John of the Cross, Spanish Catholic author and mystic. (1542-1591) | (Photo: Wikipedia)

This week marks the anniversary of the birth of influential Spanish Catholic mystic and saint, John of the Cross, author of the famous "Dark Night of the Soul."

A native of Fontiveros, Spain, John became a Carmelite monk in 1563 and later an ordained priest in 1567. He was made a saint by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726.

His most enduring work is a poem titled "Dark Night of the Soul," which was defined as a sense of perceived spiritual abandonment that ultimately leads to unity with God.

"The dark night that St John describes is not abandonment by God but special consideration from Him for those who desire to purify and perfect their souls," explained one book analyzing the poem.

"By accepting the desolation and difficulty of this process, the soul cooperates with God and opens itself to receiving and revealing more perfectly God's glory."