John of the Cross

Although Catholics celebrate the Third Sunday of Advent today, December 14 is usually the feast of St. John of the Cross. So the Carmelite community around the world kept his memory yesterday. Readers of this blog know that John played a big part in my life as a Discalced Carmelite friar and continued to do so after I left the community. Many of the articles I published over the years were about John, his life and his doctrine. The first book I published, The Dark Night Murders, is a novel based on an event in John's life.

In late fall of last year, I was involved in discussions about translating a recent comprehensive Spanish biography of the saint. Although I was very enthusiastic about the project, it fell through for a variety of reasons. I hope that the book will be translated eventually, even though I will not be a part of it. His life and message still have much to offer to people today.