Memorial of Saint John the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Gospel of Matthew 17:9a, 10-13
"Elijah will indeed come and restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased. So will the Son of Man suffer at their hands." Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of a John the Baptist."
Blind Folds & Ear Plugs It often amazes me how often we wear blind folds and ear plugs. We don't want to see what's in front of us or hear what is behind us, especially if it's contrary to our belief system. We are ignorant of people and our surroundings. We are so wrapped up in our own individual needs and wants that we fail to recognize the presence and plight of others.
In today's gospel reading, Jesus tells the disciples that Elijah has already arrived; however, the scribes never recognized this even after John's death. Is it that the scribes didn't know or they simply chose to wear blind folds and ear plugs? The disciples clearly understood Jesus' words. Just as John the Baptist suffered death at the hands of man, so too will Christ.
Spiritual Darkness I absolute love the writings of the mystics. Today is the feast day of Saint John the Cross, one of the 35 Doctors of the church. When imprisoned and tortured during the Carmelite Order's reform opposition, Saint John went into a period of deep interior darkness. He wrote poems that highlighted his turmoil. In "The Spiritual Canticle" he beautifully penned:
Why, since you wounded
This heart, don't You heal it?
And why, since You stole it from me,
Do you leave it so,
And fail to carry off what You have stolen?
Extinguish these miseries, Since no one else can stamp them out;
And may my eyes behold You,
Because You are their light,
And I would open them to You alone.
I think we can relate to Saint John the Cross when we experience darkness in our own lives. I know people who've lost a child or a parent. They are angry at God for taking away their loved ones way too soon. Also, there are people suffering from prolonged and painful illness. The suffering makes them bitter and resentful. They simply do not understand why God cannot heal them from misery.
Some people enduring extreme suffering may feel as if God is stabbing a sword through their chests. How could this be? God loves and cares for us. Why give us heavy, bloated, burdensome, and torturing crosses to bear on a daily basis?
Spiritual darkness affects all of the faithful at one time or another. At times in my own life, I've turned away from God. Mostly it's been out of guilt and shame for sins I've committed. I'm definitely no Saint! This is why I turn so often to the Doctors of the Church for their profound wisdom and intellect. Their writings are still so applicable to contemporary modern-day life.
Saint John the Cross writes in another spiritual canticle:
We must then dig deeply in Christ. He is like a rich mine with many pockets containing treasures; however deep we dig we will never find their end or their limit. Indeed, in every pocket new seams of fresh riches are discovered on all sides.....The soul cannot enter into these treasures, nor attain them, unless it first crosses into and enters the thicket of suffering, enduring interior and exterior labors.....
In order to grow closer to God, I must endure suffering and hardship. It's part of the deal! Sometimes I'm required to enter periods of darkness as if abandoned in an old gold mine. I am unable to see in front of me. I stumble on rocks. I fall into mine shafts. I become claustrophobic from the lack of oxygen and the confined space. All of the sudden I see an exit out of the dark mine. My perseverance has paid off. The blinding light of Christ welcomes me back into his loving arms. He never totally abandoned me in an old mine shaft. God placed me there for one reason: So I'd remember to always trust in him and his infinite mercy!
Spiritual darkness may weigh us down, but we can turn to the Cross for the nourishing light needed to lift away our sorrows, burdens, and anxieties.
-J.
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