Praying with St. John of the Cross
One dark night, fired with love's urgent longings - ah, the sheer grace! - I went out unseen, my house being now all stilled
Several years ago, during a brief stay in Lisbon while exploring the town at night, I climbed up a hilltop castle and had it almost to myself. Just how I like it. Walking through narrow passageways and peeking out over ramparts, I came across an opening to this courtyard that radiated stillness. My heart instantly leapt to my favorite passage from St. John of the Cross. It was the perfect backdrop to imagine John breaking free from his captivity and running out to rendezvous with his Beloved.
One dark night,
fired with love's urgent longings
- ah, the sheer grace! -
I went out unseen,
my house being now all stilled.On that glad night
in secret, for no one saw me,
nor did I look at anything
with no other light or guide
than the One that burned in my heart.~from the poem by St. John of the Cross, The Dark Night of the Soul
He communicates so well the soul's longing to fly unseen into the heart of the Beloved. To steal away into the night and wait for Him; this is the picture of Advent for me.
It’s the perfect image of pregnant anticipation with both solitude and intimacy in perfect harmony. I just wanted to stay in that courtyard and feel myself fleeing the traps of the world about to meet Christ over the wall in that blinding light reflected on the tower. It was an embodiment of hope that I could really sense in my heart.
Take some time to place yourself in that courtyard in the image above. Can you identify something that you might be fleeing from or are ready to leave behind and run into the arms of Christ?
Another powerful moment of beauty and inspiration for me during that same trip was on a stop in Avila, Spain. I came across a 16th century drawing of Christ Crucified by St. John of the Cross, himself! This unique image came to him during a mystical vision that he subsequently documented in this small, but remarkable work of art. ​
I had only ever seen it reproduced on prayer cards and book covers, and always felt it has an epic quality about it. But it was surprisingly so very much smaller than I imagined, barely a few inches at it widest! Yet is still packed a punch.
Despite its small size and obscure location, it later influenced Salvador Dali in 1951 to paint "Christ of Saint John of the Cross", a now iconic image and much larger than its inspiration!
St. John's drawing is preserved in a reliquary stand (with a fragment of his bone visible underneath) and sits in a glass cabinet filled with other objects and relics from St. Teresa of Avila during his time as confessor at that monastery in Spain.
The image is of the moment when Christ breathed His last, and the vantage point is from above, as if God the Father is looking down on the sacrifice of His Son.
The feast of St. John of the Cross falling during December, together with this image, now will forever be associated with Advent for me, because it connects us to the promise of redemption that we see displayed everywhere in nativity scenes, foreshadowing the very moment of Christ’s saving victory.
During the Saint Andrew Christmas Novena prayer, I have been imagining God the Father looking down on the Nativity scene to witness His Son's birth, and knowing full well, the heavy price He will pay to redeem us. What a selfless gift God has given us! He is willing to sacrifice His Son, just for the possibility we might accept being returned to the Father. What love!
And yet how many still won’t accept this gift.
For today, we too can have in the back of our mind, both images of Bethlehem and Calvary as seen from above. From God the Father's perspective, we can meditate on the whole arc of salvation, from the Nativity to our Redemption, in a single moment.
​Let us choose to console the Father and place ourselves squarely in that moment of accepting the gift of redemption as it's being given.
Thank you, St. John, for recording this vision of the Father's love for us.
St. John of the Cross, pray for us.
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment…
​Self-Reflection
Looking at the courtyard image, can you relate to St. John in feeling trapped in a space you long to escape from? What are the places or activities you try escape to and are they anything other than running to the open arms of Christ? Looking at the drawing of Christ on the cross, can you try to sense the heart of the Father as He offers His Son for you? What is your response?
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All content and images are © Renata Grzan Wieczorek 2024. Review permissions.