The Complete Works of Saint John of the Cross, Volume 2 of 2

by John of the Cross

The Complete Works of Saint John of the Cross, Volume 2 of 2 includes the Spiritual Canticles between the Soul and Christ, Letters, and more.

A table of contents is included.

443 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 20, 2012

About the author

St. John of the Cross (Spanish: Juan de la Cruz), born June 24 1542, Juan de Yepes Álvarez, was a major Counter-Reformation figure, a Spanish mystic, Catholic saint, Carmelite friar and priest. He was a reformer of the Carmelite Order and is considered, along with St Teresa of Ávila, as a founder of the Discalced Carmelites. He's also known for his writings. Both his poetry & his studies on the growth of the soul are considered the summit of mystical Spanish literature & a peak of all Spanish literature. He was canonized as a saint in 1726 by Pope Benedict XIII. He is one of the 33 Doctors of the Church. (less)

Reviews

[Chris Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I enter'd in— I knew not where—
And, there remaining, knew no more,
Transcending far all human lore"

This line describes the experience of entering into the mystical theology of St John of the Cross' "Spiritual Canticle." Written as a dialogue between the soul and the spouse to depict an analogy of the relationship between the soul and Christ the Bridegroom, it often resembles the Song of Songs. His writing is an example of the intersection between beautiful poetry and solid theological enquiry. When reading his exposition and commentary upon each stanza of the poem, one cannot help but notice the prevalence of Thomistic language throughout the work. This gives a new understanding to the idea that if you take Dominican, or Thomistic, theology, and pray with it, you end up with Carmelite spirituality. This explains why so many of the greatest mystics have been Dominicans and Carmelites. After the Spiritual Canticle, there are a number of other poems containing no less beauty on various theological topics such as the Incarnation, the Trinity, and more.

"To assuage my pains, I gaze on Thee
Beneath the sacramental veils,
Yet even here my spirit fails
Because Thy face I cannot see.
All brings but greater pain to me,
Who see Thee thus imperfectly
And die because I do not die."

[Mark Schlechty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loft interest part of the way through.

The first book in this volume was incredible. The second one bored me to death . I'm not sure I even finished it completely. I just sort of went through the motions to get to the end . It may very well interest someone else, but for some reason it just didn't hold my attention like volume 1.