In order to expound and describe this dark night, through which the soul passes in order to attain to the Divine light of the perfect union of the love of God, as far as is possible in this life, it would be necessary to have illumination of knowledge and experience other and far greater than mine; for this darkness and these trials, both spiritual and temporal, through which happy souls are wont to pass in order to be able to attain to this high estate of perfection, are so numerous and so profound that neither does human knowledge suffice for the understanding of them, nor experience for the description of them; for only he that passes this way can understand it, and even he cannot describe it

                                                                                                       ~~~~~ Prologue of Ascent to Mount Carmel, Saint John of the Cross   ~~~~~

 

Canonized by Pope Benedict XIII on December 27, 1726

Declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XI in 1926

 

St. John of the Cross, priest & doctor

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊  

Isaiah 41:13-20

For I, Yahweh,

Your God, take hold of your right hand and say to you: "Fear not, I am your assistance." Fear not, Jacob, poor worm, and you, people of Israel, so frail. I am your redeemer, says Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, your helper. I will make you a thresher, new and with sharp double teeth: you will thresh hills and mountains, crushing them and reducing them to chaff. You will winnow them, the wind will carry them off and the storm will scatter them. But you will rejoice in Yahweh and glory in the Holy One of Israel.

 

The poor and the afflicted seek water, and find none. Their tongues are parched with thirst. But I, Yahweh, will hear them; 1, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open up streams over the barren heights and let the rivers flow through all the valleys: I will turn the desert into lakes and brooks and the thirsty earth into a land of springs.

 

I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle and the olive; I will plant in the wasteland fir, cypress and pine-that all may see and know, consider and understand, that the hand of Yahweh has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.

 

Ps 145:1 & 9, 10-11, 12-13ab

The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊      

Matthew 11:11-15

I tell you this: no one greater than John the Baptist has arisen from among the sons of women; and yet, the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven is something to be conquered; and violent men seize it. Up to the time of John, there was only prophecy: all the prophets and the law. And if you believe me, John is indeed that Elijah, whose coming was predicted. Let anyone with ears listen!

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"We are called to live lives of charity and service." 

When I was young, I desperately wanted to grow up.Looking at the adults around me, I thought that they had everything in life. They could decide how to spend their money, what to eat for dinner, and even what time to go to bed. (That's a big deal when you are a child.) Of course, when I became an adult, I realized that it wasn't quite the paradise I thought it would be. Adulthood certainly comes with many privileges, but it comes with even greater burdens and responsibilities. From today's vantage point, the carefree days of childhood look better and better.

 

Today's first reading reminds us that we do not bear these burdens and responsibilities on our own. We can rely on God to meet our needs and those of the world. This does not mean that we can sit back, doing nothing while God handles everything, for we are his hands in the world and are called to live lives of charity and service. But we will always be supported by God's grace and by the efforts of our brothers and sisters in Christ.