Memorial of Saint John of the Cross
Today, we keep the memorial of the great contemplative, John of the Cross. John had a heart for reforming. Upon meeting Teresa of Avila, John convinced him to remain within his religious order and become true to its original rule. Many people we drawn into this re-invigorated approach to the faith. However, these reforms were not welcomed by all. He was eventually thrown into prison by his own order. Ironically in the darkness of his prison cell, John saw the light. In the midst of his sufferings, he received visions that helped, in a mystical way, understand the cross of Christ. From prison, John found himself connecting his suffering to the cross of Christ. Paradoxically, the experience led him to understand more fully the resurrection.
Understanding paradox is not easily done. A verse in the first reading illustrates the difficulty. “I make well-being and I make woe. (Isaiah 45:7b) This verse seems to negate a theological understanding that God is good and does not seek to inflict harm. Instead of God being the cause of harm, we can consent to another position that has God allowing harmful events to occur with being the cause of them. This middle perspective allows seemingly opposite realities like light and darkness, well being and woe to peacefully coexist. Thus as the author of life made all of creation and gave dominion of it over to humanity, God expects us to be stewards not destroyers of creation.
Isaiah makes clear that part of our reverence for creation is a reverence for the creator. Still it difficult to reverence what one does not understand. The idea of God as creator of “woes” can be downright perplexing. The answer may lie in the words that are found a few verses later. “There is no just and saving God but me.” (Isaiah 45:21c) The best sense I find is that the designer of the universe created its order to allow for difficult realities to fall on the good and the bad. All this so we understand the deeper action of a God who ultimately wants nothing but the best for us.
What’s best for us may seem unclear, especially when we are in the midst of our prison cell. It may really drive us to question the Lord. Are you really the guy in charge of this mess or should we look for another? Certainly, John of the Cross had those moments, and so do most all of us. So what do we do when that question comes to our lips? What do we ask the Lord in those moments? And how does the Lord answer? Often God’s response is not in words it comes in the form of actions. All around us the blind are gaining their sight, the lame their ability to walk, the deaf the ability to hear, the dead are being raised and the good news is being proclaimed. Are we truly aware of the Lord’s actions in our midst?
"Lord, we thank you for all the ways you show us your abundant love. Help us during this advent season be aware of the movement of your Spirit so that the eyes of our hearts see that you alone are our just and saving God. Amen."
-Michael Montgomery