What happened to Saint John of the Cross?

Saint John of the Cross, Juan de Yepes Álvarez, was born in a small village in Avila, Fontiveros, in 1542. He was a Spanish religious of the 16th century, belonging to the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
If we take a closer look at his mysticism, his poetry, as well as the interpretation and characterisation of his work and his psychology, we can get to know the main themes of St. John of the Cross. Would you like to know more about his life and his work? We tell you all about it below.

The life of Saint John of the Cross

Juan de Yepes was the second of his brothers. After the death of his father and a few years after the death of his younger brother, the family's financial situation worsened to the point of extreme poverty. His mother Catalina tried to find support among her late husband's relatives, but after their refusal, they settled in Medina del Campo. They had previously spent four years in Arévalo.

During these years, Juan suffered from severe malnutrition, which explains his small stature and physical fragility.

Later, at the age of 21, he entered the Carmelites of Medina because of his religious vocation, under the name of Fray Juan de Santo Matía. This decision led him to reject other options that would probably be more economically and socially beneficial.

In 1564, as a friar, he attended the University of Salamanca, taking the three courses required for the degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts. There, in Salamanca, he met Saint Teresa of Jesus, with whom he agreed to found two new Carmelite orders.

He later moved to Mancera, where he taught in a novitiate school. He also founded the college of Alcalá de Henares and became the confessor of the monastery of Saint Teresa. During this time, two reforming directives emerged. On the one hand, the reform of King Philip II and the reform advocated by the Popes.

In 1577 he was imprisoned for more than eight months in a convent in Toledo, where he was declared a rebel and contumacious. At the end of these months, he planned his escape, which he successfully accomplished by stealth in the middle of the night.

He decided to spend the rest of his life in Andalusia, but unfortunately, in 1591 he was deposed from all his religious offices. This led him to consider emigrating to America, but due to his untimely death this was not possible.

No portrait was known during the course of his life, but great personalities such as Father Eliseo de los Mártires or Saint Teresa were able to give a detailed description of his person.

His work

The verses we know today were published after his death. Regardless of the fact that they are scarce, he is considered one of the Spanish poets of his time and the greatest exponent of mystical poetry.

Three of his major poetic works are Noche Oscura (Dark Night), Llama de amor viva (Flame of Living Love) and Cántico Espiritual (Spiritual Canticle). Similarly, the first two of his works are collected in the volume Obras Espirituales, which leads a soul to perfect union with God, together with Subida al monte Carmelo (Ascent to Mount Carmel).

By means of metaphors and incomprehensible images, he expresses his mystical states through poetry. He also seeks the reconciliation of men with God. He adds prose commentaries to facilitate understanding. For this reason, he has been considered one of the main theorists of mysticism.

His writings have been characterised by their linguistic richness and the variety of his lexicon.

On the other hand, he also has a pictorial legacy in the form of a small drawing, which is believed to have been made during his stay in Avila. It shows an oblique perspective, breaking with the canons of aesthetics and altering the proportions of the figure of Jesus. It represents the image of Christ dead on the cross, at the moment of giving up his spirit.

If you want to consult all his works, click on the following link.

As we can see, the life of Saint John of the Cross is framed by poverty. If you want to know more about his life through the most emblematic places of Granada, take our private tour.

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