St. John of the Cross tells us, “"He that journeys on the road and makes the ascent to God must needs be habitually careful to quell and mortify the desires.” But all mortification is futile, unless it is mystically joined to the redemption Jesus wrought. The point of contact is love.

It’s fair to say that Saint John of the Cross scares many people. He can seem to be proposing a spirituality that is just too hard for us mortals. The truth is that he is one of those unusual people who, if you know them only superficially, seem formidable and forbidding. But as you enter into a more intimate friendship, you begin to learn they have hearts filled with love. 

In Advent, the feast is coming, but the fast also has a place. They are both meant to be part of a healthy spiritual life, even if they seem like opposites. St. John of the Cross can help us understand this strange juxtaposition between longing and fulfillment.

The world tells us that the key to happiness is to figure out what you want, and go get it, letting no one stand in your way. Jesus very obviously wants to point us in the opposite direction, away from ourselves.

The writings of St. John of the Cross are filled with Joy. We are made for it, and it will be ours, God willing. But that is at the end of the story. We’re not there yet. We must first travel the way of sorrow.