On Western Christian calendars, St. John of the Cross, O.C.D., is honored today. This Spanish friar and priest lived from 1542 till 1591. He was a significant figure in the Counter-Reformation, including his reforming work for the Carmelite Order. He and St. Teresa of Avila founded the Discalced Carmelites mendicant order. Suffering privation during his life and also imprisonment, he therein found the love of God which he expressed in hundreds of poems, some of which are classics of Spanish literature. The phrase "dark night of the soul" originates from the poem of that title, which traces the soul's journey to God. His other works include Ascent of Mount Carmel, and A Spiritual Canticle of the Soul. He is considered one of the "doctors of the church," those who contributed significantly to the church and its theology. Salvador Dali's painting Christ of Saint John of the Cross is based on a drawing by St. John.
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=65
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