John of the Cross

St Bonaventure (c.1217–74), for instance, governor-general of the order from 1257 to 1274, was a university man and speculative theologian of enormous erudition who succeeded grandly in combining the mystical elations of Franciscan piety with the rational disciplines of academic philosophy.

“Of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist”

To place Jesus against the background of his time is by no means sufficient to explain him. Who can explain a spiritual genius—or any kind of genius, for that matter?

This is the root meaning of the Spanish word oscura, translated as “dark,” as in noche oscura, “dark night.” As in the dark of a real night, Teresa could not see clearly.

To participate in the active nights, John says it is best to take up one’s cross and to imitate Christ to the best of one’s ability. This involves not only following Jesus’ external behavior, but also his inner attitude of self-emptying and willingness. With Christ as the model, John emphasizes that liberation comes neither through understanding, n