St John of the Cross

"It comes to the same thing whether a bird be held by a slender cord or by a stout one; since, even if it be slender, the bird will be as well held as though it were stout. . . . And thus the soul that has attachment to anything, however much virtue it possess, will not attain to the liberty of divine union" The Ascent of Mt. Carmel

The importance of the life and writings of St John of Cross is increasing in recent years.  A man totally dedicated to the Cross, John understood how difficult it was for his contemporaries to let go of the things that comforted them, and he was clear that we will never attain authentic freedom unless we hand ourselves over completely to God. In a paradoxical way, his own journey, especially the imprisonment he suffered at the hands of his fellow Carmelites, make it possible for him to detach from everything.  For months he sat in a tiny cell in a Carmelite monastery, but rather than despair and pine for his lost freedom, he wrote poetry about God's unconditional love, some of which is considered today to be among the finest writing in the Spanish language.

For those of us living the the 21st century, so cluttered with information and technology, the question of letting go of everything is even more pressing.  Can we live without our computers, cell phones, and Ipads? Can we give the keys to our cars away? Can we learn to eat to live rather than live to eat? The questions just keep coming and they are like the legion of evil spirits that took possession of the Gerasene in Luke's gospel.  (Lk 8 26-38) While we might not have to be tied with chains to keep us from hurting ourselves or others, most of us, as St John of the Cross suggests, are like the bird "held by slender cord," and unable to fly.  We are so bound by obligations, work, and even family, trying to save the world all by ourselves, that we are not free to give ourselves to God in total trust and ask for God's direction. God wants to set us free from obsession and self absorption. We have only to give God permission.

Today, pray to be free of one chain that binds you so tightly you cannot fly.