Lives of the Saints                      

            St. John of the Cross

                   A Radio Script By Dennis Alberts

Created by Dennis Alberts. All rights reserved.  Copyright© 2004
Contact: Dennis Alberts
dalberts@kconline.com
974 South 250 East
Warsaw, IN  46580
574-269-2976 

 MUSIC:         UP     ESTABLISH     THEN   UNDER  

 NARR:           St. John of the Cross is one of those special saints in the history of the Church whose spiritual journey brought him to a unique and living union with God.   

  Along this journey, as he distanced himself from material attachments and worldly possessions, he developed a deep spiritual awareness that led him to become one of the great mystics and spiritual writers of the Church which theologians today compare to St. Thomas Aquinas and Augustine. 

 The story you are about to hear is true and tells of the unique relationship between God and one man who responded to the message of the Gospels.

 MUSIC:   UNDER AND OUT    SILENCE  THEN  DIFFERENT  MUSIC   UP AND UNDER OUT

NARR:   In the mid sixteenth century, Europe was in the midst of turmoil.  The Holy Roman Empire had broken apart and the protestant revolt was building.  A counter Reformation was underway to prevent further fragmentation of the Church.  

 While much of Europe was in disarray, Spain was at the height of its golden age and  remained a dominant influence around the world.

 John’s father, Don Gonzaldo  de Yepes, was a member of the effluent  Toledo family whose business was silk. But the prosperity he enjoyed would soon come to an end.  Don Gonzaldo de Yepes,  met  the lovely but desperately poor Catalina Alvarez, a young lady with deep religious faith and striking beauty.  This meeting would alter his life and set the stage for the unfolding of an amazing divine plan. Don Gonzaldo desired her hand in marriage.  But the marriage was unapproved by the family due to the difference in class background of his bride.  As a result,  Don Gonzaldo was cast out and disinherited from the family fortune.  

 True to the predictions of his uncle, Don Gonzalo and Catalina were forced to live in abject poverty.  Don Gonzalo had to learn the skill of weaving from his wife to support his family. He accepted his circumstance as the will of God, and never regretted his decision to marry Catalina.  They shared their love and trusted totally in the divine providence of God.  It was into this is climate that John of the Cross was born on June 24^th in the year 1542.  God blessed Don Gonzalo and Catalina with three sons.  One of those sons, John de Yepes, would one day be known throughout the world as “St. John of the Cross.” 

 Desperate times would grow worse when, at the age of three, John’s father died.   After this, John’s mother appealed her husband’s family for financial help, but they refused.  She then moved her children to several towns to secure employment and there worked as a weaver of cloth.

 During his childhood, it was evident that John was protected by the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Twice as a child, she intervened to rescue him from drowning.   Later in life, St. John would credit his early devotion to the Mother of the Redeemer for her special intervention.  

 The family finally settled in Medino del Campo, where John was enrolled in the Colegio de la Doctrina, an institution for orphans and children of the poor, where he  attempted several apprenticeships but without much success.

 MUSIC:      MUSIC DOWN AND OUT

 PRIEST:   “John, tomorrow you will be transferred from the Brother who is in charge of carpentry.  I don’t  think it is for you.” 

 ST. JOHN:  “Yes, Father.  I’m sorry.  I truly try the very best that I can.  I failed at tailoring and carpentry as well as carving.   I am not certain what trade I am to do, but I will try.”

 PRIEST:  “That’s all anyone can ask John.  That is all God expects.  Soon you’ll find a position that matches your skills.  I’ve spoken with the Mother Superior of the Augustinian convent  in Magdalena.  They’re in need of a sacristan.  You  would do various functions such as serving at the Altar, running errands and even begging alms.  Do you feel this is something you could do?  I don’t  think  you had your heart in your past apprenticeships.  Would your heart find a place for work in the Church?”

 ST. JOHN:   “Father, I would welcome this more than anything.   But, could one as poor as I possibly think of  becoming a Priest or Brother?”

 PRIEST:  “John, if you continue making good progress with your studies, and if it is God’s will, there should be no reason for one with your intelligence and gift of the written language, not to serve as a Priest or Brother.  Often times, a sponsor can be found to assist with the finances. This is a long road, and should it not be for you, there are other functions, such as sacristan, that you could perform as a layman.”

 ST. JOHN:   “I’m thankful for this opportunity Father and I’m sure I’ll do well in some capacity for the Church.”

 PRIEST:    “John, one more bit of advice.  You should be less severe with your denials and sacrifices.  One can be extreme to the extent that one’s health is damaged.”

 MUSIC:    TRANSITIONAL UP ESTABLISH  THEN  DOWN  AND  OUT

NARR:    John did quite well in his studies and excelled in his assignment as sacristan.  It was while performing his  duties as acolyte that he was spotted by Don Alonso de Toledo, administrator of one of the fourteen  hospitals in Medina del Campo.  Don Alonso gave John the job of orderly at the Hospital of the Conception serving the victims of the plague and venereal  disease.  His position required him to perform humbling duties such as begging for alms, and offering personal care for the hospital patients.  John accepted these assignments willingly and enthusiastically, and through them, distinguished himself by his kindness to the patients and a genuine concern for the sick.

MUSIC:  TRANSITIONAL  UP  ESTABLISH  THEN DOWN AND OUT

ALONSO:  “Good day,  John.”

 ST. JOHN:  “O, Good day, Senior Alonso.  You startled me.   I am sorry.  I did not see you.”

 ALONSO:  “That is fine John.  I would that all my orderly’s were so diligent in the function of their duties that they did not notice their surroundings.”

 ST. JOHN:  “The Senior is too kind as always.”

 ALONSO:  “I do not give idle praise, only where and when it is due.   John, I am most impressed by your piety, your gift of the language, and most importantly, your love of the Church and the poor unfortunates you serve.  As a result, I’ve decided to allow you to study nearby under the Jesuits.”

 ST. JOHN:   “Senior,…I…, I..don’t know what to say.  This is too much to ask.  I can only thank God, our Lady of Carmel and your most generous person.  I will study with my utmost and pray for you daily.”

 ALONSO:   “That is all anyone expects.   It will not be easy.  I will need you to continue your good work here in the hospital without any let up.  You have performed admirably these past seven years.  I know you will continue.

 Also, John, you are to eat and sleep more.  You appear weak and tired often times.”

 ST. JOHN:  “Yes, Senior.”  

 MUSIC:   TRANSITIONAL  UP  ESTABLISH  DOWN AND UNDER   

 NARR:   “John pushed himself to his physical limits through diligent study while maintaining his demanding schedule at the hospital.  He saw Christ in the suffering of the patients he assisted and offered up the severe physical deprivations he would take on as a prayer for these suffering souls. These began to affect his physical health.  But, twice saved from death by the intervention of the Blessed Virgin Mary, he was still under her protection.”

 MUSIC:    DOWN AND OUT

 ST. JOHN:  “Even though I am cold and hungry, grant me the strength to sleep on this cold floor Lord, and to… abstain from …food.  Help me not to be bothered by this…fever….uh…”

 B. MOTHER:  “Temperance, my dear son, in your penance.   Rise and place a blanket around you then eat the bread on your table.  My Son will take care of things so you will sleep through the day tomorrow.  Eat and rest, my dear child, eat and rest.”

 NARR:  “As an obedient son, John does as his heavenly Mother commands, and his life is spared.”

 MUSIC:  TRANSITIONAL  UP  ESTABLISH THEN DOWN AND OUT

 NARR:   “Don Alonso was pleased with the progress made by John, and was set to sponsor him in his studies for the Priesthood,  but John was troubled about his future, and deeply concerned by the responsibilities that would be his. One night, while praying in his room, John was given divine guidance.”

 ST.JOHN:  “Lord, truly I am not to be one of your Priests. At twenty one, I am but a simple and poor man.  I have doubts about having the strength to accept the spiritual burdens of a Priest.  One incorrect bit of advice, or perhaps a Mass not said in the most reverential manner, could cause spiritual decline in those in my care.  Since all eyes would be on me, would I be able to always set a good example?  O Lord, I feel called and compelled to serve your Church.  But how?

 MUSIC:  INSPIRATIONAL UNDER DIALOG

 ST.JOHN:  “Father, is that your answer?  Am I to serve you in a religious order? Am I to help bring back the ancient perfection.  But, which order? Where?

 NARR:  “St. John went to sleep that night not knowing his exact direction, but he awoke the following morning with his calling clearly in mind.”

 MUSIC:  DOWN AND OUT

 ST. JOHN:  “Thank-you Lord for your answer, and thank-you my most Holy Mother.  To the Carmelites at  the Monastery of Santa Ana in Medina  I will go.  They have a great devotion to Our Lady and they are contemplative.  Father, grant me success in this endeavor, and be with me as I secretly travel.  Send the Holy Spirit to them that I may be accepted.”

 MUSIC:   TRANSITIONAL   UNDER  NARRATION

 NARR:    “John entered Carmelite Order receiving the habit on February 24, 1563.  He took the name, ‘John of Matthias’ and obtained permission to follow the original Carmelite rules.   In 1567, after further study in Salamanca, John was ordained a priest.  At his first Mass, he received assurance from Christ that he would preserve his baptismal innocence.”

 MUSIC:    UP  THEN DOWN AND OUT

 FRIEND:  “Congratulations John, or I should say, ‘Father John,’ on your ordination a few days ago.”

 ST.JOHN: “Thank-you my dear friend, and may I congratulate you also upon your ordination.”

 FRIEND:  “John, tell me.  Is there something troubling you?  You look as if there is something weighing upon your mind.”

 ST.JOHN:  “I haven’t reveled this to anyone, but I feel as if I should be a priest in a purely contemplative order, such as the Carthusian monks.”

 FRIEND:  “O, John of Matthias, you are so difficult upon yourself.  Yes, if anyone of us who has just been ordained had wished for the contemplative life, it would have been you John, with your piety and great devotion to our Lady.”

 ST.JOHN:  “Please, my brother.  You are too kind.  I am serious about this yearning.  I feel it is for me.

 FRIEND:    “My, dear John, I have one suggestion before you approach the good  Carthusians.    There is a Carmelite nun in Medina, who desires to establish a new monastery of Carmelite nuns.  Her name is Teresa of Jesus.  About five years ago she established a reformed community of nuns in Avila.  The general of the order  has granted her permission to establish more communities of the discalced Carmelites.  She might have advice for you, John.  Perhaps you could assist her in her task.”

 MUSIC:  TRANSITIONAL  UP  ESTABLISH UNDER NARRATION

 NARR:  “A few days later John meets with St. Teresa of Avila.”

 MUSIC:   DOWN AND OUT

 ST. TER:  “My dear Father, John,  won’t you please come into the study?   So, you are the one who is considering the Carthusians.  I’ve heard of your good marks while preparing for the priesthood.  Are you yearning for a stricter rule?

 ST. JOHN:  “Yes, Mother Teresa.  I feel called to a contemplative order, one which practices true contemplation.  I’ve believe my call is to bring about change, to help an established order return to its former discipline.”

 ST.TER:  “I too, Father, have that feeling.  .  . that I’ve been called to assist  the Carmelites to return to their spiritual origins.  I believe also, John, that I am lead, not only to reform the convents of the Carmelites, but the monasteries as well.  Perhaps this is where you have been called rather than to the Carthusians.”

 ST. JOHN:  ‘‘Perhaps, most reverend Mother.  How many Carmelite men do you have?”

 ST.TER:   “If you agree to help, counting you John, I would have a total of two.”

 STS. JOHN/TER:  (BOTH LAUGH LIGHTLY)

 ST. TER:  “We have to begin somewhere.  I need you to help me establish a monastery of friars who will live under the primitive rule.  It might be a good idea for you to visit the convent at Valladolid and learn from the reformed sisters.  Your accommodations will be most plain.”

 ST.JOHN:  “I wish for nothing more.  Let us proceed.”

 MUSIC:  TRANSITIONAL  UP  ESTABLISH  THEN  UNDER

 NARR:  “John learned much from Teresa of Avila.  Not only did he learn from the sisters, but they also learned from his example.  Of John, St. Teresa would later write, ‘He was so good that I could have learned much more from him than he from me.’  John was so close in his union with God and his contemplation so profound and his love of God so intense that the Lord favored him with the miracle of levitation.  On numerous occasions the Carmelite sisters and his own friars observed him floating in the air in a state of mystical ecstasy.  Deep in prayer before the altar, they found him at a height where his head touched the ceiling.   This miracle of ‘levitation’ was one shared by other mystics like St. Alphonsus, St. Joseph of Cupertino and Catherine of Siena.

  Soon John was ready to begin reforms among the monasteries.  On November 28, 1568, John, who now called himself  John of the Cross, went to a new monastery at Duruelo, as the first master of novices. 

In 1571, John was called to assist St. Teresa of Avila.  He won over many sisters through his counseling in the confessional, and his guidance toward developing greater spiritual perfection.

  But severe trials were in store for John in his efforts to reform the monasteries. He chose to live in a small hermitage rather than the local Carmelite friary. This was due to growing friction between the current relaxed practices and the rigorous reforms he promoted.  Due to a matter of confusion over conflicting orders between the general chapter and the Apostolic Nuncio, and fueled by the human resistance to change, his new reform movement became endangered.

 John was ordered back to the house of his profession in Medina.”

 MUSIC:  TRANNSITIONAL UP ESTABLISH THEN DOWN AND OUT

 BRO:   “John, there’s a messenger her to see you.  He says he’s from the General of the order.  Shall I send him into your study?”

 ST.JOHN:  “Yes, brother.  Let’s see what this is about.”

 MESS:  “John of the Cross?”

 ST.JOHN:  ‘‘You are addressing his person.”

 MESS:  “I have a message from the General of the order.  You are being ordered to return to Medina.  I am to await your reply, and deliver it to the General personally.”

 ST.JOHN:  “There must be some mistake.  Recently I have heard nothing except dialog and communications from those who have no authority or business in making accusations and demands. 

 Between Papal Nuncios, the General of the Order, royal councils, and many more, they debate continually about the reform, and yet they do not fully understand.  My good man, will you please kindly give his Eminence, the General of the Order, my fondest respects, but kindly remind him that I owe my position to the Apostolic delegate directly, and not to the order.”

 MESS:  “I have also been instructed to advise you that a refusal to obey will…..”

 ST.JOHN: “Will result in nothing.  I know the misconceptions and hearsay.  Those who do not carefully ascertain the reform, condemn it from afar in ignorance.  Yes, no doubt my son, you too have been told how I am destroying the order of the Carmelites.  Please deliver to the General of the Order what I have previously requested.  Now I must attend to other matters.  God bless you and good day.”

 MUSIC:    TRANSITIONAL UP ESTABLISH UNDER THEN OUT

 NARR:     “The Provincial then sent a group of hostile Carmelite friars, as well as armed guards, to secretly arrest John on the night of December 2, 1577.”

 SOUND:   MUFFLED VOICES  SCUFFFLING OF FEET  DOOR TO A ROOM OPENING

 VOICES:   “Quiet, we are not to awaken anyone.”  “Grab him.”  “Here! Gag him”

 ST.JOHN:  “What…what is happening.  Who are you?  You have no right….” (MUFFLED SPEECH AS

 THE GAG IS APPLIED).

 VOICES:  “This is for the good of the order and your own good.”  “You’ve gone far enough.”  “This should have been done long ago.”  “Now…quickly with him.”  “We’ll see if the prison at Toledo will drive those idiotic ideas from your head.”

 NARR:  “And so John of the Cross was taken by force to the prison at Toledo.  He was treated cruelly and given a cell that had once been used as a latrine.  It had no warmth, and contained no furnishings.  Routinely, he would be treated mercilessly,  threatened and rebuked.  Convinced he was out to destroy the order, his captors resorted to beatings in an attempt to force John to abandon his reforms.  John knew he was right, and with God’s grace, patiently endured this intolerable treatment.  It was in this prison in Toledo that John would compose several poems and spiritual works that later would become his most famous works.”

 JAILER:   “Father, Father…are you awake?”

 ST.JOHN:  “Yes, my dear jailer.  I am awake.”

 JAILER:  “I heard you reciting something the other day.  It sounded as if you were trying to compose, so I was able to obtain a pen and ink and a few pieces of paper.”

 ST.JOHN:  “Praise be to Jesus! Thank you my friend.  You have been the only one to bestow the slightest mercy toward me since my incarceration.”

 JAILER:  “O, Father, you must not let it be known that you have these things.  If it were found out….”

 ST.JOHN:  “Rest assured my friend that God will hide these from their eyes.  Even if they found them, I would not reveal their source.”

 JAILER:   “If I could Father, I would acquire everything you need to say Mass.  I know this must be a great cross for you.”

 ST.JOHN:  “O, my son, please pray for me.  I can suffer every kind of privation…except not to say Mass. To deprive a Priest of his greatest privilege…,but, I take heart…I receive much spiritual consolation.”

 JAILER:  “Father, what is it you are composing, the.   .   .   poem I heard you saying?”

 ST.JOHN:  “One I call, ‘Spiritual Canticle,’ another ‘Romances on the Gospel.’   My enemies can remove all from me, but my God.  I have been blessed, my son, with visions of Christ.  From them the Holy Spirit has inspired me to create a work I will title, ‘The Dark Night of the Soul.’  Yes, the Lord has led me to detach myself from everything  by experiencing Christ’s sufferings.   Also, by brother, I describe a mystical marriage between a soul and Jesus, a wonderful experience and a true gift of God.  I will explain this and much more to you when time permits, including the piercing of the heart.  I know you don’t understand my son, but I pray you shall. Perhaps you should leave now so that you are not found, and I will pen what the Lord has led me to create.”

 JAILER:  “Yes, Father, you are right.  But before I go, if you don’t mind, the bandages around your hands…is there anything I can do?  Should I try and obtain some salve?”

 ST.JOHN:  “My son, there is not salve enough in all the world that can stop this bleeding, and I dare say, if it existed, I would not want to stop this.  If you will permit me, quickly, before you are found out, I will remove one of the bandages partially.  This my dear jailer is a great blessing.  My brother, the humble John of the Cross has been blessed with the wounds of our dear Savior himself.”

 JAILER:  “Father!….  the stigmata!  It is true.  I have said so all along.  I am in the presence of a saint!” 

 MUSIC:  TRANSITIONAL UP ESTABLISH THEN DOWN AND OUT

 NARR:  “In August , the Blessed Virgin appeared to John and told him his trials were soon to be over. She showed him in a vision how she would help him.   A few days later, the screws on his cell door broke off, and he followed the hallway to a window, where he lowered himself out with a rope.  He then made his way to the discalced Carmelite convent where he was allowed to stay for a while. ”

 SOUND:   SFX OF KNOCKING ON A DOOR

 SOUND:   SFX OF DOOR OPENING

 NUN:     “Yes, may I help you?”

 FRIAR:  “We are searching for a Priest who has escaped from prison.  A renegade Carmelite known as John of the Cross.  Is he here?”

 FRIAR:  (AFTER A FEW SECONDS).  “Well, what have you to say?  Is he here or not?

 NUN:  I can most certainly reply, that it would be amazing if you were to find a priest in here.”

 FRIAR:  Well, I have no authority to search this premises, but be advised that it will be closely watched, and, for your sake Mother Superior,  I hope you are not harboring a fugitive.”

 MUSIC:  TRANSITIONAL UP ESTABLISH THEN DOWN AND OUT

 NARR:  “John then went from the convent in Toledo to Almodovar del Campo, where he was later appointed superior of the monastery at El Calvario.  This was done in order to put John at a safe distance from his former captors who were still in pursuit of him.”

 MUSIC:  TRANSITIONAL UP ESTABLISH DOWN AND OUT 

 NARR:   “El Calvario was located far in the south among beautiful countryside.  This provided a welcome relief for St. John after his recent ordeals.

 ST.JOHN:  “Now brothers, let us continue our walk among this beautiful nature.  I want you to realize what I came to know in prison at Toledo, that God is everywhere.  Yes, we must be guarded, for nature can sometimes be a distraction, but, it can also speak to us of the Creator.  When we love all of God’s creation, in its full truth, it means we have been fully transformed by the Lord.”

 MUSIC: TRADITIONAL UP ESTABLISH DOWN AND OUT

 NARR:  John gained a victory in his battle of reform. “On June 22, 1580, Pope Gregory XIII made the Discalced Carmelites a separate province of the Carmelite Order.    The conflicts were nearly extinguished.  Then on March 3, 1581, John was elected prior of the monastery at Granada, even though he did not want it.  In 1588, he was made vicar Provincial for Andalusia.

 MUSIC:  TRANSITIONAL UP ESTABLISH THEN DOWN AND OUT

 FRIAR:  “Father John, the design for the aqueduct you made is excellent, but, if I may be so bold, don’t you think the actual construction should be left with the regular brothers?”

 ST.JOHN:  “When I was told to take this position, they knew that I was not content with only administrative duties.  Besides, I find that after some manual labor, I am better able to concentrate on my writings.”

 FRIAR:  “Father, after today’s construction work on the aqueduct is finished, will you please recite more of your poems and perhaps some of your other writings?”

 ST.JOHN:  “Of course, brother, as long as they don’t put you and the others to sleep.”

 SOUND:  (LIGHT LAUGHTER OF A FEW VOICES)

 NARR:  “Abrupt changes were about to take place within the order.  In 1588,  six years after the death of Teresa of Avilla, Nicholas Doria, became provincial of the Carmelite order.  He immediately had John sent to Segovia, as superior of the central house there, to serve as first consuler to the order.”

 MUSIC:  TRANSITIONAL UP ESTABLISH THEN DOWN AND OUT

 FRANCISCO:  “John, thank-you for asking me to come here to Segovia.  It is good that we who are brothers, are together.  However, I must go now.”

 ST.JOHN:  “Francisco, no.  I feel most strongly that my time on earth perhaps is not long.  I feel so certain that if you are to leave, we will not see one another again on this earth.”

 FRANCISCO:  “John, are you sure?  I can come and visit you from time to time.  I am in the way here. There are not many areas for me to assist.”

 ST.JOHN: “Francisco, my brother, you are my greatest treasure on this earth.  By being here you give me great consolation. This is your function.”

 FRANCISCO:  “You are too kind my brother.”

 ST. JOHN:  “Francisco, there is something I would like to reveal, but I do not wish you to repeat it.  You are familiar  with our painting of Christ carrying his cross, I am certain.  Well, not long ago I had it moved to a  more public location so it could be viewed and meditated upon by many.  After it was moved, I had a vision of Jesus. He asked me what reward I wanted for my labors. I told Him I  wanted to share in the sufferings he himself suffered, and so to be despised on his account.  Francisco, the good God will be true to this request.  Again, please tell no one.”

 MUSIC:   TRANSITIONAL UP ESTABLISH THEN DOWN AND OUT

 NARR:    “With great courage, John constantly spoke out against Doria’s harsh treatment of the nuns there.  Doria was attempting to restructure their Order to fit his liberal ways.  As a result of his criticism, John was moved in an appointed to La Penuela, a tiny community, where he would be out of the way in a form of exile”

PRIOR:      “John, I must say, you certainly appear happy for one sent to this small monastery as, shall I dare say, a political exile.”

ST.JOHN:   “I am very happy and content here Father.  Working in the fields, prayer and my duties as spiritual director to keep me most than satisfied.  Yes, the Lord has been good to me.  This is all my heart has ever desired. “

PRIOR:  “It doesn’t bother you to hear of the rumors circulated by Diego Evangelista?”

 ST.JOHN:  “They’re not true as you well know.  When Diego was young, I once corrected him for taking pride in his preaching.  Unfortunately, he has held onto a grudge, and learned little from my correction. I pray for Diego.”

 PRIOR: “John, I must confess.  As the prior of this monastery, I was apprehensive when I heard that you were to be transferred here.  False rumors of extreme austerities you practiced preceded you.  But I must say, and I speak for all of the brothers, your presence here has been a great blessing to us all.  I know the stories and letters from Diego are untrue and were generated to discredit you.  At first, before I was able to observe you, I didn’t know if they were valid or not. John, I have now come to know that you are close to God in all ways, and not only are you a blessing and credit to this facility, but also to the Carmelite Order and the Universal Church itself.”

 MUSIC:  TRANSITIONAL UP ESTABLISH THEN DOWN AND OUT

 NARR:  “Not long after, John became quite ill with a fever, and had to be moved to Ubeda for treatment.”

 SOUND:   SFX  OF  KNOCKING ON DOOR

 FR.CRISOSTOMO:  “Come in.”

 SOUND:  SFX  DOOR OPENING

 FRIAR:  “Father Crisostomo, John of the Cross has arrived.  We have placed him in the vacant room.  Is there anything else I can do in the way of hospitality?”

 FR. CRISOSTOMO:  “You have done too much already.  Have Father John transferred to one of the rooms located below the ground floor level.”

 FRIAR:  “Prior, may I remind you that this man is ill with fever, due to an inflamed leg.   The rooms in the area you describe are no doubt prone to dampness.  I assumed that he would be placed in a room with a window for sunlight and fresh air.”

 FR.CRISOSTOMO:  “Brother, this is the remarkable John of the Cross, is he not?  The one renowned for his stoic lifestyle?  I’m certain he would insist upon quarters that were more austere than those you have assigned him.  After all, he’s the living rule of the order, the one which we should all emulate, and whose level of enlightenment we must all strive to attain.  I’m certain you read some of his poems and works.”

 FRIAR:    “Father, I am afraid I don’t fully understand you.  This is John of the Cross, I am…..”

 FR.CRISOSTOMO:  “That is all my brother.  I did not ask your opinion on the matter.  I am issuing a general directive that this priest is not to receive any preferential treatment. It will be interesting to see if he lives the saintly life that everyone says he does.  We’ll see if he is as holy as others claim him to be.”

 MUSIC:   TRANSITIONAL UP ESTABLISH THEN DOWN AND OUT

 FRIAR:  “Father John, here is some food I was able to obtain.  I am sorry that our Prior, Father Crisostomo treats you  as he does.  I do not know the reason for it.”

 ST.JOHN: “My dear brother, the good prior had been corrected by me years ago.  I did not remember the name at first, but after a white I did.”

 FRIAR:  “Father, you have won the respect of all in this community with the Christ-like way in which you receive these many abuses.  I want you to know that many of us have complained to the provincial, Anthony of Jesus.  I’ve been told that he, along with you and Teresa, began the reforms together.”

 ST.JOHN:  “Yes, it’s true.  Anthony of Jesus, myself and another brother, were among  the first chosen by Teresa to initiate the reforms among the monasteries.”

 SOUND:   SFX  KNOCKING ON DOOR

 ST.JOHN  “Come in, please.”

 ANTHONY: “John, May God be praised!.  How are doing under these conditions?”

 ST. JOHN:  “Why, Anthony, I was just telling the good brother here about our being the first chosen by Teresa.”

 ANTHONY:  “Hello, brother.  I am the provincial of the order, Anthony of Jesus.”

 FRIAR:  “It is an honor Father.”

 ANTHONY:  “I’ve received numerous complaints regarding the treatment you receive here John.  I’ve directed Fr. Crisostomo to end this immediately.  Why didn’t you contact me when you first arrived, John?”

 ST.JOHN: “The good prior had his reasons for the treatment I received.  At any rate, I offered them as a sacrifice to the suffering Christ that he would come to rid himself of past grudges and obtain true enlightenment.”

 MUSIC:   TRANSITIONAL UP ESTABLISH THEN DOWN AND OUT 

 NARR:  “Through John’s example, prayer and humble acceptance of his suffering, prior Crisostomo soon became one of John’s greatest friends.   But his infirmities increased. The inflammation in his leg worsened and nothing could be done to stop the spread of the infectious gangrene.  On the night of December 13, 1591, St. John prepared for his death.”

 MUSIC:  GREGORIAN CHANT UNDER NARR AND SCRIPT

 NARR:  “At midnight the bells rang for matins.”

 SOUND:  SFX  BELLS RINGING IN THE BACKGROUND

 ST.JOHN:  (WEAKLY)  “What…are the…bells for?”

 FR.CRISOSTOMO:  “My dear brother, those are announcing matins.”

 ST. JOHN:  (WEAKLY)  “Glory be…to God, for I shall…recite them…in heaven.”

 FR.CRISOSTOMO:  “John, here is your crucifix.”

 ST.JOHN: (WEAKLY)  “In manus…tuas,..Domine, commendo…spiritus meum.”

 MUSIC:  GREGORIAN CHANT INCREASE IN VOLUME UNDER NARRATION

 NARR:  “In manus tuas Domine, commendo spiritus meum….into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. The final words of Christ on the cross were the last words spoken by John of the Cross.  With his work on earth finished, the humble reformer was called home.”

 MUSIC: GREGORIAN CHANT DOWN AND OUT

 MUSIC: DIFFERENT MUSIC UP ESTABLISH THEN UNDER ANNC

 NARR:  Shortly after his death a miraculous light was seen emanating from his tomb, clearly a sign given by God that he favored this extraordinary dedicated life, one pleasing to God in every way. On January 25, 1673, John of the Cross was beatified by Pope Clement X and was canonized a saint by Pope Benedict XIII on December 27, 1726. 

 The life and extraordinary good works of this great saint, together with his exceptional spiritual writings have been studied and acclaimed by theologians, scholars and historians for over two centuries. His masterful spiritual writings, still sold in book stores today, rank among the highest mystical and theological works in the history of the Church. These include The Ascent of Mount Carmel, The Dark Night of the Soul and The Spiritual Canticle.

 The remains of St. John of the Cross have been miraculously preserved from corruption, evidencing yet another miracle. His body remains intact to this day enshrined in a reliquary of marble and bronze in Segovia, Spain.

 MUSIC:  DOWN AND OUT