15 Days of Prayer With Saint John of the Cross

“15 Days of Prayer” Collection

Now distributed by New City Press, this popular series is perfect for those looking for an introduction to a particular spiritual guide, those searching for gift ideas and those who merely wish to know more about the person and his or her spirituality. Additional volume planned in 2 to 3 months intervals. Each volume contains:

• A brief biography of the saint or spiritual leader introduced in that volume
• A guide to creating a format for prayer and retreat
• 15 meditation sessions with focus points and reflection guides

Follow in the footsteps of Saint John of the Cross

Saint John of the Cross (1542–1591), Carmelite friar and Doctor of the Church, was born to a noble but impoverished family in Toledo, Spain. Showing no aptitude for a manual trade, he joined the Carmelite Order in 1563 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1567. Under the influence of Saint Teresa of Ávila, John worked to revive the primitive monastic rule, often against the wishes of religious authorities. Despite periods of imprisonment and banishment and almost continual harassment, John persisted in his advocacy of monastic reform and wrote many of his greatest poems and other works under extreme duress.


Achieve union with God

John of the Cross is best known as one of the Church’s great mystical theologians, and the central theme of his mysticism is that through a life of pure faith and love of God, the soul may attain union with the Divine. As your retreat master and companion, John challenges you to become like Christ — to be wounded and suffer with Him, to be consumed by His presence — and thus to be emptied of self, to be purified in heart and mind and finally to be overcome and transformed by His love. The ultimate consequence of your 15-day journey with John of the Cross may therefore be the deep mystical union with God that John placed at the center of the Christian life.