PURIFICATION FOR SALVATION

SAINT JOHN OF THE CROSS, PRIEST, DOCTOR

Eccl 48:1-4,9-12; Ps 80:2-3,15-16,18-19; Mt 17:10-13

The Necessity of Purification for Salvation

The mission of John the Baptist as the prophet to come in the spirit of Elijah to turn the hearts of the Fathers to their children is a bit intriguing and confusing. The question that follows whenever we hear about this mission is: Who are the fathers and the children in question? Were the hearts of the Jewish people at variance with their children at the coming Jesus Christ? John’s mission would make no sense if we do not spent time answering these questions. Hence, we must look at other senses or meanings of fathers and children. Considering the fathers and children in the sense Isaiah expressed yesterday would shed more light on our understanding. Isa 48:17-19 uses children and descendants to mean fruits of our meditation and contemplation of the word of God. In this sense, we are the fathers of our behaviour and lifestyle, which results from what we conceive in our minds. Those who model their lives on ours can also be said to be our children in this spiritual sense. Thus understood, the mission of John the Baptist becomes clear to us: “designated in the prophecies of doom to allay God’s wrath before the fury breaks, to turn the hearts of fathers towards their children, and to restore the tribes of Jacob.” John’s mission is to bring us to reflect on our behaviour and lifestyles that are not giving glory to God.

The role John the Baptist is to play is what designated him as the prophet Elijah. Hence, the prophecy that Elijah would return before the Day of the Lord does not mean he would re-incarnate, as many falsely believed. The prophecy is about another who would receive the spirit of Elijah to call back the children of Israel to Yahweh. Elijah played this unique role in his time. He fought against the spirit of idolatry and the proliferation of the worship of Baal by the Ahaz and his queen Jezebel, whose father was the priest of Baal. This spirit of religious and spiritual reformation was prophesied to return before the Day of the Lord. It is in this sense that John the Baptist is the Elijah, who was promised to come back, as stated by our Lord in the Gospel. “As they came down from the mountain the disciples put this question to Jesus, ‘Why do the scribes say that Elijah has to come first?’ ‘True;’ he replied ‘Elijah is to come to see that everything is once more as it should be; however, I tell you that Elijah has come already and they did not recognise him but treated him as they pleased.” God fulfilled his promise to them, and they failed to pay attention because they were busy with their fancies. Do we know what was promised and prophesied? Are we aware of what is being fulfilled before us here and now?

Saint John of the Cross played a similar role to John the Baptist in the Carmelite Order. He worked with Saint Theresa of Avila to help bring about the religious and spiritual reformation of the Carmelite Order and the Church. The theme of the John of the Cross reformation and that of John the Baptist are not different; they called us to refocus on the goal of our vocation and existence, Jesus Christ, and amend our behaviours and lifestyle to be able to bear heavenly fruits. The very beginning and end of the reformation is to receive the word of God anew. If we do not focus on what God promised, we will fail to receive it. Hence, Jesus added that the people who ignored John the Baptist and his words would treat the Son of Man similarly: “and the Son of Man will suffer similarly at their hands.” The teaching of John of the Cross calls us to re-awaken our bridal love for Jesus Christ, the divine Spouse of our souls. The bridal love must be purified of earthly affectations through varied and various trials and sufferings, to come to perfection. “Would that men might come at last to see that it is quite impossible to reach the thicket of the riches and wisdom of God except by first entering the thicket of much suffering, in such a way that the soul finds there its consolation and desire.” We are united to Jesus Christ, who is our eternal Life and Truth, after these purifications.

Let us pray: O God, who gave the Priest Saint John an outstanding dedication to perfect self-denial and love of the Cross, grant that, by imitating him closely at all times, we may come to contemplate eternally your glory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.