Incidents from the Lives of the Saints

[Shin]

Not long after St. John of the Cross came to the monastery of the Incarnation in Avila to serve as confessor, one of the nuns, Dona Maria de Yera, was seized with sickness, and, before the greatness of her danger was suspected by the nuns, became insensible.

They then recognized the danger, and sent for St. John of the Cross to administer the last Sacraments. But before he entered the monastery the nun was dead, to the extreme grief of her sisters, one of whom, as he was entering the infirmary, reproached him in the bitterness of her sorrow as if he had been to blame. 'Is this the way,' she said to him, 'you take care of your children? This one died unconfessed.' The holy man made no answer, but turned back and went straight to the church, where before the Most Holy he made known his distress, and begged humbly for help.

After some considerable time the nuns sent him word that their sister was restored to life, where-upon he left the church, and on the way meeting the nun who had spoken to him, said only these words, 'My child, are you satisfied?' He then went up to the infirmary, heard the nun's confession, and gave her the last Sacraments; then when he had done for her all that could be done, God took her to Himself.

- The Life of St. John of the Cross

[Shin]

One day he was told there was no food in the house; but he was not troubled by the news. The community came to the refectory, according to the custom, at the appointed time; for he had given orders that no change should be made.

A fragment of bread was found, and by hi direction brought into the refectory, and grace was said. The fathers sat down before an empty table, and St. John spoke to them of the hidden graces of poverty, of the merit and suffering, and the conformity to the will of God, with so much unction that the fathers left the refectory with their hearts on fire; and gave thanks to God for His special mercy in leaving them that day without food to eat.

They withdrew to their cells, and no sooner had they begun to prepare themselves for prayer than the whole house was disturbed by a loud knocking at the outer gate.

The porter went to the door, and saw there a man with a letter addressed to the vicar. The porter took it, and finding St. John in the church, in prayer before the Most Holy, gave it to him. The saint opened it, and soon as he saw what it meant, began to cry like a man in pain. The power was greatly distressed, and begged the saint to tell him why he was weeping so bitterly. The saint replied, 'I cry, my brother, because God thinks us too weak to bear hunger any longer; He could not trust us for one day, and is sending us food.'

- The Life of St. John of the Cross

[Shin]

Two pious ladies in the neighborhood having heard of the saint's distressing illness, and knowing that the monastery could scarcely provide for him in one way, offered to take all the soiled linen and cloths to their own house and wash them. Their offer was accepted -- for the prior was now a changed man [having formerly mistreated the saint on his deathbed] -- accordingly all the linen necessary for the service of the saint was taken from time to time in the house of these ladies, Ines and Catherine de Salazar.

They were delicate women, and not accustomed to what they saw when the linen was brought to them from the monastery. The cloths were saturated with corruption, and in some of them were even pieces of flesh. The two ladies, instead of the natural odours on such occasion, and contrary to their expectations, perceived a perfume of most wondrous fragrance; they were filled themselves with a strange joy, for which they could not account, and thus a labour which they knew beforehand must be at least irksome, became to them the most agreeable occupation of their time.

One day Ines de Salazar not only missed the accustomed fragrance, but perceived a most unpleasant and offensive smell, which made her ill. She was unable to do her work, and went to her mother, Mary de Molina, and told her that either St. John of the Cross must be dying or the friars had sent cloths used by some other person. Soon after a lay brother came to the house, who, on being asked if the bandages used by any other father had been sent with those of the saint, confessed that the friars had sent some which were for the service of fra Matthew of the Blessed Sacrament, who had a sore on one of his shoulders. These the sisters separated without difficulty from those of the saint, which still sent forth the fragrance of flowers, as before.

The two sisters nearly quarreled over their work, each wished to have it all to herself; but their mother interfered, and made them take it in turns, if they could not help one another. Dona Clara, too, and her servants wished to share the labours of the two sisters, if they could not have it all to themselves, and made an attempt to carry the cloths to the house of Don Bartholomew. The two sisters resolutely refused to share their labours with any one, and maintained their right, pleasing possession. The matter was laid before the saint himself, and Dona Clara eagerly pressed her claim. The saint sent her word that he was pleased with the way the two sisters served him, and he hoped that Dona Clara would be content with all the troubles she had already had, and the two sisters remained in possession.

- The Life of St. John of the Cross