In this talk, Br. Roberto will reconstruct the Mariological thought of St. John of the Cross by gathering Marian expressions from his different writings. The main purpose is to see how Mary is the exemplar of the perfect union with God that John of the Cross encourages everyone to achieve. In addition, Br. Roberto will present what genuine devotion to Our Lady looks like from the perspective of St. John of the Cross.
Saint John of the Cross is one of the most famous saints. He is a doctor of the Church known for his writings, poetry, and mysticism. He had a profound and close relationship with the Virgin Mary, especially since he was a Carmelite. Nonetheless, Mary does not appear in his works as often as one would imagine. There is no formal Marian doctrine by John of the Cross, but in his writings, Mary is mentioned enough so that we can see what he thinks about her and how he integrates her into the Christian life of the faithful. In doing this we can see how the Mariology of St John of the Cross is relevant for us today.
About the Presenter: Br Roberto was born and raised in Mexico City. He has a Bachelor of Science in Biodiversity and Conservation from Macquarie University in Sydney. He holds a Master’s in Historical and Systematic Theology from the Catholic University of America, in Washington, D.C. He obtained the Certificate of Carmelite Studies. He has worked as a teacher at different moments in his life. He is currently in Tucson, AZ, where he ministers at Salpointe Catholic High School, a Carmelite school. He teaches Theology to Freshmen and Sophomores (years 9 and 10). He loves nature, movies, and cooking.
A replay of the recording can be found at https://youtu.be/JRTEgc_R1kc
An accompanying PDF document can be found at Mariology of John of the Cross
This Carmelite Conversation is part of the regular program at The Carmelite Centre Melbourne. www.thecarmelitecentremelbourne.org
It is on the second Wednesday of every month, at 10.30 on zoom, hosted from Melbourne Australia.