Counting All Else as Lost: The Poetic Life of St. John of the Cross [Catholic Caucus]

Fighting Irish Thomas ^ | 12-14-06 | Tom O'Toole

[mlizzy]

Let it be also said that John chose the perfect nickname, for his life was one "cross" after another. Although John's grandfather was a rich silk merchant, his dad was disowned from the family fortune for marrying a poor girl, and thus John was born into poverty. When his father Gonzalo died, John was only one, and poverty soon turned into destitution. When one of his brothers died of starvation, John was sent to an orphanage. It was there John learned how to read and write, but when the orphanage tried to teach him a trade, John (who like many true poets had an aptitude for writing but very little else), failed miserably. After flunking out of wood shop and printing class, John found himself working as a nurse at Hospital de las Bubas (translated, it means "sores," it was mainly a hospital treating those with VD) and there he actually flourished!

[GOP Poet]

What a lovely entry by Tom O’ Toole regarding St. John of the Cross. Thank you for posting this.

[D-fendr]

Thanks so much for this article.

St. John OTC and his great friend St. Teresa of Avila were the most significant influences in my conversion. My closest circle in the Communion of Saints.

The article recommends him to Protestants, and I do too.

[fightingirishthomas]

Thanks for your comment. I see you are a GOP Poet — did you read my poem Blood of the Young Patriots? It's not John of the Cross, but I try —

[fightingirishthomas]

Thanks for your comment. As we named our daughter Therese, we throw The Little Flower in with these two giant Carmelites, when we ask for intercession.

[mlizzy]

You are welcome GOP Poet and D-fendr ... I see Tom has already commented back to the both of you!

[GOP Poet]

Thanks so much Tom for getting back to me so very quickly! Sorry to delay my response. I didn't even turn on my computer yesterday :-). I love your poem. So strong, so clear, as a good Irish boy--lyrical :-). Most importantly it is well written and written about something so important and critical. I notice you wrote this nearly two months after September 11, 2001. I love how you tie in the patriotism of that time in reaction to the attacks to abortion in our country (as well as the other stains upon our history.). It really hits a very strong cord of yes, this is murder not unlike the terrorists. Yes this is a great corrosion upon our great country

It reminded me very much of a quote by Mark Twain:

A writer ought to comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable.    

You have done this here poet and writer. Go mbeannaí Dia duit!

[fightingirishthomas]

Glad you liked "Patriots." Feel free to send your poems this way ... we could even publish them on Friends of Fighting Irish Thomas if you like. While it's true I'm a good Irish boy (or at least an Irish lad trying to be good), I'm terribly ignorant on the languages ... could you translate Go mbeannai Dia duit?

--God's grace & Mary's prayers, Tom

P.S. My poem, The Convert (to Love), is to contraception what Patriots is to abortion.

[GOP Poet]

Thank you so much Tom for your offer regarding my poems and publishing on Friends of Fighting Irish Thomas :-D. I may just take you up on this after the holidays. I am on and off tonight and will take a look at your poem The Convert (to Love). I look forward to reading it. Just wanted to mention this as I will be reading it a bit later this evening or tomorrow. Thanks for posting and getting back with me.

Go mbeannai Dia duit Tom or Irish for May God Bless You Tom :-D.