Saint John of the Cross is widely known for his spiritual writing. He is a Doctor of the Church, master of prayer, and expert of the spiritual life. His writings cover a wide range of subjects and themes, but John is seldom acknowledged for his teachings on the Blessed Virgin Mary. How is it that a man known for his spiritual wisdom, who devoted his entire life to achieving union with God in a religious order dedicated to living in imitation of Mary, is rarely recalled in relation to Our Lady?

St. John lays his head against the breast of Jesus. He can feel Jesus’ chest as it rises and falls—the chest clothed in garments that became dazzling white at the transfiguration will soon be burdened beneath the weight of the cross...

“Wake up the World!” Pope Francis’s now-famous rallying call for the Year of Consecrated Life has reverberated around the globe since he announced that 2015 would be a year of prayer and thanksgiving for women and men who live a vocation to the religious life. The question we can ask is how can religious “Wake Up the World?”