John of the Cross: Selected Writings

From the Classics of Western Spirituality series, edited by Kieran Kavanaugh, O.C.D. I have long been interested in Carmelite spirituality and picked this up for my morning devotions. John of the Cross wrote beautiful, mystical prose and poetry, but I had not familiarized myself with his work. Taking pieces of this book in the morning would be just the ticket, I thought. No. Maybe it was the fact that these were just selections... maybe it was the translation used... maybe it was simply not the right time for me to tackle this Saint. The Ascent of Mount Carmel was difficult: The Dark Night well nigh impossible! The Spiritual Canticle easier: The Living Flame of Love most available, understandable, and my favorite offering in this book. Knowing his two most important works left me scratching my head is a little depressing. I have farther to go on the spiritual path than my arrogance(?) was thinking, and look how far I've come! With God's grace, I'll get there.