The Ascent to Joy: Selected Writings of John of the Cross

This book helped me immensely in my spiritual life! Anything from Fr. Marc Foley or St john of the Cross is a blessing

Commentary helped the lay person understand the complex theology of this famous Catholic saint.

The author writes so a layman can understand the material!

It is easy to read and gives a down to earth picture of John of the Cross which has given me a better understanding of him, drawing me closer to him.

John of the Cross' writings cannot be overstated for their depth, beauty and inspiration.

An easy read for those trying to better understand St. John of the Cross and the Dark Night of the Soul.

St. John of the Cross was a 16th century, Spanish, Catholic mystic. He's one of the 36 doctors of the Church. "The Ascent to Joy: Selected Spiritual Writings" is an introduction to St. John of the Cross's writings. It contains ample introductions and annotations, opening up the complete spectrum of St. John's spirituality.To explain my thoughts on this book, let me use a metaphor. Imagine that it was your life's dream to take a journey around the entire world (mostly by foot), and St. John of the Cross was a famous explorer that had already not only taken such a journey, but had also left thousands of pages in his memoirs. Now imagine that Fr. Marc Foley came along and created a short collection of some of the most interesting parts from St. John's memoirs.Certainly, undertaking such a journey is a monumental affair. However, even trying to read the memoirs in their entirety is also challenging. They contain references and phrasing that make sense if you're a 16th century priest, but less so if you're not.You can imagine reading stories of how he crossed the Saharan desert and wondering if you'll actually survive when it's your turn to cross it. Or imagine reading about Kashmir and wondering if it's as beautiful and lofty as St. John describes.You might wonder how he could possibly advocate for so much detachment, how he could travel so lightly. You might wonder how he could sacrifice so much for the sake of the journey, or how he could write such beautiful poetry while being imprisoned for nine months.I'm really thankful that Fr. Marc Foley has written such a nice introduction to St. John's works. However, it also helped me understand how long and how challenging this journey really is.

I BENEFIT FROM THIS SAINT. THESE BOOKS ARE INSIGHTFUL.