Saint of the day May 10, 2025

John was born in Spain to wealthy parents who had converted from Judaism to Catholicism. They sent him to study law at age 14, but he left without finishing in 1517 to pursue priestly formation. Both of his parents died while John was still a student, and he celebrated his first Mass after ordination in the church where they were buried. He donated his fortune to charity.

John’s deep passion for ministry had him seeking opportunities for missionary work. While awaiting departure from Seville to Mexico, he caught the attention of the archbishop, who convinced him to abandon his trip to stay in Spain. Not long after, John gave his first sermon, which established his reputation and filled churches.

The hours he spent deep in prayer and cultivating a mystical life close to the Lord were reflected in his external life: He wrote multiple volumes of spiritual writings, as well as letters to other Spanish mystics that encouraged and guided them in their own prayer lives.

He became known as the Apostle of Andalusia for the extensive ministry he performed in that region of Spain.

John worked tirelessly to reform the clergy and catechized the laity, and he established schools and universities throughout Spain. He was the rector of one university which became a model for Jesuit schools and seminaries.

John died from an illness in 1569 and was canonized by Pope St. Paul VI in 1970. In 2012, he was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XVI.

Reflection

Throughout his ministry, Father John became a saint among other saints, offering spiritual direction and counsel to many. Not only did he leave behind a legacy by affecting so many people during his lifetime, he also left behind his spiritual classic Audi, filia, eighty-two sermons, Scripture commentaries, 257 letters, and various other minor works on reform in the Church in the spirit of the great Council of Trent in which he participated. We need to return to his teachings on simplicity, poverty, the universal call to holiness, his vigorous attempts to reform the clergy, his devotion to the holy Mass, and his passionate pleas for repentance from sin.

As we honor this sixteenth-century saint, look to him also as a role model for the Church. He began with a desire to be a foreign missionary but found his homeland to be the mission field to which he was called. Ponder your own call to evangelize those closest to you. Doing great things for God often starts at home. Commit yourself to that mission field, and pray that God will bear much good fruit through your efforts. If you suffer as a result, be encouraged by Saint John’s imprisonment and know that God can bring forth good from everything you are called to endure.