John was born at Fontiveros in Spain about 1542. He entered the Carmelites and with the permission of his superiors began to live a stricter life. Afterwards he was persuaded by Saint Teresa to begin, together with some others, the Discalced reform within the Order; this cost him much hard work and many trials. He died in Ubeda in 1591, outstanding in holiness and wisdom, to which his many spiritual writings give eloquent witness.  His feast day is December 14.

• Toward A Model of Spiritual Direction Based on the Writings of Saint John of the Cross and Carl R. Rogers, an Exploratory Study, by Kevin G. Culligan, OCD
   
• Thomas Merton's short biography of St. John of the Cross
  
  
• Carmelite Studies VI: John Of The Cross  edited by Steven Payne, OCD (articles by Kieran Kavanaugh, Richard Hardy, John Lozano and others)
  
  
• Collected Works of St. John of the Cross translation by: Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD and Otilio Rodriguez, OCD, rev. ed. [except as noted]
  
  Copyright for this translation: ICS Publications. Permission is hereby granted for any non-commercial use, if this copyright notice is included.
  • A General Introduction to St. John and his Works
  • The Poetry of John of the Cross
  
  
  • The Sayings of Light and Love
   
  
  • The Ascent of Mount Carmel, Peers edition at Christian Classics Ethereal Library
    
  • The Dark Night of the Soul
  
  
  • The Spiritual Canticle (with icons for each stanza)
  
  
  • The Living Flame of Love
  
  
  • Special Counsels
   
  
  • Precautions
    Translated from utograph copy made by Alonso de la Madre de Dios conserved in the National Library of Madrid. This is not an ICS text. 
  

  
  

• Impasse and Dark Night by Constance FitzGerald, OCD,
   
• Reinventing Mysticism by Pius Edwin Sammut, OCD 
  
  
• An On-line Study Guide to The Ascent of Mount Carmel by St John of the Cross
  • Book I
  
  
  • Book II
  
  
  • Book III
  
   
  • Another On-line Study Guide to The Ascent