December 14

John of the Cross and Catherine Doherty

Author

David Barnhart
December 14, 2025

San Carlos, Mexico, 2022. Own photo.

Today is the Feast Day of Saint John of the Cross, who died on this day in 1591. He was a major figure of reform among the Carmelite Order, and with Teresa of Avila became a major mystical influence in Christianity. 

Today also marks the death of Catherine Doherty, in 1985, a Russian Roman Catholic who worked for economic and racial justice in Canada and the United States. Her “Little Mandate” is a call to action, which she believed was the core of the gospel revealed to her by God.  

Reflection: 

John of the Cross, using maternal imagery for God, wrote: 

“It must be known, then, that the soul, after it has been definitely converted to the service of God, is, as a rule, spiritually nurtured and caressed by God, even as is the tender child by its loving mother, who warms it with the heat of her bosom and nurtures it with sweet milk and soft and pleasant food, and carries it and caresses it in her arms; but, as the child grows bigger, the mother gradually ceases caressing it, and, hiding her tender love, puts bitter aloes upon her sweet breast, sets down the child from her arms and makes it walk upon its feet, so that it may lose the habits of a child and betake itself to more important and substantial occupations. The loving mother is like the grace of God, for, as soon as the soul is regenerated by its new warmth and fervour for the service of God, He treats it in the same way; He makes it to find spiritual milk, sweet and delectable, in all the things of God, without any labor of its own, and also great pleasure in spiritual exercises, for here God is giving to it the breast of His tender love, even as to a tender child.”

Catherine Doherty wrote: 

“The duty of the moment is what you should be doing at any given time, in whatever place God has put you.

You may not have Christ in a homeless person at your door, but you may have a little child.

If you have a child, your duty of the moment may be to change a dirty diaper.

So you do it.”

The “Little Mandate” of Catherine Doherty is: 

“Arise, go! Sell all you possess. Give it directly, personally to the poor. Take up My cross (their cross) and follow Me, going to the poor, being poor, being one with them, one with Me.

Little, be always little, simple, poor, childlike.

Preach the Gospel with your life, without compromise. Listen to the Spirit; He will lead you.

Do little things exceedingly well for love of Me.

Love, love, love, never counting the cost.

Go into the market place and stay with Me. Pray, fast. Pray always: fast.

Be hidden. Be a light to your neighbor's feet. Go without fears into the depth of men's hearts. I shall be with you.

Pray always. I will be your rest.”

Prayer: God, give us grace to preach the Gospel with our lives, without compromise. Amen.