Sublime poet, ecstatic exemplar, attentive guide-these are only three of the roles attributed to St. John of the Cross. Many consider the writings of this Carmelite priest to represent the pinnacle of Spanish poetry. Even centuries after his death, he remains a masterful model of spiritual attainment. And for anyone seeking to undertake a personal quest for God, he remains unsurpassed as a spiritual guide, for he is the Christian mystic par excellence,...