Today May 10

Today is the feast of Blessed John of Ávila, died 1569. He was a friend of St. Ignatius of Loyola and always wanted to join the Society of Jesus but never did. His rejection was attributed to the bad attitude of the provincial, Father Bustamante. But with real knowledge (he was a graduate of the University of Alcalà, one the best in his country, a philosophy and theology major), wisdom (which he attributed entirely to his love of God), and zeal (he preached all over), he preached as a priest in Spain, though his real desire was to be a missionary in Mexico. His bishop told him his own Spain would be his mission, and John was obedient. He became the spiritual adviser of St. Teresa of Ávila, and a friend of St. John of God, St. Francis Borgia and Venerable Louis of Grenada, his biographer. (I suppose it's a really good idea to befriend your biographer, eh?) He was inspirational in his homilies, often causing even hardcases to break down and go to confession, turning their lives around. He wasn't afraid of speaking the truth to power, as they say, and was even arrested by the Spanish Inquisition, which couldn't have been any fun. The charge was one of "rigorism and teaching the exclusion of the rich from the Kingdom of Heaven." He was exonerated of heresy but had won for himself some bitter enemies. The people, however, loved him and he preached missions to them, corresponded regularly to all who wrote him, and died peacefully shortly after his 59th year. He is buried in the Jesuit church in Montilla and is featured in the Jesuit calendar almost as if he were one of their own.