Today, May 10, is the memorial of Saint John of Avila.
Doctor of the Church.
Born to wealth and piety in 1499, John was sent to the University of Salamanca, Spain to study law at age 14. Unfortunately, John decided that law was not for him, and so he left.
When John returned home, he observed an austere way of life and ascended the heights of holiness. He would later resume his academics, this time to study philosophy and theology.
After the death of his parents, John sold his family’s property and gave away the wealth to the poor.
He also pursued preaching, which was met with great success. People would crowd the church just to listen to his sermons. He was fearless in speaking out against the sins of his times, and was usually the target of vindictive people who were offended by his teachings. He became known as the Apostle of Andalusia.
John was an in-demand spiritual director. His clients were St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Francis Borgia, St. Peter of Alcantara, St. Louis of Granada, and St. John of God.
He wrote many treatises and spiritual masterpieces that are still in use to this very day.
In life, John was not exactly a healthy person. He died of natural causes in 1569 at age 70 in Cordoba, Spain.
In 1893, he was beatified by Pope Leo XIII. He was canonized in 1970 by Pope St. Paul VI. He was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.