A great pope and St John of the Cross

I have been continuing to peruse the newsletter from the OCDS communities in Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania that I spoke about yesterday. Right at the end there is a little section containing a quotation from St John Paul II, reminding me that this great pope cherished Carmel and twice expressed a desire to become a Carmelite although it came to nothing. He wrote a doctoral thesis on John of the Cross. The quotation in question is taken from his Apostolic Letter Master in the Faith. He writes of John of the Cross: 'His writings are a treasure to be shared with all those who seek the face of God today ... From the first years of my priestly formation, I found in him a sure guide in the ways of faith.' Inspiring words for Carmelites by one who I think of as St John Paul the Great for his enormous impact on the world at large, on the Church, and on the many souls who loved him.