Saint John of God, an extraordinary man

To speak of a saint is to speak of an extraordinary man or woman, but not for what we usually imagine to be beyond our reach, but rather for the opposite reason.

A saint is someone who, with great determination and inner conviction, believes in the word of God and strives to put it into practice with the best of intentions. As Pope Francis says, we must find the "saint next door" in those people who are always ready to help and serve.

I want to talk to you about a saint from another time, but whose personality and inner conviction have brought him to our days, "old" in time, but fiercely relevant in his charism.

Juan Ciudad Duarte, as he was known in civilian life, was a restless and inquisitive man, and that was his nature. Looking at his biography, we are surprised at certain points by his wanderings, which some might interpret as adventurous and others as nonconformist, challenging established societal norms.

From his diverse and often contradictory occupations, from a peaceful shepherd in Oropesa to a soldier in the war, there is a tremendous difference in his journey. From the peace and serenity of the countryside to the battlefield, which is anything but serene. As a soldier, he is nearly executed due to a moment of carelessness. There is no doubt that all these experiences, for a restless and searching man, led him toward dissatisfaction and the search for something different that would make him feel fulfilled.

He continued his journey through various trades, from bricklayer to bookseller, but in all of them he never quite found himself or his desire for greater fulfillment and happiness. Then, a renowned preacher, John of Ávila, was in Granada. And John of God felt compelled to listen to the teachings this man of strong faith offered.

And as with all men, when it comes to big decisions there is an internal mechanism that says: "that is the path I was looking for and couldn't quite find. It contradicts what I have lived and it contradicts what society proposes, but it is my path to fulfillment."

The problem is that following this path of radicalism requires deviating from the norm, and a society inclined towards security and comfort doesn't understand why someone would do things differently. Instead of seeking constructive dialogue, an easy solution is proposed: we label him "crazy" and isolate him by locking him up in the Royal Hospital of Granada.

And we justify it by saying that we've built a space for "different" people, people with inappropriate behavior, who were surely labeled antisocial at the time. Perhaps we haven't progressed much despite the time that has passed, and that temptation to protect ourselves from those who are different still exists.

But his path, which has begun to see a new and different light within him, is further strengthened when he experiences firsthand the treatment of people and understands, existentially, that this is not a path of humanity but of dehumanization, and therefore he pronounces that profound and visionary conviction:

"Jesus Christ my God, bring me a time when I can gather the poor, helpless, and misguided, to heal them with charity and love."

This is the beginning of a seeker who has found his path and now understands that he must prepare himself. That is why he travels to Guadalupe where, with the monks—a true school of medicine in those times—he acquires the knowledge and skills to treat the sick as he wishes and believes it should be done.

Compassionate and hospitable to those who suffer

But the issue isn't so easily resolved. Now that she has a firm purpose and the knowledge, she needs the resources. And from her life experience, she understands that solidarity depends on people understanding that to grow as humanity, it is essential to help one another. Therefore, she begins her motto by asking, "Brothers, do good to yourselves," by being supportive and hospitable to those who are suffering and going through very difficult times.

When a person has so much drive and personal conviction, there are no barriers to their mission, and so, seeing that there are so many needs that he cannot cover with the alms from his surroundings, he goes to the King of Spain in Valladolid.

The problem is that he doesn't operate with a rational mind but with an overwhelming spirit of hospitality, and therefore the resources he obtains are squandered with each encounter where he finds people suffering. What he receives in Valladolid doesn't reach Granada…

Therefore, this man is not a saint for doing "strange" or "extraordinary" things. His biography is that of a person searching for meaning and fulfillment in life, and who, when he finds it through the power of faith, discovers convictions and energy to build himself up deeply as a human being, developing his abilities and accepting his weaknesses and limitations.

And this ability to grow as a human being through the strength of spiritual life makes him extraordinary. For so many years, there have been and still are people who truly believe in the existential project of fulfillment and happiness proposed by Juan Ciudad Duarte, which, in accordance with the Gospel of Mercy of Jesus of Nazareth, "who went about doing good to all," led him to holiness and to perpetuate his legacy through time.