O glorious St. John of the Cross,
through a pure desire of being like Jesus crucified,
you longed for nothing so eagerly as to suffer,
to be despised, and to be made little of by all;
and your thirst after sufferings was so burning
that your noble heart rejoiced
in the midst of the cruelest torments and afflictions.
Grant, I beseech you, O dear Saint,
by the glory which your many sufferings have gained for you,
to intercede for me and obtain from God for me a love of suffering,
together with strength and grace
to bear with firmness of mind all the trials and adversities
which are the sure means to the happy attainment
of all that awaits me in heaven.
Dear Saint, from your most happy place in glory,
hear, I beseech you, my prayers, so that after your example,
full of love for the cross
I may deserve to be your companion in glory.
Amen.