FIRST-CLASS RELIC OF SAINT JOHN OF THE CROSS

Rare reliquary in silvered bronze with a glass front containing the first-class relic Ex Ossibus of Saint John of the Cross.

The relic is fixed at the center of a refined setting. It rests on a deep red fabric background; this color, omnipresent in Christian liturgy, symbolizes the blood of Christ and His redemptive sacrifice. Around the relic, a radiant motif in gold leaf evokes a divine halo, reinforcing its sacred character.

Below, a label in paper or parchment bears the inscription "Ex Oss. S. Joannis de Cruce C.D." → From the bones of Saint John of the Cross, Confessor and Doctor (of the Church).

Good condition of use with its original glass.

Unopened.

Ecclesiastical seal and silk threads present.

EPOCH : 18th century
DIMENSION : 4 cm X 3.5 cm
SIZE : 1.6" X 1.4"

Saint John of the Cross (1542–1591) was a Spanish Carmelite, reformer of the Order of Carmel alongside Saint Teresa of Ávila. Born in Fontiveros, he embraced religious life very early, marked by a profound quest for detachment and union with God. Mystic and poet, he is the author of major spiritual works such as The Dark Night and The Ascent of Mount Carmel, which explore the stages of inner purification. His doctrine insists on renunciation, absolute love, and abandonment to the divine will. Despite opposition and even imprisonment, he remained faithful to his reform mission and to his ideal of poverty. Canonized in 1726, he was proclaimed Doctor of the Church in 1926. Today, he is recognized as one of the greatest spiritual masters of the Christian tradition.