P. Vojtěch of St. Hedwig OCD
Saint John of the Cross, Short Works and Correspondence,
Kostelní Vydří, 1998, 183 pp.
When, during World War II and shortly afterwards, the works of Saint John of the Cross were gradually published in the Dominican edition Krystal in Olomouc, it was a significant event in the realm of Czech spiritual literature. However, even at that time, the translation by P. Jaroslav Ovečky SJ was somewhat archaizing, so the difference from contemporary speech deepened over the following decades. Adding to that the fact that the otherwise very careful and detailed (perhaps excessively extensive) introductions and notes of this translator and great expert on mysticism reflect the results of theological research in this field from the first half of the twentieth century, but, for completely understandable reasons, cannot go further, it is clear that it was only a matter of time before a new translation would appear after the Velvet Revolution.
After the still somewhat hesitant edition of The Dark Night in 1995, we decided to prepare all the works of the Mystical Master for printing in such a translation and with such accompanying apparatus to meet world standards.
This corresponds to the first title from the mentioned series, which was published in August of this year and is titled Short Works and Correspondence. It contains the following shorter works of the saint: Sayings on Light and Love, Warnings, Four Counsels to a Religious, Steps to Perfection, Evaluation and Endorsement, and Guidelines for the Brotherhood of Nazarenes, as well as the preserved "fragment" of his correspondence consisting of thirty-three letters or their fragments. Besides the fact that each piece is preceded by a brief introduction that outlines the origin, addressees, and content of the work, it is also accompanied by essential factual and textual notes.
A separate work is the General Introduction (pp. 9–57), which introduces the reader to the life, historical background, and writings of Saint John of the Cross, with a discussion of the basic themes and teachings on spiritual development. Each section of this introduction is additionally supplemented with a list of basic supplementary literature in the given field. The aim is to offer the reader, before they immerse themselves in the reading of this "classic" in the field of Christian mysticism, basic orientation that would facilitate their reading and help them avoid common mistakes. The final pages of the general introduction explicitly serve this purpose.
The translation of the work by Dr. Eduard Hodoušek from 1994 is very successful and sensitive. The value of my introductions and notes must be judged by others.
I firmly believe that the publication of this and other volumes of the works of Saint John of the Cross will be at least as significant an event as the aforementioned Dominican edition of Oveček's translation and that it will contribute to the spiritual progress of all who read them.
