John of the Cross famous quotes

Whoever does not seek the cross of Christ doesn't seek the glory of Christ.
-- John of the Cross

#Doe #Saint #Christ

Take God for your spouse and friend and walk with him continually, and you will not sin and will learn to love, and the things you must do will work out prosperously for you.
-- John of the Cross

#Prayer #Work Out #Sin

He who loses an opportunity is like the man who lets a bird fly from his hand, for he will never recover it.
-- John of the Cross

#Opportunity #Men #Hands

Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you, remember Christ crucified and be silent.
-- John of the Cross

#Suffering #Remember #Christ

God leads every soul by a separate path.
-- John of the Cross

#Soul #Path #Individual

In the inner stillness where meditation leads, the Spirit secretly anoints the soul and heals our deepest wounds.
-- John of the Cross

#Meditation #Soul #Spirit

Where there is no love, pour love in, and you will draw love out.
-- John of the Cross

#Love #Inner Peace #Draws

A Christian should always remember that the value of his good works is not based on their number and excellence, but on the love of God which prompts him to do these things.
-- John of the Cross

#Christian #Spiritual #Numbers

Contemplation is nothing else but a secret, peaceful, and loving infusion of God, which, if admitted, will set the soul on fire with the Spirit of love.
-- John of the Cross

#Spiritual #Fire #Peaceful

The eternal tide flows hid in Living Bread. That with its Heavenly Life too be fed...
-- John of the Cross

#Flow #Tides #Bread

Faith is a dark night for man, but in this very way it gives him light.
-- John of the Cross

#Dark #Night #Men

Love consists not in feeling great things but in having great detachment and in suffering for the Beloved. The soul that is attached to anything, however much good there may be in it, will not arrive at the liberty of Divine union. For whether it be a strong wire rope or a slender and delicate thread that holds the bird, it matters not, if it really holds it fast; for until the cord be broken, the bird cannot fly.
-- John of the Cross

#Strong #Broken #Bird

God desires from you the least degree of purity of conscience more than all the works you can perform.
-- John of the Cross

#Desire #Degrees #Saint

See that you are not suddenly saddened by the adversities of this world, for you do not know the good they bring, being ordained in the judgments of God for the everlasting joy of the elect.
-- John of the Cross

#Christian #Adversity #Joy

However high be your endeavors, unless you renounce and subjugate your own will - unless you forget yourself and all that pertains to yourself - not one step will you advance on the road to perfection.
-- John of the Cross

#Perfection #Steps #Forget You

At the end of our life, we shall all be judged by charity.
-- John of the Cross

#Faith #Inspiration #Charity

Strive always to confess your sins with a deep knowledge of your own wretchedness and with clarity and purity.
-- John of the Cross

#Clarity #Sin #Purity

The soul that walks in love neither tires others nor grows tired.
-- John of the Cross

#Tired #Soul #Walks

In the dark night of the soul, bright flows the river of God.
-- John of the Cross

#Dark #Night #Rivers

In the twilight of life, God will not judge us on our earthly possessions and human success, but rather on how much we have loved.
-- John of the Cross

#Peace #Twilight #Judging

In sorrow and suffering, go straight to God with confidence, and you will be strengthened, enlightened and instructed.
-- John of the Cross

#Sympathy #Suffering #Sorrow

The window of the soul cleansed perfectly and made completely transparent by the divine light
-- John of the Cross

#Light #Soul #Window

If you do not learn to deny yourself, you can make no progress in perfection.
-- John of the Cross

#Perfection #Progress #Deny

Not to follow the advice of our confessor is pride and a want of faith.
-- John of the Cross

#Pride #Advice #Want

If you lose an opportunity you will be like one who lets the bird fly away; you will never get it back.
-- John of the Cross

#Opportunity #Bird #Fly Away

Would that men might come at last to see that it is quite impossible to reach the thicket of the riches and wisdom of God except by first entering the thicket of much suffering, in such a way that the soul finds there its consolation and desire. The soul that longs for divine wisdom chooses first, and in truth, to enter the thicket of the cross.
-- John of the Cross

#Men #Soul #Suffering

In tribulation immediately draw near to God with confidence, and you will receive strength, enlightenment, and instruction.
-- John of the Cross

#Confidence #Enlightenment #Instruction

God passes through the thicket of the world, and wherever His glance falls He turns all things to beauty.
-- John of the Cross

#Fall #Saint #World

Live in faith and hope, though it be in darkness, for in this darkness God protects the soul. Cast your care upon God for you are His and He will not forget you. Do not think that He is leaving you alone, for that would be to wrong Him.
-- John of the Cross

#Thinking #Leaving #Soul

Live in the world as if only God and your soul were in it; then your heart will never be made captive by any earthly thing.
-- John of the Cross

#Heart #Soul #World

They say, "God told me", or "God replied to me". And yet most of the time they are talking to themselves.
-- John of the Cross

#Talking #Saint

It is great wisdom to know how to be silent and to look at neither the remarks, nor the deeds, nor the lives of others.
-- John of the Cross

#Looks #Deeds #Silent

Love consists not in feeling great things but in having great detachment and in suffering for the Beloved.
-- John of the Cross

#Life #Feelings #Suffering

Abide in peace, banish cares, take no account of all that happens, and you will serve God according to his good pleasure and rest in him.
-- John of the Cross

#Care #Pleasure #Serving God

The virtuous soul that is alone and without a master is like a long lone burning coal; it will grow colder rather than hotter.
-- John of the Cross

#Inspirational #Long #Soul

For true devotion must issue from the heart, and consist in the truth and substances alone of what is represented by spiritual things; all the rest is affection and attachment proceeding from imperfection; and in order that one may pass to any kind of perfection it is necessary for such desires to be killed.
-- John of the Cross

#Spiritual #Heart #Attachment

Never relax, for you will not attain to the possession of true spiritual delights if first you do not learn to deny your every desire.
-- John of the Cross

#Spiritual #Attachment #Desire

The purest suffering bears and carries in its train the purest understanding.
-- John of the Cross

#Understanding #Suffering #Bears

The eternal spring is hidden in this living bread for our life's sake, although it is night. It is here calling out to creatures; and they satisfy their thirst, although in darkness, because it is night. This living spring that I long for, I see in this bread of life, although it is night.
-- John of the Cross

#Spring #Night #Long

If it were given to a man to see virtue's reward in the next world, he would occupy his intellect, memory and will in nothing but good works, careless of danger or fatigue.
-- John of the Cross

#Memories #Men #Rewards

Silence is God's first language.
-- John of the Cross

#Silence #Firsts #Language

God is a dark night to man in this life.
-- John of the Cross

#Dark #Night #Men

The divine awakening produces in the soul of the perfect a flame of love which is a participate of that living flame which is the Holy Spirit Himself...this is the operation of the Holy Spirit in the soul that is transformed in love.
-- John of the Cross

#Flames #Perfect #Soul

The conditions of a solitary bird are five: The first, that it flies to the highest point; The Second, that it does not suffer for company, not even of its own kind; The Third, that it aims its beak to the skies; The Fourth, that it does not have a definite color; The Fifth, that it sings very softly.
-- John of the Cross

#Color #Sky #Bird

Now that I no longer desire all, I have it all without desire.
-- John of the Cross

#Desire

Though the path is plain and smooth for men of good will, he who walks it will not travel far, and will do so only with difficulty, if he does not have good feet: that is, courage and a persevering spirit.
-- John of the Cross

#Men #Feet #Doe

He who interrupts the course of his spiritual exercises and prayer is like a man who allows a bird to escape from his hand; he can hardly catch it again.
-- John of the Cross

#Spiritual #Prayer #Exercise

To love is to be transformed into what we love. To love God is therefore to be transformed into God.
-- John of the Cross

#Faith #Inspiration #Love Is

Seek by reading and you will find by meditating. Knock by praying, and it will be opened to you in contemplation.
-- John of the Cross

#Faith #Inspiration #Reading

The soul that journey's to God, but doesn't shake off it's cares and quiet it's appetities, is like someone who drags a cart of dirt uphill.
-- John of the Cross

#Journey #Soul #Saint

Who teaches the soul if not God?
-- John of the Cross

#Soul #Saint #Teach

Lord, I shall see you no more with the eyes of the flesh...
-- John of the Cross

#Eye #Flesh #Lord

To reach satisfaction in all desire its possession in nothing, To come to the knowledge of all desire the knowledge of nothing. To come to possess all desire the possession of nothing. To arrive at being all desire to be nothing.
-- John of the Cross

#Inspirational #Desire #Satisfaction

All the powers of soul and body,memory, understanding, and will, interior and exterior senses, thedesires of spirit and of sense, all workin and by love...
-- John of the Cross

#Life #Memories #Understanding

Do not let your "eye" be drawn by the false "beacon lamps" -of wealth, or position, or fame, or possessions. Be vigilant over your will and desires, for these are the corrupt forces that dwell within, and keep you from living free.
-- John of the Cross

#Eye #Over You #Desire

Upon a darkened night the flame of love was burning in my breastAnd by a lantern bright I fled my house while all in quiet rest.Shrouded by the night and by the secret stair I quickly fled.The veil concealed my eyes while all within lay quiet as the dead
-- John of the Cross

#Eye #Night #Flames

Oh, night that guided me, Oh, night more lovely than the dawn,Oh, night that joined Beloved with lover, Lover transformed in the Beloved!
-- John of the Cross

#Night #Lovely #Dawn

I have said this to explain the stanza that follows, in which the soul replies to those who call in question its holy tranquillity, who will have it wholly occupied with outward duties, that its light may shine before the world: these persons have no conception of the fibres and the unseen root whence the sap is drawn, and which nourish the fruit.
-- John of the Cross

#Light #Roots #Shining

He who loves is not ashamed before men of what he does for God, neither does he hide it through shame though the whole world should condemn it.
-- John of the Cross

#Love Is #Men #Doe

When a soul has advanced so far on the spiritual road as to be lost to all the natural methods of communing with God; when it seeks Him no longer by meditation, images, impressions, nor by any other created ways, or representations of sense, but only by rising above them all, in the joyful communion with Him by faith and love, then it may be said to have found God of a truth, because it has truly lost itself as to all that is not God, and also as to its own self.
-- John of the Cross

#Spiritual #Self #Meditation

There is nothing better or morenecessary than love.
-- John of the Cross

#Life #Love Life

At the evening of life, we shall be judged on our love.
-- John of the Cross

#Love #Life #Evening

Have a great love for those who contradict and fail to love you, for in this way love is begotten in a heart that has no love.
-- John of the Cross

#Love You #Heart #Love Is

Desolation is a file, and the endurance of darkness is preparation for great light.
-- John of the Cross

#Light #Darkness #Preparation

My sole occupation is love.
-- John of the Cross

#Life #Love Life #Occupation

Let all find COMPASSION in YOU.
-- John of the Cross

#Compassion

In search of my Love I will go over mountains and strands; I will gather no flowers, I will fear no wild beasts; And pass by the mighty and the frontiers.
-- John of the Cross

#Life #Flower #Mountain

Yearning: It needs to hurt in order to be worthy of the word. Otherwise it is just wanting.
-- John of the Cross

#Hurt #Order #Needs

When there is no love, pour in love and you shall draw out love.
-- John of the Cross

#Law Of Attraction #Draws #Attraction

Seek in reading and thou shalt find in meditation; knock in prayer and it shall be opened in contemplation.
-- John of the Cross

#Prayer #Reading #Meditation

Live as though only God and yourself were in this world, so that your heart may not be detained by anything human.
-- John of the Cross

#Heart #World #May