Saint John of the Cross Quotes

Saint John of the Cross Quotes

Where there is no love, put love and you will find love.

A soul enkindled with love is a gentle, meek, humble, and patient soul. 

To be taken with love for a soul, God does not look on its greatness, but the greatness of its humility.

To saints, their very slumber is a prayer.

Wisdom enters through love, silence, and mortification. 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.

God desires the smallest degree of purity of conscience in you more than all the works you can perform. 

What we need most in order to make progress is to be silent before this great God with our appetite and with our tongue, for the language he best hears is silent love. 

And when the soul suffers the direct assault of this Divine light, its pain, which results from its impurity, is immense; because, when this pure light assails the soul, in order to expel its impurity, the soul feels itself to be so impure and miserable that it believes God to be against it, and thinks that it has set itself up against God. This causes it sore grief and pain, because it now believes that God has cast it away: this was one of the greatest trials which Job felt when God sent him this experience, and he said: "Why hast Thou set me contrary to Thee, so that I am grievous and burdensome to myself?" (Job vii, 20) For, by means of this pure light, the soul now sees its impurity clearly (although darkly), and knows clearly that it is unworthy of God or of any creature. And what gives it most pain is that it thinks that it will never be worthy and that its good things are all over for it. This is caused by the profound immersion of its spirit in the knowledge and realization of its evils and miseries; for this Divine and dark light now reveals them all to the eye, that it may see clearly how in its own strength it can never have aught else.

The more lofty the degree of loving union to which God destines the soul, so much more profound and persistent must be its purification. 

Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you, remember Christ crucified and be silent.

If a man wishes to be sure of the road he treads on, he must close his eyes and walk in the dark.

How can you venture to live without fear, seeing that you must appear before God to give an account of your lightest words and thoughts?

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.

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

In tribulation immediately draw near to God with confidence, and you will receive strength, enlightenment, and instruction.”

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.

O Lord, my God, who will seek You with simple and pure love and not find You are All he desires. . .'

In the evening of life, we will be judged on love alone.

Wait upon God with loving and pure attentiveness, working no violence on yourself lest you disturb the soul's peace and tranquility. God will feed your soul with heavenly food since you put no obstacle in His way. The soul in this state must remember that if it is not conscious of making progress, it is making much more than when it was walking on foot, because God Himself is bearing it in His arms. Although outwardly it is doing nothing, it is in reality doing more than if it were working, since God is doing the work within it. And it is not remarkable that the soul does not see this, for our senses cannot perceive what God does in the soul. . . if the soul stays in God's care it will certainly make progress.

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

If you purify your soul of attachment to and desire for things, you will understand them spiritually. If you deny your appetite for them, you will enjoy their truth, understanding what is certain in them.

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.

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.

Mine are the heavens and mine is the earth; mine are the people, the righteous are mine and mine are the sinners; the angels are mine and the Mother of God, and all things are mine; and God Himself is mine and for me, for Christ is mine and all fo

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