John of the Cross Quotes

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.

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

Where there is no love, pour love in, and you will draw love out.

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

Silence is God's first language.

Never give up prayer, and should you find dryness and difficulty, persevere in it for this very reason. God often desires to see what love your soul has, and love is not tried by ease and satisfaction.

To love is to be transformed into what we love. To love God is therefore to be transformed into God.

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

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.

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.

However softly we speak, God is so close to us that he can hear us; nor do we need wings to go in search of him, but merely to seek solitude and contemplate him within ourselves, without being surprised to find such a good Guest there.

In sorrow and suffering, go straight to God with confidence, and you will be strengthened, enlightened and instructed.

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.

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.

God leads every soul by a separate path.

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.

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.

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.

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.

If you do not learn to deny yourself, you can make no progress in perfection.

The soul that walks in love neither tires others nor grows tired.

Now that I no longer desire all, I have it all without desire.

The road is narrow. He who wishes to travel it more easily must cast off all things and use the cross as his cane. In other words, he must be truly resolved to suffer willingly for the love of God in all things.

He who avoids prayer is avoiding everything that is good.

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