black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

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

In the dark night of the soul, bright flows the river of God.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Darkness God Night River Soul
All the powers of soul and body, memory, understanding, and will, interior and exterior senses, the desires of spirit and of sense, all workin and by love.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Body Desire Love Memories Power Soul Work
The window of the soul cleansed perfectly and made completely transparent by the divine light.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Divine Light Perfection Soul Window
Yearning: It needs to hurt in order to be worthy of the word. Otherwise it is just wanting.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Hurt Need Word Worth
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

Earth God Human Judgement Life Love Possession Success
Seek in reading and thou shalt find in meditation; knock in prayer and it shall be opened in contemplation.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Meditation Open Prayer Reading Seek
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.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Desire Difficult Give Up God Love Prayer Reason Satisfaction Soul
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

Greatness Live Remark Silence Wisdom
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

Failure Greatness Heart Love
Seek in reading and you will find in meditation; knock in prayer and it will be opened to you in contemplation.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Meditation Open Prayer Reading Seek Yourself
Beloved, all that is harsh and difficult I want for myself, and all that is gentle and sweet for thee.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Devotion Difficult God Myself Tough
Strive always to confess your sins with a deep knowledge of your own wretchedness and with clarity and purity.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Clarity Confession Purity Sin Strive
He who avoids prayer is avoiding everything that is good.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Avoid Goodness Prayer
Love consists not in feeling great things but in having great detachment and in suffering for the Beloved.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Detachment Feeling God Greatness Love Suffering
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

Courage Goodness Man Path Perseverance Spirit
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

Alone Burn Cold Growth Hot Master Soul Virtue
The purest suffering bears and carries in its train the purest understanding.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Purity Carry Training Understand
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

Hide Himself Love Shame World
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

Adversity God Joy Judgement Sadness World
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.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Easy God Road Suffering Travel Willing
Who teaches the soul if not God?
JOHN OF THE CROSS

God Soul Spiritual Teaching
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

Guide Love Myself Night Transformation
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

Fear Flower Love Mountain Myself Search Wild
God passes through the thicket of the world, and wherever His glance falls He turns all things to beauty.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Beautiful Fall God World
The soul of one who serves God always swims in joy, always keeps holiday, is always in her palace of jubilation, ever singing with fresh ardor and fresh pleasure a new song of joy and love.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Happiness Holiday Joy Love Service Soul
If you do not learn to deny yourself, you can make no progress in perfection.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Learning Perfection Progress Yourself
Never listen to accounts of the frailty of others; and if anyone should complain to you of another, humbly ask him not to speak about him at all.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Complain Fragile Himself Humble Listening Talk

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.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More John of the Cross Quotes