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

John of the Cross

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

Escape Exercise Hands Hard Himself Prayer Spiritual
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

God Human Live World Yourself
When there is no love, pour in love and you shall draw out love.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Draw Love
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
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

Hands Himself Lose Man Opportunity Recovery
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
Lord, I shall see you no more with the eyes of the flesh.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Eyes Myself See
The purest suffering bears and carries in its train the purest understanding.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Purity Carry Training Understand
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
Now that I no longer desire all, I have it all without desire.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Desire Gratitude Myself
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

Delight Desire Learning Possession Spiritual True 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
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.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

God Goodness Need Ourselves Seek Soft Solitude Surprise Talk Wings
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
The window of the soul cleansed perfectly and made completely transparent by the divine light.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Divine Light Perfection Soul Window
The eternal tide flows hid in Living Bread. That with its Heavenly Life too be fed.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Feed Flow Heaven Life
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
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
Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you, remember Christ crucified and be silent.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Agreement Remember Silence
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

Corruption Eyes Fame Live Position Possession Yourself
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
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

Love Peaceful Secret Soul Spirit
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
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

God Myself Talk Time
There is nothing better or more necessary than love.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Better Love Necessary
To love is to be transformed into what we love. To love God is therefore to be transformed into God.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Deep God Love Transformation
Desolation is a file, and the endurance of darkness is preparation for great light.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Darkness Endurance Greatness Light Preparation

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

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

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