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Obedience is a penance of reason, and, on that account, a sacrifice more acceptable than all corporal penances and mortifications.

John of the Cross

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

Learning Perfection Progress Yourself
God leads every soul by a separate path.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

God Leadership Path Separate
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
Lord, I shall see you no more with the eyes of the flesh.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Eyes Myself See
Desolation is a file, and the endurance of darkness is preparation for great light.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Darkness Endurance Greatness Light Preparation
Silence is God’s first language.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

God Language One Liner Silence
In sorrow and suffering, go straight to God with confidence, and you will be strengthened, enlightened and instructed.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Enlightenment Instruction Sorrow Strength Suffering Yourself
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

Care Intellectual Man Memories See Virtue
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
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
God desires the smallest degree of purity of conscience in you more than all the works you can perform.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Conscience Desire God Performance Purity Small Work
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
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
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
Let all find COMPASSION in YOU.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Compassionate Kindness Yourself
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
Where there is no love, pour love in, and you will draw love out.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

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

Darkness God Night River Soul
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
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

Bird Lose Opportunity Yourself
My spirit has become dry because it forgets to feed on You.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Dry Forget Spirit Yourself
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
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
Not to follow the advice of our confessor is pride and a want of faith.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Advice Faith Ourselves
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

Account Goodness Peace Service Yourself

Obedience is a penance of reason, and, on that account, a sacrifice more acceptable than all corporal penances and mortifications.

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Obedience is a penance of reason, and, on that account, a sacrifice more acceptable than all corporal penances and mortifications.

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