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My sole occupation is love.

John of the Cross

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.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Desire Knowledge Possession Reach Satisfaction
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.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Excellence Goodness Love Remember Value
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
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
Obedience is a penance of reason, and, on that account, a sacrifice more acceptable than all corporal penances and mortifications.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Acceptance Obedience Reason Sacrifice
He who avoids prayer is avoiding everything that is good.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Avoid Goodness Prayer
Not to follow the advice of our confessor is pride and a want of faith.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Advice Faith Ourselves
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
God is a dark night to man in this life.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Darkness God Life Man Night
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
The purest suffering bears and carries in its train the purest understanding.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Purity Carry Training Understand
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
Faith is a dark night for man, but in this very way it gives him light.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Darkness Faith Himself Light Man Night Way
Who teaches the soul if not God?
JOHN OF THE CROSS

God Soul Spiritual Teaching
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.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Earth God Heart Himself Live Soul World
The window of the soul cleansed perfectly and made completely transparent by the divine light.
JOHN OF THE CROSS

Divine Light Perfection Soul Window

My sole occupation is love.

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My sole occupation is love.

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