100 St John Of The Cross Quotes From The Spanish Priest And Mystic
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St. John of the Cross was known as the Doctor of the Church.
The famous works of Saint John include the 'Dark Night of the Soul' and the 'Spiritual Canticle.' His works are considered divine and among the best pieces of Spanish poetry.
We have collated some memorable John of the Cross quotes for you. If you like such quotes, then check out St. Therese of Lisieux quotes and [St. Ignatius quotes].
Famous Saint John Quotes
Read St. John of the Cross's quotes to embark on a spiritual journey and cast true light of love upon God.
1. "Lord, I shall see you no more with the eyes of the flesh..."
-John of the Cross.
2. "Seek in reading and thou shalt find in meditation."
-John of the Cross.
3. "Knock in prayer and it shall be opened in contemplation."
-John of the Cross.
4. "To saints, their very slumber is a prayer."
-Saint John.
5. "The endurance of darkness is the preparation for great light."
-St John.
6. "The soul that is quick to turn to speaking and conversing is slow to turn to God."
-St John.
7. "Who teaches the soul if not God?"
-St John.
8. "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."
-St John.
9. "If a man wishes to be sure of the road he treads on, he must close his eyes and walk in the dark."
-St John.
10. "In tribulation immediately draw near to God with confidence, and you will receive strength, enlightenment, and instruction."
-St John.
11. "In order to come to union with the wisdom of God, the soul has to proceed rather by unknowing than by knowing…"
-St John.
12. "Among all created things, and things that can be apprehended by the understanding, there is no ladder whereby the understanding can attain to this high Lord."
-St John.
13. "This perfection consists in voiding and stripping and purifying the soul of every desire."
-St John.
14. "Let all find compassion in you."
-St John.
15. "Obedience is a penance of reason, and, on that account, a sacrifice more acceptable than all corporal penances and mortifications."
-St John.
16. "My spirit has become dry because it forgets to feed on You."
-St John.
17. "The soul that journey's to God, but doesn't shake off its cares and quiet its appetites, is like someone who drags a cart of dirt uphill."
-St John.
18. "If you lose an opportunity you will be like one who lets the bird fly away; you will never get it back."
-St John.
19. "Strive always to confess your sins with a deep knowledge of your own wretchedness and with clarity and purity."
-St John.
20. "God is a dark night to man in this life."
-St John.
21. "Not to follow the advice of our confessor is pride and a want of faith."
-St John.
22. "The fly that lands on honey makes its flight impossible."
-St John.
23. "The soul, which does not want to give up the flavor of the spirit, prevents its freedom and its contemplation."
-St John.
24. "Oh cherished Cross! Through thee my most bitter trials are replete with graces!"
-St John.
25. "An action done entirely and purely for God, with a pure heart, creates a whole kingdom for those who make it."
-St John.
26. "It is best to learn to silence the faculties and to cause them to be still so that God may speak."
-St John.
27. "Do not ask for anything other than the cross, and precisely without consolation, because this is perfect."
-St John.
28. "Lord, my God, do not turn away from those who do not turn away from you: how can they say that you are absent?"
-St John.
29. "You will not find what you want or most desire, neither on this road of yours nor for that of high contemplation, but in a great humility and submission of heart."
-St John.
30. "Make sure not to get involved in other people's things and not to let them even pass through your memory, because maybe you won't be able to complete your work."
-St John.
31. "If a man wishes to be sure of the road he's traveling on, then he must close his eyes and travel in the dark."
-John of the Cross.
32. "Speak little and do not meddle in matters about which you are not asked."
-Saint John.
33. "Now that I no longer desire all, I have it all without desire… Having nothing and possessing all things."
-Saint John.
34. "Whoever flees prayer flees all that is good."
-Saint John.
35. "More is gained in one hour from God's good things than in a whole lifetime from our own."
-Saint John.
36. "Be silent concerning what God may have given you and recall that saying of the bride: My secret for myself."
-Saint John.
37. "Deny your desires and you will find what your heart longs for. "
-Saint John.
38. "For how do you know if any desire of yours is according to God?"
-Saint John.
39. "Whoever does not seek the cross of Christ doesn't seek the glory of Christ."
-Saint John.
40. "God leads every soul by a separate path."
-Saint John.
41. "If you do not learn to deny yourself, you can make no progress in perfection."
-Saint John.
42. "Silence is God's first language."
-Saint John.
43. "He who avoids prayer is avoiding everything that is good."
-Saint John.
St John Of The Cross Quotes On Suffering
Don't give up even when things look disappointing. The below quotes will motivate you to work your way through the darkness.
44. "Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you, remember Christ crucified and be silent."
-Saint John.
45. "In sorrow and suffering, go straight to God with confidence, and you will be strengthened, enlightened and instructed."
-Saint John.
46. "The road is narrow. He who wishes to travel it more easily must cast off all things and use the Cross as his cane."
-Saint John.
47. "In other words, he must be truly resolved to suffer willingly for the love of God in all things."
-Saint John.
48. "Beloved, all that is harsh and difficult I want for myself, and all that is gentle and sweet for thee."
-Saint John.
49. "Strive to preserve your heart in peace; let no event of this world disturb it."
-Saint John.
50. "In the inner stillness where meditation leads, the Spirit secretly anoints the soul and heals our deepest wounds."
-Saint John.
51. "The purest suffering bears and carries in its train the purest understanding."
-Saint John.
52. "In the dark night of the soul, bright flows the river of God."
-Saint John.
53. "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."
-Saint John.
54. "God desires the smallest degree of purity of conscience in you more than all the works you can perform."
-Saint John.
55. "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."
-Saint John.
56. "Faith is a dark night for man, but in this very way it gives him light."
-Saint John.
57. "Yearning: It needs to hurt in order to be worthy of the word. Otherwise it is just wanting."
-Saint John.
58. "At the end of our life, we shall all be judged by charity."
-Saint John.
59. "Live as though only God and yourself were in this world, so that your heart may not be detained by anything human."
-Saint John.
60. "God passes through the thicket of the world, and wherever His glance falls He turns all things to beauty."
-Saint John.
61. "Faith is the union of God and the soul."
-Saint John.
62. "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.
63. "The eternal tide flows hid in Living Bread. That with its Heavenly Life too be fed."
-John of the Cross.
64. "Desolation is a file, and the endurance of darkness is preparation for great light."
-John of the Cross.
65. "The window of the soul cleansed perfectly and made completely transparent by the divine light."
-John of the Cross.
66. "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.
67. "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.
68. "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.
69. "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.
70. "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.
71. "Now that I no longer desire all, I have it all without desire."
-John of the Cross.
72. "Let my soul live as if separated from my body."
-John of the Cross.
St. John Of The Cross Quotes On Love
An act of pure love is divine and gives us peace. Best St. John's quotes listed here will show you the importance of love and how it helps to walk away from the darkness in life.
73. "Where there is no love, pour love in, and you will draw love out."
-John of the Cross.
74. "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.
75. "Take God for your spouse and friend and walk with him continually, and you will not sin and will learn to love."
-Saint John.
76. "The soul that walks in love neither tires others nor grows tired."
-John of the Cross.
77. "Love consists not in feeling great things but in having great detachment and in suffering for the Beloved."
-John of the Cross.
78. "Never give up prayer, and should you find dryness and difficulty, persevere in it for this very reason."
-John of the Cross.
79. "God often desires to see what love your soul has, and love is not tried by ease and satisfaction."
-John of the Cross.
80. "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.
81. "Have a great love for those who contradict and fail to love you..."
-John of the Cross.
82. "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.
83. "There is nothing better or more necessary than love."
-John of the Cross.
84. "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.
85. "When there is no love, pour in love and you shall draw out love."
-John of the Cross.
86. "O Lord, my God, who will seek You with simple and pure love and not find You are All he desires."
-John of the Cross.
87. "Where there is no love, put love and you will find love."
-John of the Cross.
88. "My sole occupation is love."
-John of the Cross.
89. "Faith is like the feet wherewith the soul journeys to God, and love is the guide that directs it."
-John of the Cross.
90. "In the evening of life, we will be judged on love alone."
-John of the Cross.
91. "All the powers of soul and body, memory, understanding, and will, interior and exterior senses, the desires of spirit and of sense, all work in and by love..."
-John of the Cross.
92. "What we need most in order to make progress is to be silent before this great God with our appetite and with our tongue, for the language he best hears is silent love."
-John of the Cross.
93. "A soul enkindled with love is a gentle, meek, humble, and patient soul. "
-John of the Cross.
94. "To be taken with love for a soul, God does not look on its greatness, but the greatness of its humility."
-John of the Cross.
95. "Wisdom enters through love, silence, and mortification."
-John of the Cross.
96. "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.
97. "In the twilight of life, God will not judge us on our earthly possessions and human successes, but on how well we have loved."
-John of the Cross.
98. "Faith and love will lead you along a path unknown to you, to the place where God is hidden."
-John of the Cross.
99. "To love is to be transformed into what we love."
-John of the Cross.
100. "To love God is, therefore, to be transformed into God."
-John of the Cross.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for St John Of The Cross Quotes, then why not take a look at St Francis de Sales quotes, or St Vincent De Paul quotes.
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Bachelor of Arts Hons specializing in Modern Languages (French and Spanish)
Monisha KochharBachelor of Arts Hons specializing in Modern Languages (French and Spanish)
A Modern Languages graduate from the University College London, Monisha with a passion for travel and exploring different cultures. She is fluent in French and Spanish and is currently learning Hindi. Monisha enjoys discovering new foods and is an avid sports fan, following soccer and Formula 1. In her spare time, she enjoys playing tennis and watching TV shows.
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