St John of the Cross

These are my sayings from The Collected Works of St John of The Cross, trans. Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD & Otilio Rodriguez, OCD, rev. ed. (1991). Peace be with you.

[St John of the Cross @John_oftheCross]

(This acct is being archived. A parting prayer from St. John, appropriate for an age of distraction and social media:)
O Blessed Jesus,
give me stillness of soul in You.
Let Your mighty calmness reign in me.
Rule me, O King of Gentleness,
King of Peace.

[St John of the Cross @John_oftheCross]

So the bride at her betrothal
Did the bridal gifts arrange ;
But the Mother looked in wonder
At the marvellous exchange.

Man gave forth a song of gladness,
God Himself a plaintive moan ;
Both possessing that which never
Had been hitherto their own.

[St John of the Cross @John_oftheCross]

Now at last the destined ages
Their appointed course had run,
When rejoicing from His chamber
Issued forth the Bridegroom Son. He embraced His bride, and held her
Lovingly upon His breast,
And the gracious Mother laid Him
In the manger down to rest.

[St John of the Cross @John_oftheCross]

There He lay, the dumb beasts by Him,
They were fitly stabled there,
While the shepherds and the angels
Filled with melody the air. So the feast of their espousals
With solemnity was kept ;
But Almighty God, an Infant,
In the manger moaned and wept.

[St John of the Cross @John_oftheCross]

A bird caught in a birdlime has a twofold task: It must free itself and cleanse itself. And by satisfying their appetites, people suffer in a twofold way: they must detach themselves and, after being detached, clean themselves of what has clung to them.

[St John of the Cross @John_oftheCross]

God does not fit in an occupied heart.

[St John of the Cross @John_oftheCross]

God desires the least degree of obedience and submissiveness in you more than all the works you can perform.

[St John of the Cross @John_oftheCross]

@HikingMix @AndrewNAYoussef Seek in reading and you will find in meditation.

[St John of the Cross @John_oftheCross]

(Art credit: Marcy Hall Art)

[St John of the Cross @John_oftheCross]

Those who fall alone remain in their fall, and they value their souls little since they entrust it to themselves alone.

[St John of the Cross @John_oftheCross]

The meek are those who know how to suffer their neighbor and themselves.

[St John of the Cross @John_oftheCross]

The Lord has always revealed to mortals the treasures of his wisdom and his spirit, but now that the face of evil bares itself more and more, so does the Lord bare his treasures more.

[St John of the Cross @John_oftheCross]

O living flame of love
that tenderly wounds my soul
in its deepest center!

[St John of the Cross @John_oftheCross]

The soul's center is God. When it has reached God with all the capacity of its being and the strength of its operation and inclination, it will have attained its final and deepest center in God, it will know, love, and enjoy God with all its might.

[St John of the Cross @John_oftheCross]

The reason why the soul not only travels securely when it thus travels in the dark, but makes even greater progress, is this: In general the soul makes greater progress when it least thinks so, yea, most frequently when it imagines that it is losing.

[St John of the Cross @John_oftheCross]

God leads every soul by a separate path.

[St John of the Cross @John_oftheCross]

Silence is God’s first language.

[St John of the Cross @John_oftheCross]

The endurance of darkness is preparation for great light.

[St John of the Cross @John_oftheCross]

If you wish to be like Christ, call or look always for the cross.

[St John of the Cross @John_oftheCross]

The virtuous soul that is alone and without a master is like a lone burning coal; it will grow colder rather than hotter. Those who fall alone remain alone in their fall, and they value their souls little since they entrust it to themselves alone.