Quotes from John of the Cross

In sorrow and suffering, go straight to God with confidence, and you will be strengthened, enlightened and instructed.

They say, "God told me", or "God replied to me". And yet most of the time they are talking to themselves.

Seek in reading and thou shalt find in meditation; knock in prayer and it shall be opened in contemplation.

To love is to be transformed into what we love. To love God is therefore to be transformed into God.

Have a great love for those who contradict and fail to love you, for in this way love is begotten in a heart that has no love.

The soul that walks in love neither tires others nor grows tired.

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.

There is nothing better or morenecessary than love.

At the evening of life, we shall be judged on our love.

All the powers of soul and body,memory, understanding, and will, interior and exterior senses, thedesires of spirit and of sense, all workin and by love.

My sole occupation is love.

When there is no love, pour in love and you shall draw out love.

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.

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.

Faith is a dark night for man, but in this very way it gives him light.

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.

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.

He who loses an opportunity is like the man who lets a bird fly from his hand, for he will never recover it.

Now that I no longer desire all, I have it all without desire.

Not to follow the advice of our confessor is pride and a want of faith.

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.

Silence is God's first language.