Thursday, December 14, 2023

St John of the Cross (2) - Selected Teachings for Meditation - Christia...

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you
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
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
in the dark night of the soul  bright flows the river of god
in the inner stillness where meditation leads  
the spirit secretly anoints the  soul and heals our deepest wounds
contemplation is nothing else but a  secret peaceful and loving infusion of god  
which if admitted will set the  soul on fire with a spirit of love
seek in reading and you will find in meditation  
knock in prayer and it will be  open to you in contemplation
silence is god's first language however softly we  speak god is so close to us that we can be heard
nor do we need wings to go in search of god  
but merely to seek solitude and  contemplate god within ourselves
without being surprised to find such a good guest
there
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
do not let your eye be drawn by the false beacon  lamps of wealth or position or fame or possessions
be vigilant over your will and desires  
for these are the corrupt forces that  dwell within and keep you from living free
live in faith and hope though it be in darkness  for in this darkness god protects the soul  
cast your care upon god
for you are gods
and god will not forget you
do not think that god is leaving you alone
for that would be to wrong him
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
in sorrow and suffering go  straight to god with confidence
and you will be strengthened  enlightened and instructed
for god leads every soul by a separate path
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
where there is no love pour love  in and you will draw love out
love consists not in feeling great  things but in having great detachment  
and in suffering for the beloved
the soul that is attached to anything  however much good there may be in it  
will not arrive at the liberty of divine union
for whether it be a strong wire rope or a  slender and delicate thread that holds the bird  
it matters not if it really holds it fast for  until the cord be broken the bird cannot fly
when a soul has advanced so  far on the spiritual road  
as to be lost to all the natural  methods of communing with god
when it seeks god no longer by  meditation images impressions  
nor by any other created ways  or representations of sense
but only by rising above them all
in the joyful communion  with truth by faith and love
then it may be said to have found the god of truth
because it has truly lost itself as to all  that is not god and also as to its own self
to love is to be transformed into what we love
to love god therefore is  to be transformed into god
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

 

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