Last year we celebrated the four hundredth anniversary of the death of St. John of the Cross (1542–1591). The Holy Father issued an apostolic letter regarding him. In it, he writes that from the very beginning of his priestly formation, he was a safe guide on the path of faith. The theme of his doctoral thesis years ago was: Faith according to St. John of the Cross. He showed there how, according to this mystical Church teacher, faith is the only immediate proportional means to connection with God. The celebration of this jubilee is, according to the Holy Father, intended to contribute to greater knowledge and to the spread of the essence of the saint's message: to live from God in faith, hope, and love.
We intentionally cite John's thoughts in a slightly archaic translation, as their captivating charm is well expressed by older terms.
The soul reaches union with God "in disguise" through the divine virtues of faith, hope, and love. They give her a new, clearer relationship with God and a new perspective on everything in life, within herself and in the whole world, and they protect her from the triple enemy. Faith lifts reason to God and protects her from the devil, so he cannot strike her. Hope turns memory toward God, diverts it from what is not God, and gives her the resolve of trust in everything that stands against God in the world. And love unites the will with God's will, joining both wills together. It overcomes the body, "for where there is true love for God, there love for oneself and one's interests has no access."
A soul that is alone without a teacher is like a smoldering ember; it will rather cool than become more heated.
God prefers from you the smallest degree of purity of conscience than all the good works you can perform.
A soul kindled by love is tender, gentle, peaceful, and patient. The soul becomes hardened by self-love. If you, Jesus, do not soften it with your love, it will remain in its natural hardness.
Desire is inaccessible to angelic movement when it is occupied by another thing.
It is not God's will for the soul to be disturbed by anything; it is only due to the weakness of its virtue.
Let yourself be taught, let yourself be commanded, let yourself be subjected, and despise yourself, and you will be perfect (cf. Mt 5:38–42).
Any desire (appetito) will cause a fourfold damage to the soul: it will unsettle it, disturb it, defile it, weaken it, and obscure it.
A soul that is united with God makes the devil fear her like God Himself.
He who relies on himself is worse than the devil.
If you wish to be perfect, sell your will and give it to the poor in spirit, and come to Christ in silence and humility, and follow Him all the way to Calvary and to the tomb.
