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 CrossRead
Faith is a dark night for man, but in this very way it gives him light.
Interpretation
Faith can often feel uncertain and challenging, yet it ultimately provides clarity and guidance.
This quote by John Of The Cross suggests that while faith may sometimes feel like a dark and confusing experience for individuals, it is through this struggle that one can find true illumination and understanding. The 'dark night' symbolizes the trials one faces in their spiritual journey, but it is these experiences that foster a deeper connection with truth and light.
In practice
In a motivational speech about overcoming challenges.
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.
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.
In sorrow and suffering, go straight to God with confidence, and you will be strengthened, enlightened and instructed.
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.
To reach satisfaction in all_x000D_ _x000D_ desire its possession in nothing,_x000D_ _x000D_ To come to the knowledge of all_x000D_ _x000D_ desire the knowledge of nothing._x000D_ _x000D_ To come to possess all_x000D_ _x000D_ desire the possession of nothing._x000D_ _x000D_ To arrive at being all_x000D_ _x000D_ desire to be nothing.
Where there is no love, pour love in, and you will draw love out.
So let me tell you what I think about gods. I think a real god is not going to be so scared or angry that he tries to keep other people down…A real god doesn’t care about control. A real god already has control of everything that needs controlling. Real gods would want to teach you how to be just like them.
For centuries the leaders of Christian thought spoke of women as a necessary evil, and the greatest saints of the Church are those who despise women the most.
We are all capable of believing things which we know to be untrue, and then, when we are finally proved wrong, impudently twisting the facts so as to show that we were right.
That day, I really believed that I had grasped something and that henceforth my life would be changed. But insights cannot be held for ever. Like water, the world ripples across you and for a while you take on its colours. Then it recedes, and leaves you face to face with the void you carry inside yourself, confronting that central inadequacy of soul which you must learn to rub shoulders with and to combat, and which, paradoxically, may be our surest impetus.
Those are weaklings who know the truth and uphold it as long as it suits their purpose, and then abandon it.
I believed in a good home, in sane and sound living, in good food, good times, work, faith and hope. I have always believed in these things. It was with some amazement that I realized I was one of the few people in the world who really believed in these things without going around making a dull middle class philosophy out of it. I was suddenly left with nothing in my hands but a handful of crazy stars.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.