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When the spiritual man has been brought to nothing, when his humility is perfect, then will take place the union of the soul with God. This consists not in spiritual refreshment, sweetness and fine sentiments but in the living death of the cross.

Strive to keep your heart in peace, and let nothing that comes to pass in this world make you uneasy- for consider that it must all come to an end.

For we must not be without our cross, even as our Beloved had his cross, until he died the death of love.

Some beginners, too, make light of their faults, and at other times indulge in immoderate grief when they commit them. They thought themselves already saints, and so they become angry and impatient with themselves, which is another great imperfection.

David also said that clouds and darkness are near God and surround him [Ps. 18:11], not because this is true in itself, but because it appears thus to our weak intellects, which in being unable to attain so bright a light are blinded and darkened.

In these aridities the soul practices corporally and spiritually all the virtues, theological as well as cardinal and moral.

All of this darkness signifies the obscurity of faith with which the divinity is clothed while communicating itself to the soul.

Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you, remember Christ crucified and be silent.

At the moment the soul recollects itself in the presence of God, it enters on an act of general, loving, peaceful, and tranquil knowledge, drinking wisdom and love and delight.

It is the nature of perfect love to seek or accept nothing for itself, to attribute nothing to itself, but to refer all to the Beloved. If this be true of earthly love, how much more so of the love of God...

Though the path is plain and smooth for people of good will, those who walk it will not travel far, and will do so only with difficulty if they do not have good feet, courage, and tenacity of spirit.

It is not a refreshing peaceful fire, but a consuming and searching one that makes the soul grieve at the sight of itself. The soul perceives its own smallness in comparison with the immensity of the flame.