Ascending Mount Carmel

This is something of immense gladness for you, to see that all your good and hope is so close to you as to be within you, or better, that you cannot be without Him.

St. John of the Cross. The Spiritual Canticle.

Take a deep breath, ladies:

"Conquering the tongue is better than fasting on bread and water."

John of the Cross, Maxims and Counsels.

Let all find compassion in you.

John of the Cross. Maxims and Counsels.

Words

Keep this in mind, daughters: The soul that is quick to turn to speaking and conversing is slow to turn to God.

St. John of the Cross, Letter to Ana de Jesus

O Lord, my God, who will seek you with simple and pure love and not find you are all he desires.

John of the Cross, Sayings of Light and Love.

The Father spoke one Word which was His Son, and this Word He always speaks in eternal silence, and in silence it must be heard by the soul.

John of the Cross, Maxims and Counsels.

This is the ordinary task of hope in the soul: It raises the eyes to look only at God.

John of the Cross, The Dark Night.

Let Christ crucified be enough for you, and with Him suffer and take your rest.

John of the Cross, Maxims and Counsels.

As the tilling of the soil is necessary for its fruitfulness--untilled soil produces only weeds--mortification of the appetites is a requisite for man's spiritual fruitfulness.

John of the Cross, The Ascent of Mt. Carmel

Enter within yourself and work in the presence of your spouse who is ever present loving you.

John of the Cross, Maxims and Counsels

"Seek in reading and you will find in meditation; knock in prayer and it will be opened to you in contemplation."

John of the Cross, Maxims and Counsels

"I should not consider any spirituality worthwhile that would walk in sweetness and ease and run from the imitation of Christ."

John of the Cross, The Ascent of Mt. Carmel

"What we need most in order to make progress is to be silent before this great God with our appetites and our tongue, for the language he best hears is silent love."

John of the Cross, Maxims and Counsels

"Love works so in me that whether things go well or badly, Love turns all to one sweetness."

John of the Cross, "Commentary Applied to Spiritual Things"

"God, like the sun, stands above souls ready to communicate Himself."

St. John of the Cross, The Living Flame of Love.

". . . the desire for God is the preparation for union with Him."

John of the Cross, The Living Flame of Love.

Ascending Mount Carmel

To keep us focused on our "ascent" of Mt. Carmel I plan to send you frequent reminders of what the journey is all about from those who have already made the climb. Robin

"In the first place it should be known that if a person is seeking God, his Beloved is seeking him much more."

St. John of the Cross, The Living Flame of Love