The feast of St John of the Cross is today. Here are some of his Counsels.
"Anyone who complains or grumbles is not perfect, nor is he even a good Christian."
"Anyone who trusts in himself is worse than the devil."
"Anyone who does not love his neighbor abhors God."
"Whoever flees prayer flees all that is good."
"Conquering the tongue is better than fasting on bread and water."
"Suffering for God is better than working miracles."
Terry Nelson has the "Precautions" of the Mystical Doctor.
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7 comments:
Ouch!! Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa!!! St John of the Cross, pray for us to be better Christians. Amen.
Amen.
The top one - well all of them - convict me every time! Off to confession I go.
I'm convicted, too!
J'aime bien St-Jean de la Croix. I credit him with saving me from many common pitfalls of the faith, and was blessed to have stumbled upon him early on in my conversion. What a powerful writer he was, full of wisdom, and so very honest in his counsel. He led me away from much error, and for that I am grateful.
St. John is truly a helpful and practical spiritual guide.
+JMJ+
"Anyone who trusts in himself is worse than the devil."
A more concise and effective way of putting the entire first chapter of G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy. Whether we call it "trusting oneself" or "believing in oneself," it's a dangerous thing to do!
"Conquering the tongue is better than fasting on food and water."
St. James was right in the first century, and all the saints whose counsels I've ever read have agreed on this point. Even Our Lord, whose spoken words could bring out what was in the hearts of all who heard him, often chose to be silent.
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