And love Quote by John of the Cross
“When a soul has advanced so far on the spiritual road as to be lost to all the natural methods of communing with God; when it seeks Him no longer by meditation, images, impressions, nor by any other created ways, or representations of sense, but only by rising above them all, in the joyful communion with Him by faith and love, then it may be said to have found God of a truth, because it has truly lost itself as to all that is not God, and also as to its own self.”
About This Quote
Source Mystical Treatise: "Dark Night of the Soul", 1578
True union with the divine occurs when the soul abandons all worldly and self-referential practices, finding God through love and faith alone.
In simple terms: God is found by losing self.
Key Takeaway
Seek love and faith over rituals.
Themes
spirituality
self-transcendence
faith
Mood
contemplative
reverent
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- deep meditation retreats
- spiritual crises
- personal prayer
Key Concepts
mysticism
theology
Questions to Reflect On
- What does surrender mean to you?
- How can you balance self-loss with self-care?
A Different Perspective
Such loss of self can be unsettling and may lead to existential doubt.
![“there is a God, there always has been. I see him here, in the eyes of the people in this [hospital] corridor of desperation. This is the real house of God, this is where those who have lost God will find Him... there is a God, there has to be, and now I will pray, I will pray that He will forgive…” quote by Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9b5/khaled-hosseini-251_benevolent_there-is-a-god-there-always-has-been-i-s_621288.jpg)
