Christianity Quote by Juan de la Cruz
““The second cause whence these rebellions sometimes proceed is the devil, who, in order to disquiet and disturb the soul, at times when it is at prayer or is striving to pray, contrives to stir up these motions of impurity in its nature; and if the soul gives heed to any of these, they cause it great harm. For through fear of these not only do persons become lax in prayer—which is the aim of the devil when he begins to strive with them—but some give up prayer altogether, because they think that these things attack them more during that exercise than apart from it, which is true, since the devil attacks them then more than at other times, so that they may give up spiritual exercises.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Spiritual Canticle, St. John of the Cross, 1578
The devil distracts the soul during prayer, causing fear and neglect of spiritual practice.
In simple terms: Distractions harm spiritual focus.
Key Takeaway
Guard against mental disturbances in prayer.
Themes
spirituality
temptation
discipline
Mood
reflective
serene
Type
philosophical
spiritual
When to use this quote
- personal meditation
- religious study
- spiritual retreats
- daily prayer
Key Concepts
devil
fear
prayer
inner conflict
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you recognize subtle distractions?
- What practices strengthen focus?
A Different Perspective
Overcoming distraction requires conscious awareness and perseverance.
