Jean de la Croix citations

Juan de Yepes Álvarez , né à Fontiveros le 24 juin 1542 et mort au couvent d'Úbeda le 14 décembre 1591, est un prêtre carme, saint mystique espagnol, souvent appelé le réformateur et « Saint du Carmel ». Ses écrits mystiques, toujours populaires, font qu'il fut déclaré Docteur de l'Église en 1926. Liturgiquement il est commémoré le 14 décembre.

Né dans une famille aristocratique d'Espagne, il devient carme après ses études alors qu'il songeait à se faire ermite chez les chartreux. Thérèse d'Avila, réformatrice de l'ordre du Carmel, lui demande de prendre en charge l'ordre masculin du carmel. Il accepte et fonde l'ordre des Carmes déchaux. Il accompagne spirituellement les sœurs du Carmel, avant d'être enfermé par les autorités de l'Ordre qui refusent sa réforme. Jean de la Croix fait alors l'expérience mystique qu'il appelle La Nuit obscure . Il la décrit et développe tout au long de sa vie à travers des traités tels que La Montée du Carmel , La Nuit obscure , La Vive Flamme d'amour , ou encore Le Cantique spirituel . Il cherche à y témoigner du chemin des âmes vers Dieu. Après avoir été nommé prieur de divers couvents de carmes déchaussés, il finit par être mis au ban de sa communauté avant de mourir en décembre 1591.

Après sa mort, il est très vite considéré comme un saint et comme l'un des plus grands mystiques espagnols, au même titre que Thérèse d'Avila. L'Église catholique le béatifie en 1675 puis le canonise en 1726. Il est fêté le 14 décembre. Les querelles sur l'illuminisme conduisent cependant à remettre ses écrits en cause, mais la religieuse carmélite française Thérèse de Lisieux contribue fortement à promouvoir l'importance de sa doctrine. Il est proclamé « docteur de l'Église » entre les deux guerres mondiales, le 24 août 1926.

Il est reconnu comme l'un des plus grands poètes du Siècle d'or espagnol. Il est depuis 1952 le saint patron des poètes espagnols. Certains philosophes s'appuient sur ses écrits pour conceptualiser le détachement. Wikipedia  

✵ 24. juin 1542 – 14. décembre 1591   •   Autres noms San Giovanni della Croce
Jean de la Croix photo
Jean de la Croix: 48   citations 0   J'aime

Jean de la Croix: Citations en anglais

“Hence the love of God in the pure and simple soul is almost continually in act.”

The Sayings of Light and Love
Contexte: Souls will be unable to reach perfection who do not strive to be content with having nothing, in such fashion that their natural and spiritual desire is satisfied with emptiness; for this is necessary in order to reach the highest tranquility and peace of spirit. Hence the love of God in the pure and simple soul is almost continually in act.

“In a word, it is for this love that we are all created.”

Note to Stanza 28 part 3
Spiritual Canticle of The Soul and The Bridegroom, Notes to the Stanzas
Contexte: When the soul, then, in any degree possesses the spirit of solitary love, we must not interfere with it. We should inflict a grievous wrong upon it, and upon the Church also, if we were to occupy it, were it only for a moment, in exterior or active duties, however important they might be. When God Himself adjures all not to waken it from its love, who shall venture to do so, and be blameless? In a word, it is for this love that we are all created. Let those men of zeal, who think by their preaching and exterior works to convert the world, consider that they would be much more edifying to the Church, and more pleasing unto God — setting aside the good example they would give if they would spend at least one half their time in prayer, even though they may have not attained to the state of unitive love.

“All ceased and I abandoned myself, Leaving my cares forgotten among the lilies.”

I abandoned and forgot myself, laying my face on my Beloved; all things ceased; I went out from myself, leaving my cares forgotten among the lilies.
Variant translation by Kieran Kavanaugh and Otilio Rodriguez (1991)
Dark Night of the Soul
Contexte: I remained, lost in oblivion; My face I reclined on the Beloved.
All ceased and I abandoned myself, Leaving my cares forgotten among the lilies.

“My soul is occupied,
And all my substance in His service;”

Spiritual Canticle of The Soul and The Bridegroom
Contexte: My soul is occupied,
And all my substance in His service;
Now I guard no flock,
Nor have I any other employment:
My sole occupation is love. ~ 28

“O killing north wind, cease!
Come, south wind, that awakenest love!”

Spiritual Canticle of The Soul and The Bridegroom
Contexte: O killing north wind, cease!
Come, south wind, that awakenest love!
Blow through my garden,
And let its odours flow,
And the Beloved shall feed among the flowers. ~ 17

“The little white dove
Has returned to the ark with the bough”

Spiritual Canticle of The Soul and The Bridegroom
Contexte: The little white dove
Has returned to the ark with the bough;
And now the turtle-dove
Its desired mate
On the green banks has found. ~ 34

“When Thou didst regard me,
Thine eyes imprinted in me Thy grace:”

Spiritual Canticle of The Soul and The Bridegroom
Contexte: When Thou didst regard me,
Thine eyes imprinted in me Thy grace:
For this didst Thou love me again,
And thereby mine eyes did merit
To adore what in Thee they saw. ~ 32

“Since Thou hast regarded me,
Grace and beauty hast Thou given me.”

Spiritual Canticle of The Soul and The Bridegroom
Contexte: Despise me not,
For if I was swarthy once
Thou canst regard me now;
Since Thou hast regarded me,
Grace and beauty hast Thou given me. ~ 33

“I have said that God is pleased with nothing but love; but before I explain this, it will be as well to set forth the grounds on which the assertion rests. All our works, and all our labours, how grand soever they may be, are nothing in the sight of God, for we can give Him nothing, neither can we by them fulfil His desire, which is the growth of our soul. As to Himself He desires nothing of this, for He has need of nothing, and so, if He is pleased with anything it is with the growth of the soul; and as there is no way in which the soul can grow but in becoming in a manner equal to Him, for this reason only is He pleased with our love.”

Note to Stanza 27
Spiritual Canticle of The Soul and The Bridegroom, Notes to the Stanzas
Contexte: I have said that God is pleased with nothing but love; but before I explain this, it will be as well to set forth the grounds on which the assertion rests. All our works, and all our labours, how grand soever they may be, are nothing in the sight of God, for we can give Him nothing, neither can we by them fulfil His desire, which is the growth of our soul. As to Himself He desires nothing of this, for He has need of nothing, and so, if He is pleased with anything it is with the growth of the soul; and as there is no way in which the soul can grow but in becoming in a manner equal to Him, for this reason only is He pleased with our love. It is the property of love to place him who loves on an equality with the object of his love. Hence the soul, because of its perfect love, is called the bride of the Son of God, which signifies equality with Him. In this equality and friendship all things are common, as the Bridegroom Himself said to His disciples: I have called you friends, because all things, whatsoever I have heard of my Father, I have made known to you.

“On a dark night, Kindled in love with yearnings — oh, happy chance! —
I went forth without being observed, My house being now at rest.
In darkness and secure, By the secret ladder, disguised — oh, happy chance! —
In darkness and in concealment, My house being now at rest.”

En una noche oscura,
con ansias, en amores inflamada,
¡oh dichosa ventura!,
salí sin ser notada,
estando ya mi casa sosegada;
One dark night, fired with love's urgent longings — ah, the sheer grace! —
I went out unseen, my house being now all stilled.
In darkness, and secure, by the secret ladder, disguised, — ah, the sheer grace! — in darkness and concealment, my house being now all stilled.
Variant translation by Kieran Kavanaugh and Otilio Rodriguez (1991)
Upon a darkened night the flame of love was burning in my breast
And by a lantern bright I fled my house while all in quiet rest.
Shrouded by the night and by the secret stair I quickly fled.
The veil concealed my eyes while all within lay quiet as the dead
Variant adapted for music by Loreena McKennitt (1994)
Dark Night of the Soul

“Let us rejoice, O my Beloved!
Let us go forth to see ourselves in Thy beauty,
To the mountain and the hill,
Where the pure water flows:”

Spiritual Canticle of The Soul and The Bridegroom
Contexte: Let us rejoice, O my Beloved!
Let us go forth to see ourselves in Thy beauty,
To the mountain and the hill,
Where the pure water flows:
Let us enter into the heart of the thicket. ~ 36

“When the soul, then, in any degree possesses the spirit of solitary love, we must not interfere with it.”

Note to Stanza 28 part 3
Spiritual Canticle of The Soul and The Bridegroom, Notes to the Stanzas
Contexte: When the soul, then, in any degree possesses the spirit of solitary love, we must not interfere with it. We should inflict a grievous wrong upon it, and upon the Church also, if we were to occupy it, were it only for a moment, in exterior or active duties, however important they might be. When God Himself adjures all not to waken it from its love, who shall venture to do so, and be blameless? In a word, it is for this love that we are all created. Let those men of zeal, who think by their preaching and exterior works to convert the world, consider that they would be much more edifying to the Church, and more pleasing unto God — setting aside the good example they would give if they would spend at least one half their time in prayer, even though they may have not attained to the state of unitive love.

“You will say that I am lost;
That, being enamoured,
I lost myself; and yet was found.”

Spiritual Canticle of The Soul and The Bridegroom
Contexte: If, then, on the common land
I am no longer seen or found,
You will say that I am lost;
That, being enamoured,
I lost myself; and yet was found. ~ 29

“He who loves is not ashamed before men of what he does for God, neither does he hide it through shame though the whole world should condemn it.”

Note to Stanza 29 part 4
Spiritual Canticle of The Soul and The Bridegroom, Notes to the Stanzas

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