
Holiness Scares the Devil: Lessons from St. John of the Cross
“The person who relies on his or her own strength will always be defeated. The way to victory is the way of emptiness and abandonment to God.” – Glenn Dickinson

“The person who relies on his or her own strength will always be defeated. The way to victory is the way of emptiness and abandonment to God.” – Glenn Dickinson

“My strong suggestion is to pick one of his works and stick with it. You may find it challenging and frustrating. Be patient.” – Glenn Dickinson

“The saint is not presenting an abstract theological point of interest only to specialists. This is advice as practical as any you’ll find in a self-help manual.” – Glenn Dickinson

“If all we encounter is an unwelcome silence, we might fall into self-absorption and start trying to deconstruct the desert, thus focusing attention on ourselves, when we should be looking at Jesus.” – Glenn Dickinson

“We are familiar with the importance of unconditional love. What the saint teaches us, what is perhaps no less important, is unconditional freedom.” – Glenn Dickinson

“Prayer, like love, is sometimes glorious, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes ordinary, sometimes shot through with fire.” – Glenn Dickinson

“The hope of a Christian confronts every trial, even death itself. Christian hope does not just raise our spirits; it raises a battle flag against all the troubles of this life.” – Glenn Dickinson

“With heavenly matters, we must sometimes wait patiently, for years, until God chooses, in His own perfect timing, to act.” – Glenn Dickinson

“When you pursue, with all your heart, a life of prayer, then you are following the plot of the story God is telling in your life.” – Glenn Dickinson

“This is not the dull path of obligation. It is an adventure, into a wild freedom.” – Glenn Dickinson