Paul of the Cross' Spirituality

"...Oh! my daughter, how rich you will be if you make yourself poor within and without. The dryness and insensibility is one foundation for a holy poverty of spirit that God wishes to give you so that your soul will acquire true liberty and riches, and become the garden of the delights of Jesus..."

Paul of the Cross to Thomas Fossi
29th letter on May 30, 1749 in Vol. 2 on Page 154

"...Keep your interior totally abstracted from all images of creatures, seek a greater inner nakedness and poverty of spirit. Remain in a true interior solitude in the depth or essence of your soul, that is to say, stay in the temple of your soul..."

Paul of the Cross to a Religious Sister
3rd letter on August 2, 1749 in Vol. 2 on Page 176

"...So be at peace, be mortified in everything, and be within yourself in an exercise of continuous love, for God is already drawing you that way. Stay in the inner desert in a loving repose in God, in true humility and annihilation of self, in a faith free of all imaginings, in a true poverty of spirit, despoiled of your own way of thinking or feeling, rejoicing in a sacred silence of faith and love. Oh! how rich a silence this is! Learn to suffer, work and be silent..."

Paul of the Cross to a Passionist Religious
4th letter on May 2, 1750 in Vol. 2 on Page213

"...All this heavenly, divine labor takes place in the inner castle of your soul, in pure and naked faith and holy love, in a true abstraction from everything created, in poverty of spirit and perfect interior solitude. But this so exalted a grace is given only to those who strive every day to be more humble, simple and charitable..."

Paul of the Cross to Maria Cherubina Brescianni
37th letter on January 18, 1753 in Vol. 2 on Page 43

"...You come closer to God when you have less external consolation, and, if the Lord is pleased to have you walk with deep despoiling, even internal, and with complete abandonment to the Divine Good Pleasure, oh, how rich you are in Jesus Christ. That is true poverty of spirit!"

Paul of the Cross to Colomba Gertrude Gandolfi
16th letter on December 24, 1754 in Vol. 2 on Page 425

"...So you have reason to be happier than before since you are more hidden in Jesus Christ on the cross of naked suffering, and, believe me, never have things gone so well for you. Feed yourself on the Divine Will in deep poverty of spirit and in naked solitude, and be assured that in this way you will be in your interior a living portrait of your Divine Spouse..."

Paul of the Cross to John Mary Cioni of Saint Ignatius
19th letter on June 28, 1759 in Vol. 3 on Page 17

"...So cultivate this prayer faithfully with a deep detachment from everything created, with complete stripping away of all satisfaction, in pure poverty of spirit, never looking back at your satisfaction, but in perfect abnegation losing yourself in the Highest Good, taking your pleasure only in that God is the Infinite Good that he is, rich in all things for those who call upon him..."

Paul of the Cross to Sister Maria Crocifissa of Jesus
1st letter on June 14, 1768 in Vol. 3 on Page 429

"...Principally, you should practice humility of heart, a true despising of yourself, true obedience and abnegation of your self-will, with a deep detachment from all creatures in a true poverty of spirit, accompanied with a great fidelity to God in the observance of the holy Rules that you have professed. Then you may, I repeat, be confident that you are not deceived in your spiritual life..."

Paul's Spirituality