As the heart wounded by a poisoned arrow cannot be easy and at rest but seeks relief from all sides, so the soul pierced by the arrow of love never ceases seeking to relieve its pains. He who is in love is said to have lost his heart or to have had it stolen by the object of his love. His heart is not his own, but the property of the person he loves. This consideration will enable the soul to discover whether it loves God simply or not. If it loves him it will have no heart for itself, nor for its own pleasure or profit, but for the honor, glory and pleasure of God; because the more the heart is occupied with itself, the less it is occupied with God. The soul can test itself by these signs: is it anxiously seeking God? Has it no pleasure in anything but him? It is clear that the soul which loves God seeks no other reward for its services other than to love God perfectly.
ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS The Spiritual Canticle
