There is no failure for those who are loved and sought by Christ. He loves you, even though you may feel that your faith does not have its old drive. To feel oneself a great and vital Christian is a luxury that we have to do without today when God is so hidden and so unknown in His world …. Perhaps He wills to be hidden even in our lives. We must be content to be united with Jesus in His passion and in darkness, for it is thus that we cooperate with Him in helping others.
— from The Art of Thomas Merton: A Divine Passion in Word and Vision
