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The soul, in the courage of its love, glories in what ministers to the Beloved, in that it has done anything for Him, and is lost to the things of the world.

O Lord, it is no longer just a veil that hides You from me, but a thick high wall...It is hard, after having felt so near You! But I am ready to remain in this state for as long as it pleases You to leave me in it, my Beloved, for faith tell me that You are still close at hand, and always will be...

Merit does not consist in doing or giving much. It consists in loving much.

As to the aridity you are suffering from, it seems to me our Lord is treating you like someone He considers strong: He wants to test you and see if you love Him as much at times of aridity as when He sends you consolations. I think this is a very great favor for God to show you.

He would be still more ignorant if he followed God looking for sweetness, and rejoiced and rested in it when obtained.  In this case his love is not set purely on God alone above all things, for in clinging to and desiring what is created, his will cannot soar to God.

Then Our Lord said: “Ah, my daughter, they are few who love me in truth; for if men loved me, I should not hide my secrets from them. Do you know what is to love me in truth? It is to admit everything to be a lie which is not pleasing unto me.”

Life, Chapter 40

It is well known by experience that, when the will of a man is affectioned to one thing, he prizes it more than any other; although some other thing may be much better, he takes less pleasure in it. And if he wishes to enjoy both, he is bound to wrong the more important, because he makes an equality between them. Wherefore, since there is naught that equals God, the soul that loves some other thing together with Him, or clings to it, does Him a grievous wrong. And if this is so, what would it be doing if it loved anything more than God?

How sweet is the way of love. True, one can fall or commit infidelities, but, knowing how to draw profit from everything, love quickly consumes everything that can be displeasing to Jesus; it leaves nothing but a humble and profound peace in the depths of the heart.

The more this kind of love grows the more our love of God grows with it; and the deeper our love for Him the more we shall love our neighbor for the principle of both is the same.

This is a test to discern the true lover of God.  Is he satisfied with anything less than God?  For the satisfaction of the heart is not found in possessions but in detachment from all things and poverty of spirit.

“What is grace” I asked God. And He said, “All that happens.” Then He added, when I looked perplexed,“Could not lovers say that every moment in their Beloved’s arms was grace? Existence is my arms, though I well understand how one can turn away from me until the heart has wisdom."

As the soul abode in solitude, abandoning all created help and consolation in order to obtain fellowship and union with the Beloved, it deserved thereby the peace of solitude in the Beloved, in whom it reposes alone, undisturbed by any anxiety.