Our suffering is the most powerful means we have to connect with Jesus and to do good for souls; Saint John of the Cross repeats this almost line by line. If we can suffer and love, we can do much, we can do the most in this world: we feel that we suffer, but we do not always feel that we love, and that is great suffering on top of it! However, we know that we would like to love, and to want to love already means to love.
(Charles de Foucauld /1858–1916/, letter to his cousin, December 1, 1916, a few hours before his death)
