The dawn is an awakening to a deepening realization of who we really are in and with God and the world, and of what has been going on within us in the night. Always, and most important, the dawn is an awakening in love.

Contemplatives of all traditions agree on one certain thing–the spiritual life is all about love. Thus the dark night of the soul exists for the sole purpose of furthering love, a love that is partially realized in each experience of the dawn.

from The Dark Night of the Soul