“Grace always abides in believers as energy, because without grace, no one would even be able to believe. But grace manifests as a sensation when it wants to help someone who is tired and exhausted in the spiritual battle, or he is threatened with some kind of spiritual danger…Now you have ascended to the first step—renunciation and wandering. Now the feeling of grace has receded for you to begin obedience to the Divine will and that by your own labor and fidelity you would be deserving of grace. This is why you do not feel grace right now as you did earlier when it called you.”

(Elder Joseph the Hesychast speaking to Schemamonk George)