“Love ought to manifest itself in deeds rather than in words.”
— Saint Ignatius of Loyola
From the Spiritual Exercises, Section 230, the Contemplation to Attain Divine Love. Written during Ignatius's time at Manresa, 1522-1523, and formally approved by Pope Paul III in 1548.
In my cave at Manresa I learned that feeling close to God meant nothing if I sat still. When I founded the Society of Jesus, we did not build monasteries. We went into streets, prisons, hospitals. Love that stays inside your head is not love. It is decoration. If you feel something, act on it. That is the only proof that matters.