Raise up your heart after a fall, sweetly and gently, humbling yourself before God in the knowledge of your misery, and do not be astonished at your weakness, since it is not surprising that weakness should be weak, infirmity infirm, and frailty frail.
–Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Love is a movement, effusion and advancement of the heart toward the good. The soul cannot live without love. All depends on providing it with a worthy object. We can never love our neighbor too much. There is nothing small in the service of God.
–Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
It is necessary to find those who will support us and need our support in promoting the devout life. This is holy partiality that separates good from evil, the sheep from the goats, the bees from the hornets. It is a distinction that has to be made.
–Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
It is not those who commit the least faults who are most holy, but those who have the greatest courage, the greatest generosity, the greatest love, who make the boldest efforts to overcome themselves, and are not immoderately apprehensive of tripping.
–Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
The humility that does not produce generosity is undoubtedly false, for true humility, after it has said, ‘I can do nothing; I am only absolute nothingness,’ suddenly gives place to generosity of spirit, which says, ‘There is nothing and there can be nothing that I am unable to do, so long as I put all my confidence in God, who can do all things.’ And so, buoyed up by this confidence, it courageously undertakes to do all that is commanded.
–Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
We shall steer safely through every storm so long as our heart is right, our intention fervent, our courage steadfast, and our trust fixed on God. If at times we are somewhat stunned by the tempest, never fear. Let us take breath, and go afresh.
–Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
