Inspirational Quotes by Francis de Sales
“but since you only advance a simple assertion I will return your pass by a simple negation.”
“For God’s sake take care that your judgment does not deceive you. Why, I pray you, do you call false, things which the whole of antiquity has held as articles of faith? Why do you not rather censure your fancies which will not embrace the doctrine of these books, than censure these books which have been received for so long a time because they do not jump with your humor? Because you will not believe what the books teach, you condemn it; why do you not rather condemn your presumption which is incredulous to their teaching?”
“For would it not have been a profanation of the Ark of the Covenant to maintain that everybody might seize it, carry it home, take it all to pieces and then give it what form he liked provided that it had some semblance of an ark?”
“Here now, I think, are all your reasons scattered to the winds, and you can bring no more. But we may well say: if it be thus lawful indifferently to reject or make doubtful the authority of those Scriptures, about which there was formerly a doubt, though the Church has now decided, it will be necessary to reject or to doubt of a great part of the Old and the New Testament. It is then no little gain to the enemy of Christianity, to have at one stroke scratched out of the Holy Scripture so many noble parts. Let us proceed.”
“«Oh Dios mío, no me apartes de delante de tu faz y no me quites tu santo Espíritu. Ilumina tu rostro sobre tu sierva, y meditaré tus maravillas. Dame inteligencia y consideraré tu ley, y la guardaré en mi corazón. Yo soy tu sierva; dame el espíritu».”
“This heresy” [of the Gnostics], says he, “does not receive some of the Scriptures; and if it receives some it does not receive them whole . . . and what it receives in a certain sense whole, it still perverts, devising various interpretations.”
“It is not those who commit the least faults who are the 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 immediately apprehensive about tripping.”
“Our actions are like roses, which when fresh have more beauty, yet when dry have more strength and sweetness. Our works performed with tenderness of heart are more agreeable to ourselves, who regard only our own satisfaction, yet when performed in the time of dryness they possess more sweetness, and become more precious in the sight of God.”
topics: spiritual-pride
“To be a servant of God means to have a great charity towards one's neighbour and an unshakable resolution to follow the divine will in all things, trusting in God with simplicity and humility, bearing with one's defects and patiently tolerating the imperfections of others.”
“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.”
“I, the undersigned, in the Presence of God and of all the Company of Heaven, having considered the Infinite Mercy of His Heavenly Goodness toward me, a most miserable, unworthy creature, whom He has created, preserved, sustained, delivered from so many dangers, and filled with so many blessings; having above all considered the incomprehensible mercy and loving kindness with which this most Good God has borne with me in my sinfullness, leading me so tenderly to repentance, and waiting so patiently for me till this (present) year of my life, notwithstanding all my ingratitude, disloyalty, faithlessness, by which I have delayed Him, and despising His Grace, have offended Him anew: and further, remembering that in my Baptism I was solemnly and happily dedicated to God as His child, and that in defiance of the profession then made in my name, I have so often miserably profaned my gifts, turning them against God’s Divine Majesty: I, now coming to myself prostrate in heart an soul before the Throne of His Justice, acknowledge and confess I am duly accused and convicted of treason against His Majesty, and guilty of the Death and Passion of Jesus Christ, by reason of the sins I have committed, for which He died, bearing the reproach of the Cross; so that I deserve nothing else save eternal damnation.”
“The slow pace of our perfection has to be borne with patience, provided that on our part we always do whatever we can to continue advancing.”
“How do you love yourself? Is it a love which concerns this life chiefly? Is so, you will desire to abide here forever, and you will diligently seek your worldly establishment - but if the love you bear yourself has a heavenward tendency, you will long or, at all events, you will be ready to go hence whenever it may please our Lord.”
topics: love-of-self
“There is a wide difference between having poison and being poisoned. All apothecaries have poisons ready for special uses, but they are not consequently poisoned, because the poison is only in their shop, not in themselves; and so you many possess riches without being poisoned by them, so long as they are in your house or purse only, and not in your heart. It is the Christian's privilege to be rich in material things , and poor in attachment to them.”
“God did not bring you into the world because He had any need of you, useless as you are; but solely that He might show forth His Goodness in you, giving you His Grace and Glory. and to this end He gave you understanding that you might know Him, memory that you might think of Him, a will that you might love Him, imagination that you might realize His Mercies, sign that you might behold the marvels of His works, speech that you might praise Him, and so on with all your other faculties.”
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Francis de Sales was Bishop of Geneva, and was an accomplished preacher. He is known also for his writings on the topic of spiritual direction and spiritual formation, particularly Introduction to the Devout Life.
Francis came to the conclusion that whatever God had in store for him was good, because God is Love, as Scripture attests. This faithful devotion to the God of love not only expelled his doubts, but also influenced the rest of his life and his teachings.