Quotes by Francis de Sales

“Even as a man just recovering from illness walks only so far as he is obliged to go, with a slow and weary step, so the converted sinner journeys along as far as God commands him but slowly and wea...”

“The same Everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and every day of your life. Either He will shield you from suffering, or He will give you unfailing strength to be...”

“If, when stung by slander or ill-nature, we wax proud and swell with anger, it is a proof that our gentleness and humility are unreal, and mere artificial show.”

“We all colour devotion according to our own likings and dispositions. One man sets great value on fasting, and believes himself to be leading a very devout life, so long as he fasts rigorously, alt...”

“The everlasting God has in His wisdom foreseen from eternity the cross that He now presents to you as a gift from His inmost heart. This cross He now sends you He has considered with His all-knowin...”

“The body is poisoned through the mouth, even so is the heart through the ear ... And even if we do mean no harm, the Evil One means a great deal, and he will use those idle words as a sharp weapon ...”

“If you have firm trust in God, the success that comes to you will always be that which is most useful for you whether it appears good or bad in your private judgment.”

“God is merciful to those who want to love Him and who have placed their hopes in Him.”

“When we find that we have been aroused to anger we must call for God's help like the apostles when they were tossed about by the wind and storm on the waters. He will command your passions to cease...”

“Make yourself familiar with the angels and behold them frequently in spirit; for without being seen, they are present with you.”

“The acts of daily forbearance, the headache, or toothache, or heavy cold; the tiresome peculiarities of husband or wife, the broken glass...all of these sufferings, small as they are, if accepted l...”

“During the night we must wait for the light.”

“Never be hurried in anything. Do all things calmly and in a spirit of repose. Do not lose your inward peace even if everything seems to be going wrong. What is anything in life compared to peace of...”

“He would never exhort the faithful to persevere if he were not ready to give them the power to do so.”

“He will unfailingly be pleased with our patience and take note of our diligence and perseverance.”

“Be patient and one day you will be in Heaven, where there will be only peace and joy ... You will possess an enduring tranquility and rest.”

“Oppose vigorously any tendency to sadness ... You must persevere. By means of sorrow the enemy tries to make us weary of good works, but if he sees that we don't give them up and that being done in...”

“We must unceasingly ask for [perseverance] by making use of the means which God has taught us for obtaining it: prayer, fasting, almsgiving, frequenting the sacraments, association with good compan...”

“If we walk steadily and faithfully...God will lift us up to greater things.”

“Everybody finds themselves sometimes deficient in what they need, and put to inconvenience ... the richest people may easily be without something they want, and that is practically to suffer povert...”