We must choose…
During this mortal life we must chose eternal love or eternal death, there is no middle choice.
–Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
This good reflection…
You should often call to mind this good reflection: that in this world we are poised between paradise and hell, that our last step will land us in our eternal dwelling place, and that we do not know which step will be the last. In order to make the last step a good one, we must go on trying to make all the other steps good, too.
–Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
In God’s presence…
The following consideration should never be forgotten when we go to prayer, namely, that we draw near to God and place ourselves in His presence principally for two reasons. The first is to render to God the honor and the homage we owe Him, and this can be done without God speaking to us or we to Him, for the duty is fulfilled by acknowledging that He is our Creator. . . . The second reason is to speak to God and to listen to Him when He speaks to us by His inspirations and the interior movements of grace. One or other of these two advantages can never fail to be derived from prayer.
–Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Speak to our Lord…
If, then, we can speak to our Lord, let us do so in praise and supplication: if we are unable to speak, let us remain in his presence notwithstanding, offering him our silent homage; he will see us there, our patience will touch him and our silence will plead with him and win his favor. Another time, to our utter astonishment, he will take us by the hand, and converse with us, and make a hundred turns with us in his garden of prayer. And even should he never do this, still let us be content to know it is our duty to be in his retinue, and that it is a great favor and a greater honor for us that he suffers us in his presence.
–Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Nature and grace…
God displays in a marvelous manner the incomprehensible riches of his power in the vast array of things that we see in nature, but he causes the infinite treasures of his goodness to show forth in an even more magnificent way in the unparalleled variety that we see in grace. In a holy excess of mercy, God is not content in solely with granting to his people, that is, to the human race, a general or universal redemption whereby everyone can be saved. God has diversified redemption in many ways, so that while God’s generosity shines forth in all this variety, the variety itself, in turn, adds beauty to his generosity.
–Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Devotion practiced differently…
At creation God commanded plants to bear fruit, each according to its kind. (Genesis 1:11-12) In the same way, he commanded Christians, who are the living plants of his church (John 15:5), to produce fruits of devotion, each according to ability and state in life. It must be obvious that devotion ought to be practiced differently by the gentleman, the artist, the employee, the prince, the widow, the celibate, the spouse.
–Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
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