April
April 1
Friendship based on the pleasures of the senses I mean is coarse and does not deserve the name of friendship. The same holds true for friendships based on vain and frivolous qualities, since they also have their roots in the senses. By pleasures of the senses I mean those that principally originate from the external senses, such as pleasure in looking at beautiful things or listening to a sweet voice, pleasure of touch and the like. Friendships based on such things deserve to be called follies rather than friendships! (INT. Part III, Ch. 17; O. III, p. 196)
April 2
Venial sin, no matter how slight it may be, displeases God. Therefore, if it displeases God, any will and affection that one has for venial sin is nothing less than a disposition to offend the Divine Majesty. Is it possible that an upright soul should not only displease God but even nourish within itself an affection and a will to displease Him? (INT. Part I, Ch. 22; O. III, p. 63)
April 3
"Saint Augustine says that if we want to die well, we must live well; as our life is, so shall our death be. To sum up the matter in a few words, we say that the rule for a happy death is to lead a good life, placing our trust in the merits of the passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, without whom every day would be a terrible and terrifying event. (Sermons 62; O.X, p. 234)
April 4
I would advise you to consider from time to time the quantity of your interior and exterior goods, and at the same time the very great number of interior and exterior punishments that Divine Providence has prepared for us in His most holy justice and His great mercy. As if opening the arms of our consent, let us most lovingly embrace all this by saying, "Yes, Lord, Your will be done on earth, where we have no pleasure without pain, no roses without thorns, no day without a night to follow, no spring without a winter that preceded it. Here consolations are rare and trials are countless. Still, O God, Your will be done." (T.L.G. IX, Ch. 1; O. V, pp. 111-112)
April 5
The truly patient person, the true servant of God, bears up equally under ignominious tribulations and those that are honorable. To be despised, criticized or accused by evil men is something that a courageous man does not mind. But it takes a lot of virtue to accept being criticized, denounced and badly treated by good people - by our relatives and friends. (INT. Part III, Ch. 3; O. III, p. 137)
April 6
Let us not forget the maxims of the saints, who teach us to advance a little further each day on the road to perfection. This thought should encourage us not to be surprised or to feel miserable whenever we have something to correct. Each day we must begin again with renewed courage. (Letters 1049; O. XVI, p. 312)
April 7
One of the greatest proofs of love that Jesus displayed on the cross was putting up with the imperfections of His neighbor. There He showed us that He has a heart that loves us tenderly and watches over us kindly. He even showed His love for those who put Him to death. In those dire moments the Savior expressed thoughts of love even for his executioners, pardoning them in the very act of sinning! How petty-minded we are when we cannot bring ourselves to forget some injury received, even after a long time! Whoever sincerely pardons another calls down abundant blessings and perfectly imitates Christ. (Spiritual Treatises IV; O. VI, pp. 65-66)
April 8
To live according to the spirit means thinking, speaking and working virtuously, not according to the senses or the desires of the flesh. Certainly we are susceptible to emotions, but we must keep them under control and not live according to them. But what are the virtues of the spirit? Faith, which shows us truths beyond the comprehension of the senses; hope, which makes us aim at the good that is invisible; and charity, which makes us love God above everything else and our neighbor as ourselves - not with a purely natural or self-interested love, but with a love that is pure, unchangeable and solidly founded on God. (Letters 1197; O. VII, p. 205)
April 9
Make frequent spiritual aspirations to God by means of short but ardent movements of the heart. Marvel at His beauty, implore His help, cast yourself in spirit at the foot of the cross, adore His goodness, and beg Him that you may be saved eternally. Give Him your heart and offer your soul to Him thousands and thousands of times. Fix the eyes of your soul upon His gentle face and hold Him by the hand, just as a small child does with his father. (INT. Part II, Ch. 13; O. III, p. 94)
April 10
The Lord does not want us to do what He Himself has not done; namely, give of Himself partially. His goodness is so great that He gave Himself to us entirely. This is the way He wants us to give ourselves to Him. But how can we give ourselves entirely to God? By not holding back anything from Him, not even a single desire, that is what the Lord wants from us. (Sermons 16; O. IX, p. 135)
April 11
Admire in all things the all-embracing will of God. Through it He performs all His works of mercy and justice in Heaven, on earth and in the abyss. Therefore, with the deepest humility, approve, praise and love this holy, just and lovable will. Again, admire the particular will of God by which He loves especially His own, asking them to accept many tribulations and trials approvingly. Consider this same will in your person, in all that happens to you, be it good or bad, apart from sin; then praise it, approve it and love it. Finally, proclaim your determination to honor, adore and bless His holy will, and put yourself and everything that belongs to you at His disposal. (Letters 430; O. XIII, p. 361)
April 12
We must not be afraid of the assaults and stupidities of our common enemy, because he can do us no harm. With fear comes uneasiness, with uneasiness comes tiredness, and finally, weariness makes us give up our exercise of piety. Therefore, without becoming afraid, be happy to be like little chicks under the wings of the Divine. Let us fear no one but God, but let it be a loving fear. Let us keep our doors well barred and take care lest the walls of our good resolutions be battered down. Then let us live in peace, letting our enemy roar and prowl about [cf. 1 Pt 5:8] as wildly as he likes -- he cannot harm us. (Letters 405; O. XIII pp. 300-301)
April 13
There are some people who, desiring to become perfect by the acquiring of virtues, want to acquire them all at once, as if perfection consisted merely in desiring it. Certainly it would be wonderful if we could become humble immediately and as soon as we desired it. It would be nice if we could put on this virtue as easily as we put on a coat. Since this is impossible, we must be content to acquire perfection by following the usual ways, with tranquility of heart and determination. Whether the realization of our desires comes sooner or later, we must not get upset, but leave all to Divine Providence. God will console us in His own good time. (Sermons 28; O. IX, p. 263)
April 14
If you happen to commit some fault, correct yourself gently by humbling yourself before God. Admit your misery, but do not let yourself be dejected by your fall. Is there any wonder than infirmity is infirm, weakness weak and misery wretched? Nevertheless, detest with all your heart your offense of God. With great courage and confidence in His mercy, return to the path of virtue. (INT. Part III, Ch. 9; O. III, p. 168)
April 15
Suppose the Lord gave us a choice between good health and sickness. Let us suppose He said to us: "If you choose good health, I will not deprive you of a single measure of my grace. If instead you choose sickness, I will not give you any extra graces. Nevertheless, in choosing sickness you will be just a little close to my will in your regard." A soul perfectly abandoned to God would without fail choose sickness rather than good health, in order to be a little more pleasing to God. Abandonment to God's will is the virtue of virtues! (Spiritual Treatises, II; O. VI, p. 25)
April 16
To take up our cross and follow Jesus Christ means nothing other than receiving and accepting all the troubles, contradictions, afflictions and mortifications that come our way in this life. We should accept them with complete submission and resignation. We ought not select our own crosses, but we should accept and carry those that are offered to us. In this way we imitate the Savior, Who did not choose His own cross, but humbly took upon Himself the one prepared for Him. (Sermons 2; O. IX, p. 18)
April 17
The chief intention that you must have in going to Communion should be to advance in the love of God. Communion should strengthen and comfort you in this love. Receive with love the gift of love. There is no more loving or more tender gift of the Savior than this. Here He annihilates Himself, so to speak, and changes Himself into food, so that He may fill our souls, intimately uniting Himself to the heart and body of the faithful person. (Spiritual Treatises, II, Ch. 21; O. III, p. 121)
April 18
If the world despises us, let us rejoice, because there is reason for it; let us realize that we deserve it. If it esteems us, let us despise its judgments. Its esteem for us is blind, without foundation of knowledge or truth. Do not worry about what the world thinks. Despise its esteem. Let is say whatever it likes, whether good or bad. What is desirable is that we keep our eyes fixed on Christ, going about our work no matter what the world thinks. Truly the world is a great charlatan and always talks too much, both about what is good and what is bad. (Letters 331; O. XIII, pp. 150-151)
April 19
The traveler who has lost his way walks on in doubt. As he goes, he keeps looking now to the right and now to the left, and frequently stops to examine where he is. The man who is sure he is on the right path goes along cheerfully, confidently and quickly. It is the same with love. A person who looks for God's will amid consolations is always in doubt and afraid of taking a wrong turn. Instead of loving God's will, he loves only his own pleasure. But if we lovingly walk according to God's will, even in the midst of afflictions, it is with a confident feeling. Since affliction can in no way be lovable in itself, our love is directed only to the hand which sends it! (T.L.G. Book 9, Ch. 2; O. V, pp. 115-116)
April 20
Let us walk lightly and joyously amid the difficulties of this passing life. Let us willingly accept the mortifications, pains and afflictions that we find on the way. We are certain that these trials will end with this life, after which there will be only joy and eternal consolations. (Sermons 57; O. X, p. 247)
April 21
True humility does not make a show of itself and hardly ever speaks in a humble way, not only because it wants to hide the other virtues, but most of all because it wants to conceal itself. Therefore, if it were lawful to lie, dissemble or scandalize one's neighbor, humility would perform acts of arrogance and pride, so that it might conceal itself beneath them and live completely hidden and unknown. Here then is my advice: Do not utter words expressing humility unless you can say them from the bottom of your heart. Let us not lower our eyes without humbling ourselves in our hearts; let us not make a show of wanting to be the last if we do not want to be that in reality. (INT. Part III, Ch. 5; O. III, p. 147)
April 22
Everything passes, O Christians; after a few days of this present life, we shall enjoy that life which has no end. It does not matter one iota if these days are comfortable or uncomfortable, provided we are happy for all eternity. Let this holy eternity that awaits us be our consolation, together with the thought of being Christians, brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, reborn by means of His blood. Our glory consists simply and solely in this, that the Savior died for us. (Letters 1547; O. XIX, p. 10)
April 23
My God, if we were to grasp heavenly inspirations in all their fullness and power, we would make great progress in virtue in a very short time. No matter how abundant the source of the water is, the water does not enter the garden in proportion to the source but in proportion to the canal that carries it. In the same way, the Holy Spirit, as a source of living water, surrounds our heart on all sides to scatter His grace according to His pleasure, but He does not want to enter the heart without the free consent of our will or without our cooperation. (T.L.G. Book 2, Ch. 11; O. IV, p. 121)
April 24
Great opportunities to serve God rarely present themselves, but minor ones are very often put before us. Now, "Whoever is faithful in small things," says the Savior, "will be put in charge of greater things." [cf. Mt 25:23] Do everything in the name of God, and all you do will be done well. Whether you eat or drink, sleep or rest, you will profit greatly before God by doing all these things because God wishes you to do them. (INT. Part III, Ch. 35; O. III, p. 256)
April 25
You recognize thousands of imperfections and failings in yourself, contrary to your desire for purity and perfect love of God. In reply I say that it is not possible to avoid all of these. While we live on this earth, we have to put up with ourselves, until the day that God takes us to Heaven. Meanwhile, we can do no more than to keep a close watch on ourselves, and be patient. How can we correct in one day defects that we have contracted by our prolonged lack of diligence? Sometimes God has healed a person in an instant, without leaving a trace of his previous spiritual sickness. But in so many others He has left the scars of their conversion, for the greater benefit of their souls. (Letters 277; O. XIII, p. 19)
April 26
One of the virtues which Our Lord displayed for us on the cross was holy perseverance. Without this virtue we cannot merit the fruit of His passion and death. It is little use beginning well if we do not persevere until the end. In fact, it is certain that we will remain for all eternity in the state we find ourselves at the end of our days, when God will cut off the thread of our lives. (Sermons 29; O. IV, p. 283)
April 27
Think deeply and often that in this world we are walking between paradise and hell. The last step of our life will carry us to our eternal dwelling, but we do not know what this last step will be; we must be careful about all the other steps that precede it. Oh holy and unending eternity! Happy are those who give it considerable thought. We do not know how long we will be in this world. Hence it would be a childish act of foolishness not to use whatever time we have as a stepping stone to a blessed eternity! Let the whole of our life lead us to eternal benefits. (Letters 637; O. XIV, pp. 380-381)
April 28
As soon you realize that you have given way to anger, correct the fault straight away by an act of meekness toward the person who annoyed you. The only remedy against lying it to correct the lie as soon as we realize we have told it; so we must also repair our anger instantly by an act of meekness, because, as the saying goes, fresh wounds are the quickest to be healed. (INT. Part III, Ch. 8; O. III, p. 165)
April 29
So long as we tackle all our troubles ourselves, we shall be always worried and tired, and Our Lord will leave us to our own devices; but when we leave everything to Him, He will look after all our troubles Himself. The interest that God will have for us will be in proportion to the degree that we abandon ourselves to Him. I am not just speaking of temporal things, but also of spiritual ones. The Lord Himself taught this same truth to His beloved Saint Catherine of Siena: "Always think about me, my daughter, and I will think about you." Oh, how happy are those loving souls who know how to observe this rule, thinking only about the Lord, faithfully keeping themselves in His presence, listening to what He has to say to their hearts, obeying His divine inspiration and attractions, and not living or aspiring for anything but to please Him. (Sermons 71; O. X, p. 300)
April 30
Our Divine Savior wishes to extract the heart from our breast, as He did for Saint Catherine, whose feast we celebrate today, to give in return His most divine heart. Hence she could live for love of Him alone. What tremendous happiness would be mine one day, after Holy Communion, to find my poor heart taken out of my breast and in its place the adorable heart of my God! But since we must not desire such extraordinary things, I can at least desire that my poor heart may beat no longer, except in obedience to the heart of Jesus. This would be enough to imitate Saint Catherine, and I would be gentle, humble and charitable, seeing that the heart of our Savior has no laws more loving that those of gentleness, humility and charity. (Letters 684; O. XV, pp. 50-51)
Used with permission.
Text taken from the book: "Every Day with SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES"
Edited by Francis J. Klauder, S.D.B.
Library of Congress Card Catalogue Number 85-72838
ISBN 0-89944-082-7
