Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections, but instantly set about remedying them—every day begin the task anew.
—Francis de Sales
Topics: Patience, Acceptance, Perfection, Resilience, Time Management, Realistic Expectations, Awareness, Expectations, Value of Time, Realization, Morning
Flowers often grow more beautifully on dung-hills than in gardens that look beautifully kept.
—Francis de Sales
Topics: Perspective
Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly.
—Francis de Sales
Those who love to be feared fear to be loved, and they themselves are more afraid than anyone, for whereas other men fear only them, they fear everyone.
—Francis de Sales
Topics: Fear, Anxiety
Nothing is so strong as gentleness; nothing so gentle as real strength.
—Francis de Sales
Topics: Gentleness, Strength
A quarrel between friends, when made up, adds a new tie to friendship, as … the callosity formed round a broken bone makes it stronger than before.
—Francis de Sales
Topics: Fighting, Fight, Friendship, Quarrels
The spirit cannot endure the body when overfed, but, if underfed, the body cannot endure the spirit.
—Francis de Sales
Topics: Eating
Friendships begun in this world will be taken up again, never to be broken off.
—Francis de Sales
Topics: Friends and Friendship
Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.
—Francis de Sales
Topics: Haste, Peace
While I am busy with little things, I am not required to do greater things.
—Francis de Sales
Topics: Facts
It is the mark of a mean, vulgar and ignoble spirit to dwell on the thought of food before meal times or worse to dwell on it afterwards, to discuss it and wallow in the remembered pleasures of every mouthful. Those whose minds dwell before dinner on the spit, and after on the dishes, are fit only to be scullions.
—Francis de Sales
Topics: Food, Eating
It is a great imperfection to complain unceasingly of little things.
—Francis de Sales
He who complains, sins.
—Francis de Sales
Topics: Hedonism, Self-Pity
Friendship requires great communication.
—Francis de Sales
Topics: Friendship
True progress quietly and persistently moves along without notice.
—Francis de Sales
Topics: Progress
A judicious silence is always better than truth spoken without charity.
—Francis de Sales
Topics: Silence
Marital intercourse is certainly holy, lawful and praiseworthy in itself and profitable to society, yet in certain circumstances it can prove dangerous, as when through excess the soul is made sick with venial sin, or through the violation and perversion of its primary end, killed by mortal sin; such perversion, detestable in proportion to its departure from the true order, being always mortal sin, for it is never lawful to exclude the primary end of marriage which is the procreation of children.
—Francis de Sales
Topics: Sex
If the heart wanders or is distracted, bring it back to the point quite gently and replace it tenderly in its Master’s presence. And even if you did nothing during the whole of your hour but bring your heart back and place it again in Our Lord’s presence, though it went away every time you brought it back, your hour would be very well employed.
—Francis de Sales
Topics: Heart
There are no galley-slaves in the royal vessel of divine love—every man works his oar voluntarily!
—Francis de Sales
Topics: Freedom
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.
—Francis de Sales
Topics: God
The many troubles in your household will tend to your edification, if you strive to bear them all in gentleness, patience, and kindness. Keep this ever before you, and remember constantly that God’s loving eyes are upon you amid all these little worries and vexations, watching whether you take them as He would desire. Offer up all such occasions to Him, and if sometimes you are put out, and give way to impatience, do not be discouraged, but make haste to regain your lost composure.
—Francis de Sales
There was never an angry man that thought his anger unjust.
—Francis de Sales
Topics: Anger
No matter how much it has done for your mind, your education has been a failure if it has failed to open your heart.
—Francis de Sales
God requires a faithful fulfillment of the merest trifle given us to do, rather than the most ardent aspiration to things to which we are not called.
—Francis de Sales
Topics: One Step at a Time
We must never undervalue any person.—The workman loves not to have his work despised in his presence. Now God is present everywhere, and every person is his work.
—Francis de Sales
Topics: Appreciation
Make friends with the angels, who though invisible are always with you. Often invoke them, constantly praise them, and make good use of their help and assistance in all your temporal and spiritual affairs.
—Francis de Sales
Topics: Angels
The elephant, not only the largest but the most intelligent of animals, provides us with an excellent example. It is faithful and tenderly loving to the female of its choice, mating only every third year and then for no more than five days, and so secretly as never to be seen, until, on the sixth day, it appears and goes at once to wash its whole body in the river, unwilling to return to the herd until thus purified. Such good and modest habits are an example to husband and wife.
—Francis de Sales
Topics: Animals
You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working; in just the same way, you learn to love by loving.
—Francis de Sales
Topics: Action
Wondering Whom to Read Next?
- Vincent de Paul French Catholic Saint
- Bernard of Clairvaux French Catholic Religious Leader
- John Vianney French Catholic Priest
- Blaise Pascal French Philosopher, Scientist
- Francis of Assisi Italian Monk
- Jerome Greek Priest
- Jean Baptiste Massillon French Catholic Religious Leader
- John Chrysostom Archbishop of Constantinople
- Thomas Aquinas Italian Catholic Priest
- Pierre Teilhard de Chardin French Jesuit Scientist
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