The Spirit of St. Francis de Sales

Book snippets (See all)

• p.49 Losing everything but having God is having more than everything

• p.50 Love of God is the purpose and goal of Christian Perfection

• p.51 Advice of St. Francis de Sales on how to love God better

• p.53 What Love of God and Love of Neighbor are

• p.55 Love of God should be the highest motive of all our works

• p.55 We must love God, not fear him

• p.57 God’s love is behind everything bad that happens to us

• p.58 St. Francis de Sales on love and freedom

• p.61 On the love of God’s goodness itself

• p.64 A Short Story of the Disinterested Love of God

• p.65 St. Francis de Sales on the Fire of Love and of Charity

• p.66 St. Francis de Sales on entrusting all our love to God

• p.67 St. Francis de Sales on the Law and the Just Man

• p.69 How to increase or diminish our Love for God

• p.70 St. Francis de Sales on Love of God being greater than Faith and Hope

• p.74 St. Francis de Sales on the Love of God in relation to the Passion of Christ

• p.76 The emptiness of non-Christian Philosophy

• p.77 St. Francis de Sales on two different motives for love of others

• p.79 St. Francis de Sales on bearing patiently with one another

• p.80 St. Francis de Sales on correcting others gently

• p.82 St. Francis de Sales on speaking the Truth

• p.84 Examples of how St. Francis de Sales handled fault-finding in others

• p.86 St. Francis de Sales on not judging others

• p.88 How and when we can judge others

• p.89 St. Francis de Sales on Judging Ourselves instead of Others

• p.90 Slander and Detraction

• p.93 Judging whether our neighbor has the habits of virtue or vice

• p.95 Upon ridiculing one’s neighbour

• p.97 Against speaking badly of others for any reason

• p.99 Upon Loving our Enemies

• p.101 A short story about Forgiving our Enemies

• p.103 We ought to help others out of sin, but with charity and prudence

• p.104 How St. Francis de Sales interacted with unbelievers

• p.106 How St. Francis de Sales dealt with those in error

• p.109 How to love those we are in charge of

• p.113 St. Francis de Sales giving advice on discerning marriage

• p.116 Those who call Almsgiving by the name “Charity” are very mistaken

• p.117 How St. Francis de Sales treated those in error before and after their conversion

• p.120 How much St.Francis de Sales trusted in the goodness of God towards sinners

• p.121 St. Francis de Sales on Justice and Mercy

• p.122 St. Francis de Sales on the small number of the Elect

• p.123 To love to be hated, and to hate to be loved

• p.124 St. Francis de Sales on Obedience

• p.126 How superiors can practice Obedience

• p.127 How St. Francis de Sales obeyed superiors and encouraged others to do the same

• p.129 St. Francis de Sales practicing poverty

• p.131 St. Francis de Sales on how poverty is happier than riches

• p.132 St. Francis de Sales on poverty and presumption

• p.134 St. Francis de Sales explaining the superiority of poverty

• p.137 Upon Poverty of Spirit

• p.138 St. Francis de Sales’ love for the poor

• p.139 St. Francis de Sales on loving poverty in practice

• p.140 Prosperity vs Divine Providence

• p.141 We must avoid the near occasion of sin, especially chastity, when our duty before God allows it

• p.142 Purity is not Chastity

• p.143 On Humility and Chastity, and speaking of them

• p.144 How Modesty preserves the sweet perfume of our Virtues

• p.146 St. Francis de Sales on being an organ donor

• p.147 Examples of St. Francis de Sales’ humility.

• p.148 An example of true humility in the life of St. Francis de Sales

• p.150 Humility in Word vs Deed

• p.151 Humility cannot be in knowledge only, but must also be in the will

• p.152 We ought to love the humiliations God sends us, since by it He will draw nearer to us

• p.153 Those with greater charity prefer humiliations to honors

• p.154 The relationship between Humility and Obedience

• p.155 Speaking in praise or blame of ourselves both usually come from pride

• p.156 True and false humility

• p.157 Even when we are not guilty, we are not innocent

• p.159 Accusing and Excusing Ourselves

• p.161 Upon our Good Name

• p.161 We should guard our reputation only for God’s service

• p.162 Reasons we should be content with the contempt of others

• p.164 What to do when we are falsely accused

• p.165 More virtues to practice when we are falsely spoken evil of

• p.166 Humility in regards to our neighbor and ourselves

• p.168 Fatherly reproaches to a man-child’s whining

• p.172 Virtues to practice when we are insulted or accused

• p.174 Reasons we should be patient with those who annoy us

• p.175 How to endure various sufferings for love of God

• p.177 When and how we are allowed to complain

• p.179 The calm we should have during tribulation

• p.180 An example of the true virtue of patience

• p.181 The patience needed for a long illness or to help one through it

• p.183 How St. Francis de Sales bore painful illnesses

• p.185 Enduring the Cross out of Love of God

• p.186 On having the Cross of Jesus in our hearts

• p.188 Jesus the Gardener sows seeds of mortification in our souls, that he may also make them blossom into flowers of glory

• p.189 An example of justice and mercy in meekness

• p.191 How St. Francis de Sales converted a sinful priest by meekness and humility

• p.193 How St. Francis de Sales won over a malicious creditor with patience and charity

• p.195 How St. Francis de Sales defended his relative poverty against accusations

• p.197 The fearlessness of St. Francis de Sales in receiving insults and contempt

• p.199 St. Francis de Sales patiently refuses a demand to bestow a benefice unjustly

• p.201 A short debate about whether we will actually turn the other cheek

• p.202 Those who suffer for righteousness’ sake are very blessed and dear to God

• p.203 The effects of affability, gravity, and devotion in a saintly soul

• p.204 How St. Francis de Sales converted a hardened criminal sentenced to death and without hope in God

• p.207 The devil doesn’t fear our austerities or mortifications, but our obedience to God

• p.208 Penances too severe may weaken our ability to effectively fight temptations

• p.210 We must love the crosses God gives us more than the ones we choose

• p.211 We may pause our sacrifices to fulfill brotherly love and to conceal our virtues

• p.213 Advice from St. Francis de Sales on whether to fast as a personal mortification

• p.219 A convent is a hospital for the spiritually sick

• p.219 It is a good sign of spiritual health to welcome correction

• p.221 Perfection of consecrated life is not in austerities but purely in Love of God