On Continually Thinking of God

Those who are filled with an earthly love are always thinking of the object of their attachment, their heart brims with affection for it, their mouth is always full of its praise.  When absent, they constantly speak their love in letters, engrave the treasured name on every tree.

In the same way those who love God are never tired of thinking of him, seeking him and talking to him.  They would like to engrave the holy name of Jesus on the heart of every human being in the world.

To such people, everything speaks of God, and all creation joins them in praising the loved one.  The whole world speaks to them in a silent but intelligible language of their love, everything excites them to holy thoughts, from which arises a stream of ejaculatory prayers to God.

The habit of recollection and ejactulatory prayers is the keystone of devotion and can supply the defects of all your other prayers, but nothing else can fill its place.  Without it, you cannot follow the contemplative life well, or the active life without danger.

~ St. Francis de Sales

in Athirth for God

On Interior Humility

St. Thomas Aquinas tells us that the sure way of attaining to the love of God is to dwell on his mercies; the more we appreciate them, the more we shall love him.

Nothing can so us humble us before the compassion of God as the abundance of his mercies; nothing so humbles us before his justice as the abundance of our misdeeds.  Let us reflect upon all he has done for us, and all we have done against him.  As we count over our sins in detail, so also we count his mercies.

We not fear to be puffed up with knowledge of what he has done for us, if we keep before us the truth that whatsoever is good in us is not of us.

'What have you that you did not receive?  And if you did receive it, whay do you glory as if you ahd not received it?' (1 Cor. 4:7)

A lively consciousness of mercies received makes us humble, for this knowledge gives birth to gratitude.

Sometimes we say we are nothing, weakness itself, but are ill pleased to be taken at our word.  We pretend to take the lower place, but just to move up higher.

from Athirst for God

St. Francis de Sales

On Preparing to Meditate

You may not understand how to practice mental prayer.  I will instruct you shortly and simply.

Place yourself in the presence of God by these four means.  First, keenly and attentively realize that God is everywhere; there is no place or thing in the world where he is not.  Let us go where we will, be where we will, we shall always be where God is.  We know this as an intellectual truth, but we do not always realize or act upon it.

We do not see God, and although faith tells us that he is present, not seeing him with our own eyes we soon forget, and act as though he were far away.  Though as an act of reason we know his presence everywhere, if we do not think about his presence everywhere, if we do not thing about it, the result is the same as if we did not know it.

Secondly, God is specially in your heart and spirit.  He is heart of your heart, spirit of your spirit.  David calls him the God of his heart (Ps. 17:28).

Thirdly, reflect that our Lord in his humanity looks down always upon us from heaven. 

Fourthly, in imagination behold Jus in his humanity as actually present with us.

Make use of some of these methods to place yourself in God's presence.  Let what you do be short and simple.

From Athirst for God

by St. Francis de Sales

On Being Open to Spiritual Guidance

When you have found a guide, do not regard him as an ordinary man, nor trust in him as such, nor in his human knowledge, but in God, who will himself guide you through his appointed channel, prompting him to do and say what you most require.

Have towards him an open heart in all faithfulness and sincerity, laying bare to him evil and good in yourself without pretense or dissimulation.  By this means, what is good in you will be examined and established, what is evil remedied and corrected; you will be relieved and comforted in your sorrows, and moderated and restrained in your prosperity.  

Place entire confidence in him, mingled with reverence, so that reverance does not hinder confidence, nor confidence lessen your reverance.  Trust him with the love of a daughter to a father, esteem him with the confidence of a son towards his mother.

Let this friendship be loving and firm, spiritual and holy.

Source:  Athirst for God, Daily Readings with St. Francis de Sales

Wisdom from St. Francis de Sales

A small volume by the name of Athirst for God, Daily Readings with St. Francis de Sales found its way into my hands nearly 20 years ago.  Today, this little treasure still provides words of wisdom and food for thought.  I hope you appreciate some of these jewels as much as I do.

On the Need for a Guide

The young Tobias, being commanded to go to Rages, said, 'I do not know the way', and his father answered, 'Seek a man who may guide you.'  If you desire to follow the devout life, seek out a holy man to guide and conduct you.

St. Teresa was forbidden by her confessor to practice great penances, and was tempted to disobey him.  But God said to her, 'Daughter, you are on a safe and good path.  I value your obedience more than penance.'  Teresa's love of obedience was so great that, apart from obedience to her superiors, she took a vow of special obedience to a holy man, obliging herself to follow his guidance, which was a great blessing to her.

Scripture say, 'A faithful friend is a strong defense, and to have found such a friend is a treasure.  A faithful friend is the medicine of life and immorality, and they that fear the Lord shall find him' (Ecclus. 6:14-16).