Francis De Sales Quotes

What we need is a cup of understanding, a barrel of love, and an ocean of patience.

Half an hour's meditation each day is essential, except when you are busy. Then a full hour is needed.

Great occasions for serving God come seldom, but little ones surround us daily.

Anxiety is the greatest evil that can befall a soul, except sin. God commands you to pray, but He forbids you to worry.

Faith is like a bright ray of sun light. It enables us to see God in all things as well as all things in God.

Have patience with all things, But, first of all with yourself.

I have made a pact with my tongue, not to speak when my heart is disturbed.

Let us think only of spending the present day well. Then when tomorrow shall have come, it will be called today, and then we will think about it.

Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength.

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.

Be who you are and be that well.

Doing little things with a strong desire to please God makes them really great.

It is right that you should begin again every day. There is no better way to complete the spiritual life than to be ever beginning it over again.

It is to those who have the most need of us that we ought to show our love more especially.

Those who pray from the heart do not think about the prayer they are saying, but about the God to whom they pray.

When you encounter difficulties and contradictions, do not try to break them, but bend them with gentleness and time.

Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections.

You can attract more bees with a spoonful of sugar than a cupful of vinegar.

A heart-memory is better than a mere head-memory. Better to carry away a little of the love of Christ in our souls, than if we were able to repeat every word of every sermon we ever heard.

We have freedom to do good or evil; yet to make choice of evil, is not to use, but to abuse our freedom.

Truly it is a blessed thing to love on earth as we hope to love in Heaven, and to begin that friendship here which is to endure for ever there.

We must never undervalue any person. The workman loves not that his work should be despised in his presence. Now God is present everywhere, and every person is His work.

To lose ourselves in God is simply to give up our own will to Him. When a soul can truly say Lord I have no other will than Thine it is truly lost in God and united to Him.

Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly.

Every Christian needs a half-hour of prayer each day, except when he is busy, then he needs an hour.

A judicious silence is always better than truth spoken without charity.

God is present everywhere, and every person is His work.

Every morning prepare your soul for a tranquil day.

There is nothing small in the service of God.

It is better to remain silent than to speak the truth ill-humoredly, and spoil an excellent dish by covering it with bad sauce.

Friendship requires great communication.

Whatever happens, abide steadfast in a determination to cling simply to God.

For every great temptation there will be many small ones. Wolves and bears are more dangerous than flies, but we are bothered most by flies.

Where there is peace and meditation, there is neither anxiety nor doubt.

Be not miserable about what may happen tomorrow. The same everlasting Father, who cares for you today, will care for you tomorrow.

One single act done with aridity of spirit is worth more than many done with feelings of devotion.

We may be excused for not always being bright, but we are not excused for not being gracious, yielding and considerate.

We must fear God out of love, not love Him out of fear.

Let the enemy rage at the gate; let him knock, pound, scream, howl; let him do his worst. We know for certain that he cannot enter our soul except by the door of our consent.

All of us can attain to Christian virtue and holiness, no matter in what condition of life we live and no matter what our life work may be.

Let God be the air in which your heart breathes at ease.

The whole world is not worth one soul.

Cook the truth in charity until it tastes sweet.

One single day of devotion is worth more than a thousand years of worldly life.

All the science of the Saints is included in these two things: To do, and to suffer. And whoever had done these two things best, has made himself most saintly.

Have patience to walk with short steps until you have wings to fly.

Be who you are and do that well.

The greatest method of praying is to pray the Rosary.

Fear is a greater evil than evil itself.

There is no better means of attainment to the spiritual life Than by continually beginning again.