"Either to seek or to shun society is a fault in one striving to lead a devout life in the world, such as I am now speaking of. To shun society implies indifference and contempt for one’s neighbors; and to seek it savors of idleness and uselessness." Source: St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to [...]
"Of course, we should love him notwithstanding his faults, but without loving those faults; true friendship implies an interchange of what is good, not what is evil." Source: St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, Random House, Inc., 2002.
"Of course we should bear with our friend’s infirmities, but we should not encourage them, much less copy them. Of course I am speaking of imperfections only, for, as to sins, we must neither imitate or tolerate these in our friends." Source: St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, Random House, Inc., [...]
"Friendship demands very close correspondence between those who love one another, otherwise it can never take root or continue." Source: St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, Random House, Inc., 2002.
"How are you to meet the swarm of foolish attachments, trifling, and undesirable inclinations which beset you? By turning sharply away, and thoroughly renouncing such vanities, flying to the Savior’s Cross, and clasping His Crown of thorns to your heart, so that these little foxes may not spoil your vines." Source: St. Francis de [...]
"The first purification to be made is from sin; the means whereby to make it, the Sacrament of Penance. Seek the best Confessor within your reach, use one of the many little books written in order to help the examination of conscience." Source: St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, Random House, [...]
"Foremost among the soul’s affections is love. Love is the ruler of every motion of the heart; drawing all to itself, and making us like to that we love." Source: St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, Random House, Inc., 2002.
"Do not complain then of your poverty, my daughter. We only complain of that which is unwelcome, and if poverty is unwelcome to you, you are no longer poor in spirit." Source: St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, Random House, Inc., 2002.
"Now self-love is a restless, anxious, overeager love, and so the work done on its behalf is troubled, vexatious, and unsatisfactory; whereas the Love of God is calm, peaceful, and tranquil, and so the work done for its sake, even in worldly things, is gentle, trustful, and quiet." Source: St. Francis de Sales, Introduction [...]
"My child, our possessions are not ours; God has given them to us to cultivate, that we may make them fruitful and profitable in His Service, and so doing we shall please Him." Source: St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, Random House, Inc., 2002.