Quotes by Francis de Sales

About Francis de Sales:

Francis de Sales is honored as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. He became noted for his deep faith and his gentle approach to the religious divisions in his land resulting from the Protestant Reformation. He is known also for his writings on the topic of spiritual direction and spiritual formation, particularly the Introduction to the Devout Life and the Treatise on the Love of God.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Humility consists in not esteeming ourselves above other men, and in not seeking to be esteemed above them.

Francis de Sales

If after all your efforts you cannot succeed, you could not please our Lord more than by sacrificing to Him your will, and remaining in tranquility, humility, and devotion, entirely conformed and submissive to His divine will and good pleasure.

Francis de Sales

The King of Glory does not reward His servants according to the dignity of their office, but according to the humility and love with which they have exercised it.

Francis de Sales

During the night we must wait for the light.

Francis de Sales

Never be hurried in anything. Do all things calmly and in a spirit of repose. Do not lose your inward peace even if everything seems to be going wrong. What is anything in life compared to peace of soul?

Francis de Sales

Be patient and one day you will be in Heaven, where there will be only peace and joy ... You will possess an enduring tranquility and rest.

Francis de Sales

If we walk steadily and faithfully...God will lift us up to greater things.

Francis de Sales

He will unfailingly be pleased with our patience and take note of our diligence and perseverance.

Francis de Sales

He would never exhort the faithful to persevere if he were not ready to give them the power to do so.

Francis de Sales

Everybody finds themselves sometimes deficient in what they need, and put to inconvenience ... the richest people may easily be without something they want, and that is practically to suffer poverty. Accept such occurrences cheerfully, rejoice in the...

Francis de Sales

He enables [his children] to walk before him; he holds their hand in difficulties; he himself carries them along in hardships that he sees as being otherwise unbearable to them.

Francis de Sales

The acts of daily forbearance, the headache, or toothache, or heavy cold; the tiresome peculiarities of husband or wife, the broken glass...all of these sufferings, small as they are, if accepted lovingly, are most pleasing to God's Goodness.

Francis de Sales

Take patiently the petty annoyances, the trifling discomforts, the unimportant losses which come upon all of us daily; for by means of these little matters, lovingly and freely accepted, you will give Him your whole heart, and win His.

Francis de Sales

We must unceasingly ask for [perseverance] by making use of the means which God has taught us for obtaining it: prayer, fasting, almsgiving, frequenting the sacraments, association with good companions, and hearing and reading Holy Scripture.

Francis de Sales

God's favor floats as it were over all this and finds joy in turning all those miseries to the greater profit of those who love Him. From toil He makes patience spring forth.

Francis de Sales

Oppose vigorously any tendency to sadness ... You must persevere. By means of sorrow the enemy tries to make us weary of good works, but if he sees that we don't give them up and that being done in spite of his opposition they have become very merito...

Francis de Sales

The same Everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and every day of your life. Either He will shield you from suffering, or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace then, and put aside all anxious th...

Francis de Sales

Be patient, you are in good company. Our Lord Himself, our Lady, the apostles, and countless saints, both men and women, have been poor.

Francis de Sales

Fits of anger, vexation,and bitterness against ourselves tend to pride and they spring from no other source than self-love, which is disturbed and upset at seeing that it is imperfect.

Francis de Sales

The whole world is not worth one soul.

Francis de Sales

If you have firm trust in God, the success that comes to you will always be that which is most useful for you whether it appears good or bad in your private judgment.

Francis de Sales

Author Bio

  • NameFrancis de Sales
  • DescriptionFrench bishop, saint, writer and Doctor of the Church
  • AliasesSaint Francis de Sales; St. Francis de Sales
  • BornAugust 16, 1567
  • DiedDecember 28, 1622
  • CountryFrance
  • ProfessionTheologian; Priest; Writer; Cleric