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Quotes from Saint Francis de Sales

God requires a faithful fulfillment of the merest trifle given us to do, rather than the most ardent aspiration to things to which we are not called.
~ Saint Francis de Sales
Flowers often grow more beautifully on dung-hills than in gardens that look beautifully kept.
~ Saint Francis de Sales
There was never an angry man that thought his anger unjust.
~ Saint Francis de Sales
Those who love to be feared fear to be loved.
~ Saint Francis de Sales
A quarrel between friends, when made up, adds a new tie to friendship.
~ Saint Francis de Sales
Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections.
~ Saint Francis de Sales
Have patience with all things, But, first of all with yourself.
~ Saint Francis de Sales
When you encounter difficulties and contradictions, do not try to break them, but bend them with gentleness and time.
~ Saint Francis de Sales
Make friends with the angels, who though invisible are always with you. Often invoke them, constantly praise them, and make good use of their help and assistance in all your temporal and spiritual affairs.
~ Saint Francis de Sales
Do not wish to be anything but what you are, And try to be that perfectly.
~ Saint Francis de Sales
Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering you own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them - every day begin the task anew.
~ Saint Francis de Sales
Make yourself familiar with the angels, and behold them frequently in spirit for without being seen, they are present with you.
~ Saint Francis de Sales
Nothing is so powerful as gentleness nothing is so gentle as true strength.
~ Saint Francis de Sales
There is nothing as strong as tenderness, And nothing as tender as true strength.
~ Saint Francis de Sales
You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working and just so, you learn to love by loving. All those who think to learn in any other way deceive themselves.
~ Saint Francis de Sales
It is to those who have the most need of us that we ought to show our love more especially.
~ Saint Francis de Sales
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.
~ Saint Francis de Sales
We must fear God out of love, not love Him out of fear.
~ Saint Francis de Sales
Those who love to be feared fear to be loved.
~ Saint Francis de Sales
In everything, love simplicity.
~ Saint Francis de Sales
Consider all the past as nothing, and say, like David: Now I begin to love my God.
~ Saint Francis de Sales
Mount Calvary is the academy of love.
~ Saint Francis de Sales
To live according to the spirit is to love according to the spirit.
~ Saint Francis de Sales
A judicious silence is always better than truth spoken without charity.
~ Saint Francis de Sales