Francis is known as the Doctor of Divine Love. He believed that every one of us is called to holiness. For the past 400 years, his pithy yet practical thoughts have guided people in their search for God. We pray you may gain new insights and renewed courage as you ponder this sampling of his sayings.
Abide steadfastly in your determination to
cling simply to God, trusting in His eternal love for you.
Avoid anxiety and worries, for nothing else so
impedes our progress toward perfection.
Be devoted to the word of God whether you hear
it in familiar conversation with spiritual friends
or
in homilies. Always listen to it with attention and
reverence;
do not let it fall to the earth but take it into your heart like
a precious balm.
But most important, don't lose heart.
Be
patient, wait, do all you can to develop a spirit of compassion.
Devotion is simply that spiritual agility and
vivacity by which charity works in us or
by aid of which we work quickly and lovingly.
Doing ordinary things in an extraordinary way is
a great thing.
Do not look forward to what might happen
tomorrow;
the same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take
care of you every day.
Go then full of courage to do whatever you are
called to do, but go in simplicity.
God alone is the consoler of hearts.
God alone calms souls of good will, that is to say, those who hope in Him.
Happy are they who walk in the way of God's
love. Their hearts are changed.
Have the utmost confidence that in His mercy and
kindness Our Lord will not forsake you;
yet for all that, do not relax your hold on His holy cross.
How true and solid a foundation is the word of
God for it is infallible!
I have no doubt that God is holding you by the
hand; if He allows you to stumble,
it is only to let you know that if He were not holding your
hand, you would fall.
This is how He gets you to take tighter hold of His hand.
I have learned we are here in this world only to
receive and carry the gentle Jesus:
on our tongue by proclaiming Him; in our arms by doing good
works; on our shoulders by supporting the yoke of dryness and
sterility in our senses. Happy are we if we carry Him gently and
with constancy.
If the consideration of your weakness troubles
you, cast yourself upon God and trust in Him.
If you have any fears, say to your soul, "The
Lord will provide for you."
Just as wherever birds fly they always fly
through air,
so also wherever we go or wherever we are we find God present.
Let us rest entirely in God's hands without
reserve or exception
and without pretending to anything but the glory of being His.
Let us walk with the Lord, not considering where we are going but with whom.
Let us always have recourse to God's goodness in
our afflictions for the interior words spoken by God to the
afflicted heart are sweeter than honey and more salutary than
the most precious balm.
Let us not waste time in desiring anything or
seeking anything, but
let us leave ourselves entirely in the hands of Divine
Providence to do with us whatever pleases Him.
Let your heart be full of courage and your
courage full of confidence in God.
May it please the infinite goodness of God that
His love may be our only love.
Our good is found in the present moment which is
today.
Our life is the today in which we are living; we cannot promise
ourselves a tomorrow.
Place your heart in our Lord's wounds gently and
not by force.
Remember that the present day is given to you so
that you may gain the future day of eternity.
Make a firm purpose to use this day well.
Take care not to let yourself be moody and out
of humor with those about you.
We can never love our neighbor too much.
There is nothing small in the service of God.
What use is there in desiring one thing rather
than another? We should be equally indifferent to whatever
happens provided that we please God and love His divine will.
We may rest assured that God will give us
everything we need in its own proper time.
When the shore is gained, who will remember the
toil and storm?
