Francis De Sales Quotes
August 21, 1567 – December 28, 1622
More Francis De Sales Quotes
It is the mark of a mean, vulgar and ignoble spirit to dwell on the thought of food before meal times or worse to dwell on it afterwards, to discuss it and wallow in the remembered pleasures of every mouthful. Those whose minds dwell before dinner on the spit, and after on the dishes, are fit only to be scullions.
Francis De Sales— Introduction to the Devout Life, Part 3, chapter 39 (1609)
Those who love to be feared fear to be loved, and they themselves are more afraid than anyone, for whereas other men fear only them, they fear everyone.
Francis De Sales— Quoted by Bishop Jean-Pierre Camus in The Spirit of Saint Francis de Sales, ch. 7, sct. 3 (1952)
There are no galley-slaves in the royal vessel of divine love—every man works his oar voluntarily!
Francis De Sales— Quoted by Bishop Jean-Pierre Camus in The Spirit of Saint Francis de Sales, ch. 7, sct. 3 (1952)
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 God and man by loving. All those who think to learn in any other way deceive themselves.
Francis De Sales— Quoted by Bishop Jean-Pierre Camus in The Spirit of Saint Francis de Sales, ch. 1, Pg. 3 (1880)
Have patience with every one, but especially with yourself.
Francis De Sales— Quoted by Bishop Jean-Pierre Camus in The Spirit of Saint Francis de Sales, section "Upon Discouragement"
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.
Francis De Sales— Reported in Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert, Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895), p. 373.
The damned are in the abyss of Hell, as within a woeful city, where they suffer unspeakable torments, in all their senses and members, because as they have employed all their senses and their members in sinning, so shall they suffer in each of them the punishment due to sin.
Francis De Sales— Pt. 2, ch. 15
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.
Francis De Sales— Pt. 2, ch. 16
Car l'amitié est un amour mutuel, & s'il n'est mutuel, ce n'est pas amitié.[1]
Francis De Sales— Translation: Because friendship is intercommunication of love, therefore where love is not mutual, there can be no friendship.[2]
— Pt. 3, ch. 17
A good discourse is that from which nothing can be retrenched without cutting into the quick.
Francis De Sales— St. Francis de Sales, Letter upon Eloquence.
Have patience with all things, but, first of all with yourself.
Francis De Sales
