Monday, September 21, 2009


Here is another section that I thought was especially good from St. Francois De Sales.


"Our dear Father (writes Camus) had a great respect for the old imperial motto - Make haste slowly; as also for the saying, "Soon enough, if well enough." His favorite words were "Little but good," and he continually warned people against supposing that perfection is to be found in a multiplicity of religious exercises, whether internal or external. If one questioned this as contrary to that insatiable love of which the masters of the spiritual life tell us -- a love which never says "enough", which never counts itself to have attained, but is ever reaching forward to greater heights, he would reply: "You must grow in this love by means of the root rather than the branches": explaining himself to mean that a multitude of spiritual exercises, imperfectly done, often superfluous, or not to the purpose, resemble the useless tendrils of a vine, which must be pruned away if it is to bear good grapes; whereas the real life or root is nourished and strengthened by a few good works very carefully performed; that is to say, done in a spirit of very fervent love of God, wherein all true Christian perfection consists."

"a very few good works carefully performed," this verse stuck out to me because it is easy to be influenced to become involved in many things when we really have barely enough time to do the necessities well. We each have spiritual gifts where we can devote ourselves to God in this 'carefully performed way'; but if we get our plate too full then we lose what we had and gain nothing.

Photo from the internet

1 comment:

Joseph Pulikotil said...

Hi Fred:)

Fantastic post. Very thought provoking.

We should feed the roots and not the branches because the branches will wither away if the roots are not fed properly. Branches are superficial things. They can produce good fruits only if the root is sound and well nourished. Most of the times we are superficial. For instance, going to the church because we worry what others will think of us.

When we have too many irons in the fire, we cannot do justice.

These words of Francis de Sales reminds me of Mother Teresa who said DO LITTLE THINGS WITH GREAT LOVE.

Very useful post.

Have a nice day Fred:)
Joseph